Erudition

Commencement - Sitton stands with other University of Arkansas-Monticello faculty waiting for commencement to begin. He keeps up with UAM alumni through facebook.

Ronald Sitton, associate professor of journalism, started teaching at the University of Arkansas at Monticello in 2004 and earned tenure five years later.

The Arkansas College Media Association named Sitton director in fall 2009; he became just the fourth director in 20 years. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Society of Professional Journalists' Arkansas Pro chapter, on the Education committee of the Arkansas Press Association and as the state representative to the American Democracy Project's Southern Consortium.

Sitton's research interest focuses on media framing of social issues and, most recently, on journalism education. He has presented his work to the Arkansas Press Association, the Midwest Association of Public Opinion Researchers and at the University of Tennessee's Communications Research Symposium.

In addition to his academic work, Sitton has worked for Arkansas newspapers and started an online magazine, The Southerner. An LSU graduate student referenced one of Sitton's articles from that publication in a 2008 master's thesis. Sitton currently maintains a Web portal page and freelances when time permits.

Sitton can no longer claim a high school alma mater as North Little Rock Northeast was assimilated into North Little Rock High School two years after he graduated. He received his bachelor's and master's degrees in journalism from The University of Arkansas at Little Rock with a minor in criminal justice. He graduated from the University of Tennessee with a doctorate of philosophy in communication.

Aiming for Excellence

Ronny at Aaron's UALR graduation in 1974.

Sitton forces students to stretch and learn a lot if they plan to go into media. Why? Because it's expected from the professional organizations where communication students intern — and eventually work. A 2005 Voice article describes his thoughts about the journalism program.

Students who have tightened their writing, reporting, editing and research skills in his courses have landed jobs as a news editor, an assistant sports editor, an entertainment writer, a sports reporter, a freelance entertainment columnist, an editorial supervisor's assistant at a state daily, a political strategist, New York City's communication director, a government relations/public affairs professional, a director of national search marketing, a European marketing and sponsorship manager, a marketing systems manager, a brand/product marketing manager, an eBusiness analyst, a professional relations and substance abuse counselor, New York City's communication director, a public relations' specialist, a television producer, a television anchor, a television reporter, a Web developer/designer and a high school English teacher — one was even honored with an Emmy for Best Morning Newscast.

"I've already had to make a lot of tough decisions, and I just hope I'm making the right ones. I'm always up for advice, as I trust your opinion more than anyone's. Obviously, you know your shit, or I wouldn't be as competitive as I already am in the job market," said Michael Ford, a former Russellville Courier news editor and current designer at NWA Media.
"I still find it remarkable I had only one journalism teacher. I hope you're not dumbing down your courses since I've been there, because the students who buckle up and go all the way through it are going to be prepared to succeed. I know I've mentioned this before, but I'm astounded at journalism grads from much bigger colleges who are clueless about passive voice and have a knowledge of AP style that's spotty at best."

Sitton knows students must find their passion on their own. But he wants to prepare them with a work-ethic from yester-year and tomorrow's tools. And he plans to have fun doing it.

The Value of an Education

Ronny anticipates raising his hand in Mrs. Williams' first-grade class at southwest Little Rock's Landmark Elementary in 1976.

At one time, Sitton really had to think about the value of an education. Through the guidance of Dr. Luther W. "Sonny" Sanders, Carlton "Sonny" Rhodes and Bill Rutherford, he knew he wanted to either become a reporter or teach journalism. Yet after receiving his master's degree in journalism in 1996, he still couldn't find a job that would pay better than the bartending jobs that put him through school.

At that point, Sitton realized you enter the Communication field for the love of it — not for the money. While Katie Courac makes enough to send us all back through school, many journalists earn just enough to cover food and shelter, and that's about it. Sitton's first journalism job with a bachelor's degree paid $11,000 a year — not even quite poverty level back in 1992.

But it's at such jobs that journalists learn what's really happening in the world. Young reporters build up a variety of clips that show future editors you can write anything. You can stick with it and hope to land a job with a better paper with higher salaries. You can switch to public relations (still not the best of salaries). Sitton went back to school.

Photo by Michael Ford

Liberty Island - Sitton stands before the New York City skyline during a 2008 trip for the College Media Adviser's spring convention. He often takes students to regional and national conferences to help them network.
Education doesn't always pay the bills; in some cases, the bills add up even higher. But you never meet an uninteresting person in the college environment, nor can you be satisfied with just grazing the top of a subject. Education forces people to look at the world through a wide lens. Granted, it's not for everybody, but neither is being a journalist. Either way you go, it's easier if you love what you're doing.

So why did Sitton decide to continue his education in 1997 when at that point he could have been making money in the "real" world and generally having a good time instead of gaining astronomical loans?

Part of it was his plan for a future, part of it was being a bachelor without any strings, but primarily Sitton did it for the opportunity to continually learn. To help pay the bills, he worked as a Graduate Teaching Associate for the University of Tennessee's College of Communication while taking classes (read more about the Tennessee years).

From 2002-2003, Sitton served as an Instructor of Journalism at Muskingum College. He advised the Black & Magenta and brought it online for the first time, in essence becoming a twig off the Muskie Line. You can read more about Muskingum and the Ohio year.