Dr. Hugh Martin is one of the many excellent professors students can find in the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism. Not only is he the Her Campus advisor, he is also a co-editor, adviser and the occasional golfer.
What is your favorite class to teach at OU?
I enjoy any class where students are engaged with the material. But my favorite subject to teach is how and why media are changing, which is driven by economics. This is an incredible moment because entirely new ways to practice journalism are being created. But it’s also very challenging because the traditional ways that journalism generated revenue – to produce jobs, and paychecks, among other things – are under intense pressure and no one is quite sure what comes next. Helping students to understand some of this is what I enjoy the most.
What, in your opinion, sets Scripps apart from other journalism schools?
Students at Scripps are focused on creating their own work and putting it out there in student-led publications and organizations. This allows students to test their ideas and abilities on new platforms like social media, which tells me students believe they can help create the future of journalism, advertising and public relations. This reflects the spirit of the Scripps, we are named for a company that has an honored place in the history of journalism, but is now focused on meeting the same challenges that our students are navigating.
Why did you choose to come to OU?
Prof. Tom Hodson and the journalism school tried twice to hire me. After the second time, I figured they meant it so of course I had to come.
What publications do you work with, on campus or otherwise?
I am co-editor of the Journal of Media Economics, a global journal that publishes research about economic and policy issues affecting all kinds of media. That takes a lot of my spare time. I am also advisor to Her Campus, and I’ve occasionally been consulted by other student
publications.
What has been your favorite job that you’ve held?
I’ve had a lot of different jobs, but the ones I enjoyed the most were newspaper reporter and college professor.
What advice do you have for Jschool students?
Enjoy this time – you have more freedom to make decisions about your creative work than you will ever have again in your life. So work hard, keep your grades up, and get involved with student organizations and publications.
What activities do you like to do in your free time?
My wife and I like good food and good restaurants. We enjoy Skyping with our daughter who is in graduate school I play golf (or pretend to play) when the weather is nice. I also enjoy searching YouTube for old rock n’ roll and other music I like – it’s amazing how many great, pre-Internet performances wind up on YouTube.