Dr. Keonte Coleman has been named the Broadcast Education Association’s next Faculty Fellow of Diversity, Inclusion, Equity and Belonging (DEIB).
Dr. Coleman has served many years as a dedicated educator in broadcasting and mass communication. In addition to teaching various courses in broadcast journalism, DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) in the media and sports media, Dr. Coleman served as dean of the Professional Studies Division and chair of the Journalism and Media Studies (JMS) Department at Bennett College. Coleman recently began working for his alma mater, Syracuse University, in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications where he serves as the director of assessment and program review and as an assistant professor in the Broadcast and Digital Journalism Department.
Coleman has earned DEIA-focused certifications in Workplace Integrity from the Freedom Forum, Mental Health First Aid from the MTSU Center for Health and Human Services and Safe Zone Training from North Carolina A&T State University. He was also presented with the inaugural S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University IDEA Award for his work advancing inclusivity, diversity, equity, and accessibility in journalism and media. Coleman wields his extensive knowledge of journalism, leadership, media, sports and higher education in congruence with his focus on diversity. Coleman is recognized by the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) for his contribution to their masterclass textbook, “Teaching Race”, and co-authored the “Complete Guide to Television, Field, and Digital Producing,” a news producing textbook.
He received faculty of the year awards from both MTSU and Bennett College. He was nominated by the MTSU president to compete in the junior faculty division of the Andrew Carnegie Fellowship. He was accepted into the Scripps Howard Academic Leadership Academy, Freedom Forum’s Inclusive Leadership Training and Hampton University’s Executive Leadership Summitt. At the Leadership Academy, Coleman gained firsthand knowledge from leaders and created a network of current and future leaders to lean on to discuss potential scenarios.
Coleman has merged his passions to create and host a YouTube Podcast show, “Breaking News with Media Leaders.” The mission of the show is to help students, faculty and professionals advance or pivot in their careers by getting advice from academic and professional media leaders. Coleman consults with student media programs through his “Student Media Analysis Journalism Bootcamp,” which teaches students to analyze the diversity of their campus media coverage while also providing techniques for combating discriminatory practices in the gathering and presentation of news.
Coleman earned a Ph.D. in higher education administration from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 2018, an M.S. in broadcast journalism from the Newhouse School in 2003 and a B.S. in mass communications from Jackson State University in 2002. He was awarded the Syracuse University African-American Studies Fellowship as a graduate student and won two Emmy Awards and an Edward R. Murrow Award during his time as a news producer.
BEA is truly excited to benefit from the knowledge and experience Dr. Coleman will bring to this position. BEA President Kim Fox, American University in Cairo, affirms “BEA has a commitment to DEIB and it’s evident with our strategic planning goals and in fulfilling this role. Keonte Coleman brings a wealth of knowledge, skill sets and resources to the position that will assist us in attracting new members who feel comfortable in our BEA community.”
Dr. Coleman’s two-year term as the BEA Faculty Fellow of Diversity and Inclusion begins immediately and is renewable for a third year.
