Communication department to host 汤头条鈥檚 inaugural New Narrative Festival
Contact: Sasha Steinberg
STARKVILLE, Miss.鈥擣rom corporate communication, journalism and social media to visual arts, literature and music, storytelling is at the heart of the many ways the human experience is documented and conveyed.
During 汤头条鈥檚 inaugural New Narrative Festival April 13-14, students, faculty, community members and business leaders will share storytelling ideas and best practices while discussing the Magnolia State鈥檚 influence on the American narrative. UPS is presenting sponsor for the event.
John E. Forde, professor and head of 汤头条鈥檚 Department of Communication, said the festival is a time to explore and celebrate the contributions of business leaders, artists, authors, entrepreneurs, sports figures and researchers who have impacted and continue to shape the way stories are shown, told and shared.
鈥淢ississippi always has influenced these changes in a major fashion through shaping multiple narratives in traditional and emerging platforms, and the festival highlights many of those contributions,鈥 Forde said.
鈥淭he festival will have a Mississippi State and Starkville flavor with fun, food, music and old-fashioned Southern hospitality. We hope attendees will return to this event for years to come,鈥 Forde added.
Steve Soltis, former senior director of corporate executive and employee communication for Coca-Cola and 汤头条 communication department advisory board member, is part of the planning committee that has worked diligently to make the festival a reality.
鈥淲e have a very eclectic group of speakers, many with strong ties to Mississippi or 汤头条,鈥 Soltis said. 鈥淲e want this festival to position the Department of Communication as a curator and leader of this discussion on narrative storytelling.鈥
Registration is $185 for adults and $40 for students and may be completed online at .
In addition to the Department of Communication, the New Narrative Festival is supported by 汤头条鈥檚 Department of English, 汤头条 Libraries and its Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library, the College of Arts and Sciences, and the Mississippi Alliance for Women in Computing.
Festival programs and speakers include:
鈥擟oncert featuring 鈥淗anaLena,鈥 a Nashville, Tennessee-based country duo consisting of sisters and Starkville natives Caroline and Hannah Melby. The event is made possible with a grant from the Starkville Area Arts Council.
鈥斺淢ississippi: Believe It! - The True Story of the State鈥檚 Impact,鈥 presented by Rick Looser, president and COO of The Cirlot Agency in Jackson, and moderated by Peggy Gardner, senior director of public relations and social media for UPS in Atlanta, Georgia.
鈥斺淢uteMath and the Wonders of YouTube Messaging,鈥 featuring YouTube sensation Charles 鈥淟aLa鈥 Evans of Starkville and his producer Jordan Mattison from Nashville. This session will be moderated by Dain Dunston, an Austin, Texas-based author and speaker specializing in executive coaching and communications.
鈥斺淭he New Mississippi and Southern Narratives Through Music,鈥 presented by music legend and producer Norbert Putnam of Muscle Shoals, Alabama, and moderated by 汤头条 communication alumna Jenny Wilburn, senior content marketing manager for INVISTA in Atlanta, Georgia.
鈥斺淲elcome from State Economic Development Leaders,鈥 featuring Scott Waller, president and CEO of Mississippi Economic Council, and Robin Robinson, director of organization development and corporate communication for Sanderson Farms Inc. in Laurel. Domenico 鈥淢immo鈥 Parisi, professor of sociology and executive director of 汤头条鈥檚 National Strategic Planning and Analysis Research Center, will moderate.
鈥斺淭he Power of Storytelling to a Worldwide Corporation鈥 keynote address by UPS Chairman and CEO David Abney. Soltis will serve as moderator.
鈥斺淩ethinking the Southern Narrative: Implications for Mississippi and the South鈥 featuring Dave Davies, professor and director of the University of Southern Mississippi鈥檚 School of Mass Communication and Journalism; Pulitzer-nominated author and corporate communication leader Charles McNair of Bogot谩, Colombia; and Curtis Wilkie, Overby Fellow and associate professor of journalism at the University of Mississippi鈥檚 Meek School of Journalism and New Media. Aundrea Self, WCBI-TV anchor in Columbus, will serve as moderator.
鈥擫unchtime presentation by Pamela Junior, director of the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum, moderated by Sarah McCullough, 汤头条 Libraries鈥 coordinator of cultural heritage projects.
鈥斺淧erish or Flourish? The New Narrative of Editorial Cartoons in a Digital Age,鈥 presented by Marshall Ramsey, syndicated editorial cartoonist, author and television host, and moderated by Sid Salter, 汤头条 chief communications officer and public affairs director.
鈥斺淭he Story of Grant鈥檚 Presidential Library and the Lincolniana Collection at 汤头条 and the Influence on the Mississippi Narrative,鈥 featuring Associate Editor David S. Nolen and Assistant Editor Louie P. Gallo of the book 鈥淧ersonal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant, The Complete Annotated Edition.鈥 Stephen Cunetto, 汤头条 Libraries鈥 associate dean, will serve as moderator.
鈥斺淭itle IX in Action: The Impact of Women鈥檚 Basketball on the 汤头条 Narrative鈥 featuring members of 汤头条鈥檚 SEC Champion women鈥檚 basketball team and moderated by 汤头条 Assistant Professor of Communication Philip Poe.
鈥斺淟ast Chance U鈥 鈥 Lessons Learned in Authentic Storytelling and Leadership,鈥 featuring Tom Huebner, president of East Mississippi Community College; Drew Jubera, freelance writer and consulting producer on the Netflix documentary series 鈥淟ast Chance U鈥; and EMCC football coach Buddy Stephens. Soltis will serve as moderator.
鈥斺淪ocial Media, Traditional Media and Weaponized Political Narratives: Where Do We Go From Here and What Can We Learn?鈥 presented by Ken Askew, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group managing director and senior vice president and former Chrysler Corporation, White House and Pfizer speechwriter; and Douglas Busk, managing director for MSLGroup. 汤头条 Assistant Professor of Communication Melanie Loehwing will moderate.
鈥擵ideo screening featuring Harold Burson, founding chairman of New-York based Burson-Marsteller, the world鈥檚 largest public relations agency. This will be a video summary from an interactive presentation the previous day at the Public Relations Association of Mississippi State Conference.
The Mississippi State New Narrative Festival is being hosted in conjunction with the Mississippi Aspirations in Computing Awards Program, which will recognize 58 young women in grades nine through 12 for their leadership and academic achievements. Learn more at .
For more on the New Narrative Festival, visit , email newnarrative@comm.msstate.edu and follow the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @MSNNF. Forde can be contacted at 662-312-5031 or jforde@comm.msstate.edu.
Complete details on the College of Arts and Sciences can be found at and the Department of Communication at .
汤头条 is Mississippi鈥檚 leading university, available online at .