Colin Donohue

Director of Student Engagement and Special Projects and Assistant Professor of Journalism

McEwen - Communications Bldg., Office 101E 2855 Campus Box Elon, NC 27244

Brief Biography

Colin Donohue is the School of Communications director of student engagement and special projects & an assistant professor of journalism.

He has taught several courses, including Multimedia Journalism, Reporting for the Public Good, Editing & Design, Elon 1010, Media Writing, News Reporting and Writing, Literary Journalism, and Sports Journalism. Colin provides support to all School of Communications and student media organizations: Colonnades, Elon News Network, Elon Student Television, Limelight Music Group, Phi Psi Cli, WSOE 89.3 FM, elondocs, Cinelon, Live Oak Communications, FreshTV and Elon Sports Vision. He helped lead the merger of The Pendulum newspaper and "Elon Local News" newscast into the Elon News Network.

Colin has a background as a newspaper reporter with the Burlington Times-News and the Memphis Commercial Appeal. He earned his undergraduate degree (journalism) from Elon University, his M.A. (journalism) from the University of Memphis and his M.F.A. (narrative non-fiction writing) from the University of Georgia. He is a father to two boys, a husband, a son, a brother, a teacher, an adviser and (usually painfully) a Washington Capitals fan.

News & Notes

Education

M.F.A., Narrative Nonfiction Writing (University of Georgia, 2021-2023)

M.A., Journalism (University of Memphis, 2005-2007)

B.A., Journalism with minors in French and political science (Elon University, 2001-2005)

Employment History

Director of Student Engagement and Special Projects and Assistant Professor of Journalism, Elon University, Elon, N.C., June 2007-Current

Handle public relations and communications output for student media, including writing press releases and leveraging social media to reach audiences on and off campus
Arrange alumni outreach efforts, including organizing Homecoming events, sending updates, connecting alumni with students and communicating alumni achievements
Teach courses in the School of Communications and Elon 101
Lead recruiting efforts for the School of Communications
Chair Elon University's Student Media Board
Served as communciations manager for the School of Communications (2007-2014), writing press releases about student, faculty, staff and alumni news, designing web pages, initiating and maintaining the School's social media presence, and communicating successes of the School to internal and external audiences
Advised The Pendulum (2007-2016), during which time the organization won more than 100 awards from national, regional and state organizations

Staff Reporter, The Memphis Commercial Appeal, Memphis, August 2005-May 2007

Covered prep athletics, including stories for sports and features sections.
Covered general news and features stories for zoned editions of the newspaper.

Correspondent, The Burlington Times-News, Burlington, N.C., June 2002-May 2005

Covered NFL Carolina Panthers football, NHL Carolina Hurricanes hockey, prep athletics, general features/profiles, operated AGATE functions, copy editing and pagination.

Courses Taught

Multimedia Journalism

Reporting for the Public Good

Editing & Design

Media Writing

Elon 1010

News Reporting and Writing

Literary Journalism

Sports Journalism

Leadership Positions

Elon University Media Board Chair, 2018-present

School of Communications Awards Committee Chair, 2014-2015, 2022-present

School of Communications Enrollment Task Force Chair, 2024-present

Faculty Director of the Oaks Neighborhood (Elon University), 2018-2021

Faculty Director of the Danieley Center Neighborhood (Elon University), 2016-2018

School of Communications Recruiting Committee Co-Chair, 2018-2019

College Media Association, Programming Committee Member, 2011-2013

College Media Association, New Media Committee Chair, 2010-2011

North Carolina College Media Association, Awards Committee Chair, 2008-2015

North Carolina College Media Association, Steering Committee Member, 2008-2009

Grants Awarded

Scripps Howard ($300,000) to start the Emerging Journalists Program at Elon University.

1 For All ($2,000), national, nonpartisan program designed to build understanding and support for the First Amendment freedoms of religion, speech, press, assembly and petition. Money was used to fund the First Amendment Free Food Festival, support Banned Books Week and bring a media literacy expert to campus.

