The College of Communication and Information will host Social Media Week March 31–April 3 in the Communications Building on campus, 1345 Circle Park Drive.
The four-day event will feature presentations, panel discussions, and open forums with social media experts from BuzzFeed, ESPN, Scripps Network Interactive, Viggle, Sports Illustrated, AC Entertainment, and the US Coast Guard. Paul Finebaum, radio and television host for ESPN and 1978 UT political science graduate, will give the keynote address, “Social Media’s Influence on the ‘Impartial’ Voice of the SEC.” Sponsors for the event include Coca-Cola, WATE-TV, and Calhoun’s.
Topics range from using social media in the political arena to understanding social media bullying to engaging college students with social media. All presentations are free and open to the public, with the exception of Finebaum’s keynote. Those wishing to see Finebaum can attend a session from 12:45 to 1:15 p.m. on Thursday, April 3, in the Scripps Convergence Lab, Room 402 of the Communications Building.
Finebaum, considered the leading sports authority in the South, joined ESPN in 2013. He does a regional radio show from Charlotte, North Carolina, and appears on a variety of other ESPN shows and outlets, including SportsCenter, College Football Live, College GameDay, and ESPN The Magazine. In August 2014, when ESPN’s SEC Network launches, a television simulcast of Finebaum’s radio show will anchor the network’s afternoon lineup.
“As social media have an ever greater impact on how we communicate, market, and interrelate, the opportunity to listen to and interact with top social media experts will provide attendees with a remarkable learning opportunity,” said CCI Dean Mike Wirth. “This event is just one example of the great work our college is doing to develop and deliver an innovative curriculum to address the ever-changing environment within which our graduates will be working.”
For more information on UT Social Media Week, including the full schedule of events and speakers, visit the website. Each session will be live streamed and can be followed on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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C O N T A C T :
Donna Silvey (865-974-6727, dsilvey@utk.edu)
Courtney Childers (865-974-5108, childers@utk.edu)