Assistant Professor of Journalism & Digital Media Production

Dr. Kix Patterson
UNA Box 5007
123B Communications Building
Florence, AL 35632-0001

256.765.4661
apatterson19@una.edu  

Education:

• Ph.D., Mass Communications, University of Florida, 2026
• M.A., Journalism and Strategic Media, University of Memphis, 2021
• B.A., Creative Mass Media, University of Memphis, 2019

Research & Teaching Fields:

• Journalism and News Reporting
• Broadcast Journalism and Audio Media
• Media Law and Ethics
• Visual Communication and Digital Media Production
• Media Representation and Diversity
• Journalism Education and Pedagogy

Professional Affiliations:

• Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication
• College Media Association
• Broadcast Education Association

Professional Media Experience:

Patterson brings more than a decade of professional experience in radio, journalism and digital media to the classroom. Prior to joining the University of North Alabama, he held leadership roles in broadcast programming, operations and technology, including serving as Executive Director of WOWL-FM, Vice President of Programming and Technology for Liberty Radio, and Vice President of Operations and Programming for The Eagle Radio Network. His professional experience included radio programming and station operations, FCC compliance, multimedia production, digital content, audience strategy and broadcast technology. He also worked as a contract multimedia producer for The Daily Memphian.

Academic Honors and Awards:

• Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant Nominee, University of Florida, 2024
• Dr. Sandy Utt Excellence in Teaching Award, Non-Tenured, Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication Visual Communications Division, 2023

Recent Presentation/Publications Highlights

• Patterson, A. K. (2025). "From 'Man, I'm Bored' to Man on the Street: Modifying Practical Activities to Fit Theoretical Topics." Teaching Journalism & Mass Communication, 15(1), 52–55.
• Patterson, A. K. (2025). "Equal Access, Unequal Outcomes: FCC Policy, Political Power, and the Ongoing Struggle for Marginalized Media Representation." Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, Law and Policy Division, San Francisco, California.
• Patterson, A. K. (2025). "Instructing Intersectionality: Critical and Practical Strategies for the Journalism and Mass Communication Classroom." Conference panel, Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, San Francisco, California.
• Patterson, A. K. (2025). "Addressing Invisible Barriers in Academia and Promoting Inclusivity." Conference panel, Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, San Francisco, California.
• Patterson, K. (2024). "Intersectional Coverage Learning Through Protest Reporting." In Instructing Intersectionality: Critical and Practical Strategies for the Journalism and Mass Communication Classroom.
• Jackson, S., Chen, X., Nam, G., Yang, Q., Patterson, A. K., Makata, E., Wu, X., Ibrahim, N., & Johnson, B. K. (2024). "That Moment When Your University Blocks TikTok: Student Perceptions of App Restrictions, Privacy, and Politics." International Association for Media and Communication Research, Christchurch, New Zealand.
• Patterson, A. K. (2024). "Expanding Journalism Education: Balancing Hard, Soft & Intangible Skills to Effectively Train Student Journalists." Conference panel, Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
• Patterson, A. K. (2020). "No Fats, No Fems, No Asians: A Comparison of Minority Casting Representation in MTV Reality Dating Shows." Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, Virtual.

At UNA since: 2026