Assistant Professor of Social and Digital Media in Journalism

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Closing Date:

Type of Position:

Faculty - Tenure/Tenure TrackNo

Job Type:

RegularYes

Institution Name:

University of Arkansas, Fayetteville

Founded in 1871, the University of Arkansas is a land grant institution, classified by the Carnegie Foundation among the nation’s top 2 percent of universities with the highest level of research activity. The University of Arkansas works to advance the state and build a better world through education, research, and outreach by providing transformational opportunities and skills, fostering a welcoming climate, and nurturing creativity, discovery, and the spread of new ideas and innovations.

The University of Arkansas campus is located in Fayetteville, a welcoming community ranked as one of the best places to live in the U.S. The growing region surrounding Fayetteville is home to numerous Fortune 500 companies and one of the nation’s strongest economies. Northwest Arkansas is also quickly gaining a national reputation for its focus on the arts and overall quality of life.

As an employer, the University of Arkansas offers a vibrant work environment and a workplace culture that promotes a healthy work-life balance. The benefits package includes university contributions to health, dental, life and disability insurance, tuition waivers for employees and their families, 12 official holidays, immediate leave accrual, and a choice of retirement programs with university contributions ranging from 5 to 10% of employee salary.

Below you will find the details for the position including any supplementary documentation and questions, you should review before applying for the opening.

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Department:

School of Journalism and Strategic Media

Summary of Job Duties:

The School of Journalism and Strategic Media (SJSM) in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Arkansas invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor of Social and Digital Media in Journalism to start in August 2027. This is a standard nine-month faculty appointment.

SJSM seeks a scholar of Social and Digital Media with familiarity of the professional practice of social and digital media in journalism. SJSM is particularly interested in candidates whose areas of focus expand into any of the following: strategic communication, digital and platform cultures, media audiences and engagement, online communities, influencers and creators, digital advertising and public relations, algorithms and platforms, artificial intelligence and media, misinformation, or the social and cultural implications of digital media.

The successful candidate will maintain an active program of research and/or scholarly/creative activity and contribute to the School's undergraduate and graduate curricula. Teaching responsibilities may include existing courses in social and digital media as well as courses in the candidate's areas of expertise across the School's journalism, multimedia, and advertising/public relations programs. The successful candidate will have opportunities to develop new courses that complement and expand the School's curriculum in social and digital media.

The position carries a 2-2 teaching load and includes requirements for research and service.

Faculty hired in this position will have an opportunity to be a part of Fulbright College’s multidisciplinary Democracy as a Public Good cluster hire at the University of Arkansas. Through its Democracy as a Public Good Initiative, the College will advance the University’s land-grant mission by expanding capacity to generate knowledge that informs public understanding, contributes to policy and practice, and connects Arkansas to national and international conversations about societal good. Building on existing campus expertise in issues ranging from norms of democratic communication, free speech, media ethics and literacy, humanitarian governance and civil society, risks that AI poses to democratic governance, immigration, and public law, new faculty members participating in the cluster will advance their research agendas through mentoring and opportunities for collaboration—both with other scholars and with communities in the state—that may result in peer-reviewed publications, external funding, and new approaches to the pressing challenges that democracy faces. The successful candidate for this position will have an opportunity to join a community of scholars committed to confronting major issues, generating new knowledge, and providing research-based solutions that investigate and strengthen democratic culture for people living in Arkansas and beyond.

This is an in-person position. Most university classes are offered face-to-face, and extensive in-person engagement in such activities as office hours, student advising, and departmental, college, and university committee meetings is essential to advancing student success and departmental effectiveness.

Regular, reliable, and non-disruptive attendance is an essential job duty, as is the ability to create and maintain collegial, harmonious working relationships with others.

About the Department:
The School of Journalism and Strategic Media at the University of Arkansas is fully accredited by ACEJMC, offering a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism with concentrations in Broadcast Journalism, Journalism, and Multimedia Storytelling and Production, as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Advertising and Public Relations. SJSM also offers a Master of Arts in Journalism and Strategic Media – in total serving about 1,000 undergrads and grads in AY25-26.

Duties will include:
• 40% Teaching or Professional Performance
• 40% Research/Scholarly and/or Creative Activities
• 20% Academic Service Activities

Qualifications:

Minimum Qualifications:

• A terminal degree in journalism or a media-related field from an accredited institution of higher education conferred by the date of initial appointment

• At least two years of professional, research, or relevant experience in digital journalism, digital and social media advertising, and public relations

• Evidence of, or a demonstrated potential for, an active research agenda and/or scholarly/creative activity related to social media, digital media, or related areas of media and communication

• A demonstrated ability to develop and deliver course content related to social and digital media in face-to-face and/or online environments

Preferred Qualifications:

• At least five years professional journalistic experience in digital and social journalism, digital and social media strategies for news and/or strategic media, social media influencing

• Significant experience in the fast-changing world of social media and related digital media

• Experience with online teaching and educational technology, including in writing Open Education Resource texts to be used across course sections by other faculty

• A strong record of successful publication and external funding in the thematic and/or methodological areas of the position focus

Additional Information:

Salary is commensurate with experience and qualifications.Cover Letter/Letter of Application, Curriculum Vitae, List of three Professional References (name, email, business title), Other (see special instructions for details)Proof of Veteran StatusDr. Ray McCaffrey, [email protected]

All application materials must be uploaded to the University of Arkansas System Career Site https://uasys.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/UASYS  

Please do not send to listed recruitment contact.

Special Instructions to Applicants:

Completed applications received by October 15, 2026, will be assured full consideration. Late applications will be reviewed as necessary to fill the position.

For additional inquiries, please contact the search committee chair, Raymond McCaffrey, at [email protected].

Applicants must submit:
• A curriculum vitae
• A cover letter/letter of application
• A statement of teaching philosophy, which may include evidence of teaching effectiveness (not to exceed three pages)
• A list of three professional references (name, title, email address, and phone number) willing to provide letters of recommendation if requested during the application process

Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled.

Pre-employment Screening Requirements:

Criminal Background Check, Sex Offender Registry

The University of Arkansas is committed to providing a safe campus community. We conduct background checks for applicants being considered for employment. Background checks include a criminal background check and a sex offender registry check. For certain positions, there may also be a financial (credit) background check, a Motor Vehicle Registry (MVR) check, and/or drug screening. Required checks are identified in the position listing. A criminal conviction or arrest pending adjudication or adverse financial history information alone shall not disqualify an applicant in the absence of a relationship to the requirements of the position. Background check information will be used in a confidential, non-discriminatory manner consistent with state and federal law.

The University of Arkansas seeks to attract, develop and retain high quality faculty, staff and administrators that consistently display practices and behaviors to advance a culture that embeds equal opportunity, educational excellence and unparalleled access for all.

The University of Arkansas is an equal opportunity institution. The University does not discriminate in its education programs or activities (including in admission and employment) on the basis of any category or status protected by law, including age, race, color, national origin, disability, religion, protected veteran status, military service, genetic information, sex, sexual preference, or pregnancy. Questions or concerns about the application of Title IX, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, may be sent to the University’s Title IX Coordinator and to the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights.

Persons must have proof of legal authority to work in the United States on the first day of employment.

All Application information is subject to public disclosure under the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act.

Constant Physical Activity:

N/A

Frequent Physical Activity:

N/A

Occasional Physical Activity:

N/A

Benefits Eligible:

Yes