Publications

Donohue, C. & Book, C. "News Diffusion." The SAGE Encyclopedia of Journalism (SAGE Publications, 2022).

Book Review: “Baseball and the Media: How Fans Lose in Today’s Coverage of the Game” by George Castle for Newspaper Research Journal, 2007

Presentations

“Generating Story Ideas.” Journalism Education Association/National Scholastic Press Association National High School Journalism Convention. Philadelphia. (2025)

“Home at Last: How Music Can Inform Your Writing.” Journalism Education Association/National Scholastic Press Association National High School Journalism Convention. Philadelphia. (2025)

"Coaching Writers." Journalism Education Association/National Scholastic Press Association National High School Journalism Convention. Kansas City. (2024)

"Writing the Gamer." Journalism Education Association/National Scholastic Press Association National High School Journalism Convention. Kansas City. (2024)

“Coaching Writers.” Journalism Education Association/National Scholastic Press Association National High School Journalism Convention. Boston. (2023)

“Home at Last: How Music Can Inform Your Writing.” Journalism Education Association/National Scholastic Press Association National High School Journalism Convention. Boston. (2023)

"The Shapes of Stories" -- Journalism Education Association/National Scholastic Press Association national high school journalism convention, St. Louis, 2022

“Better, Richer Storytelling.” North Carolina Scholastic Media Association fall regional high school journalism workshop (virtual). Elon, N.C., 2021

"Don't Call It Convergence" -- Associated Collegiate Press college media conference, Washington, D.C., 2016

"Don't Call It Convergence" -- College Media Association college media conference, Atlanta, 2016

Presentation at the Associated Collegiate Press and College Media Association conferences, Washington, D.C. and Atlanta

“Social Media Integrity" -- The Burlington School, Burlington, N.C., 2014

“Biweekly and back: Publishing (More or Less)” -- Associated Collegiate Press/College Media Association Conference, Philadelphia, 2014

“The Importance of Student Media on a College Campus” -- Moderated Twitter #profchat Discussion, 2014

“Reaching Students with Facebook, Twitter and YouTube” -- Teaching and Learning Technologies Lunch & Learn, Elon University, 2014

“Hitting the Wall: Student Media Access Issues at Private Universities” -- College Media Advisers Conference, New York, 2014

“Careful Editing and Consistent Coaching: Bringing Credibility to You and Your News Product” -- North Carolina Scholastic Media Association Summer Workshop, Chapel Hill, N.C., 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016

“Perspectives on Religion in Instruction & Student Media” -- Panel presentation at Media & Religion Conference, Elon, N.C., 2013

“Effective Hybrid or Multi-Headed Hydra?” -- Co-Presentation at Thresholds to Learning, Elon Teaching and Learning Conference, Elon, N.C., 2011

“Starting a Professional Student Org Website” -- Co-Presentation at College Media Advisers Conference, New York, 2010

“Advanced Student Media Websites: Content, Marketing, Technology and Revenue” -- Co-Presentation at College Media Advisers Conference, New York, 2010

“Free Speech Privileges: History and Newspaper Coverage of Sedition Laws in America” -- North Carolina State CommUnion Conference, Raleigh, N.C., 2005

“Global’s Impact” -- Global Fusion Conference in St. Louis, 2004

Awards

Outstanding Staff Member of the Year, Elon University School of Communications, 2022

Steven and Patricia House Excellence in Mentoring Award, Elon University, 2020

Four-Year Distinguished Newspaper Adviser, College Media Association, 2017

Honor Roll Adviser Award (Four-Year Newspaper), College Media Advisers, 2010

CMA Presidential Citation, 2010, 2011

Outstanding Graduate Student of the Year, University of Memphis, 2007

Kappa Tau Alpha Top Scholar, University of Memphis (4.0 GPA), 2007

Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, 2004

Omicron Delta Kappa Leadership Society, 2004

Lambda Pi Eta Communications Honor Society, 2004