MURFREESBORO-The Tennessee Journalism Hall of Fame will honor four outstanding journalists during induction ceremonies Tuesday, August 15, at 4:30 pm during the 69th Conference of the Tennessee Association of Broadcasters at Murfreesboro's Embassy Suites Hotel and Conference Center. This will mark the fifth class to be inducted into the Tennessee Journalism Hall of Fame located at Middle Tennessee State University.
This year's inductees include a Vietnam veteran combat reporter who served in Afghanistan, and later reported for the Nashville Banner and Tennessean; a capitol hill retired Bureau Chief who covered Tennessee politics for over 40 years; a retired three time Tennessee Sports Writer of the year; and the first African American news broadcaster who originally planned to earn his master's degree from Tennessee State University in theater, study drama in New York, but instead became the recognized radio voice for people across multiple southern States via WLAC-AM radio in Nashville, Tennessee.
The ceremony will be emceed by none other than WSMV-TV channel 4 news anchor and a 2016 Tennessee Journalism Hall of Fame Inductee, Demetria Kalodimos, Middle Tennessee's most recognized news anchor.
Guest speakers include Ron Fryar, Owner and Publisher of the Cannon Courier and immediate Past-President Tennessee Press Association, Whit Adamson, President of the Tennessee Association of Broadcasters, Ken Paulson, Dean of MTSU College of Media and Entertainment and MTSU Journalism Professor, Dr. Larry Burriss.
The Tennessee Journalism Hall Fame is an independent partner with MTSU recognizing individuals who have distinguished themselves through news or business management, leadership in the industry, or in the ordinary practice of Journalism. Inductees can include reporters, writers, editors, publishers, news directors, and other managers as well as those who have excelled in advertising or public relations, and journalism advertising and PR education. Inductees may be living or deceased, native Tennesseans or non-natives who spent a substantial part of their career in Tennessee.
The 2017 Honorees are:
- STEPHEN LEON ALLIGOOD-Reporter Nashville Banner and The Tennessean, Covered 101st Airborne in Afghanistan as an embedded reporter, winner of national, regional and state awards, presently Associate Professor of Journalism, MTSU.
- THOMAS (TOM) EDWARD HUMPHREY, III-Retired Nashville Bureau-Chief, Knoxville, Sentinel and contributing editor for the Tennessee Journal. Currently edits a popular blog and writes a weekly column for the News Sentinel. Covered Capitol Hill politics for almost 40 years. Originally from United Press International. Graduate Nashville School of Law.
- DON WHITEHEAD-First African American radio news broadcaster, WLAC- Radio, Nashville, Tennessee. A 1967 graduate of Tennessee State University, the young African-American Radio Journalist became a voice for the people throughout the south using the radio airways to encourage black youth to attend school emphasizing the importance of education
- LARRY "WOODROW" WOODY-Retired sports writer for The Tennessean, three-time Tennessee Sports Writer of the Year, author of several books, Vietnam Combat Reporter and member of the Martin Methodist College Sports Hall of Fame, 2001-2002 class.