Anthony Hatcher
Professor of Communications | Elon University
Elon, NC, UNITED STATES
Journalist and journalism educator. I also write about religion and media.
Biography
As a professor and department chair of journalism in Elon University’s School of Communications, Anthony Hatcher teaches a variety of courses including Communications in a Global Society, Media History, Media Writing, Public Speaking, and the senior Capstone Course. In his first year at Elon, Hatcher created a course titled Religion and Media, which is now part of the curriculum. Hatcher is adviser to the Elon Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists and the interfaith group Better Together. In 2008, Hatcher was the recipient of the School of Communications teaching award. Hatcher advises students, presents workshops, coordinates speech courses, serves on departmental and university committees, and performs research in the areas of Journalism History and Religion, Media, and Popular Culture.
Areas of Expertise (8)
Media History
Religion and Media
Newspapers
Journalism History
Media and Religion
Journalism Educator
Blogging
Journalism
Media
Publications:
Documents:
Videos:
Audio/Podcasts:
Education (3)
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: Ph.D., Mass Communication Research 1999
Dissertation: Smashing Idols: Opening The Door to Religious Criticism.
University of North Carolina at Greensboro: M.Ed., Speech Communication 1982
University of North Carolina at Greensboro: B.A., English 1979
Affiliations (5)
- American Journalism Historians Association
- Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication
- Online News Association
- Religion Newswriters Association
- Society of Professional Journalists
Links (3)
Media Appearances (9)
Hatcher interviewed for report on local broadcast news legend Lee Kinard
Elon University online
2018-10-24
Anthony Hatcher, associate professor of communications, offered his thoughts on the impact of Lee Kinard, who spent more than five decades as a member of the news team at local CBS affiliate WFMY and died Oct. 20.
Remembering Lee Kinard: Lessons learned from the legendary broadcast journalist
WFMY News 2 tv
2018-10-22
Hatcher offered insights for a story about the death of longtime WFMY News 2 anchor Lee Kinard.
Anthony Hatcher’s new book addresses the intersection between religion and American culture
Elon University online
2018-06-06
The associate professor of communications recently published “Religion and Media in America,” which explores how Christianity both adapts to and is affected by new media forms.
RNS analysis: How America's one religion wire service melted down over a long weekend (Part I)
GetReligion online
2018-04-26
By now, news of the editorial bloodbath at Religion News Service is into its fourth day. The bare facts: A respected editor was ousted with apparently no warning or announced cause; two more veteran staff members quit within three days, two others had recently been let go and many others are looking to leave.
Looking back at Rev. Billy Graham’s 1951 speech at Elon University
WFMY News 2 online
2018-02-21
Hatcher offered insights for a story about the death of evangelist Rev. Billy Graham and his 1951 speech at Elon University.
Anthony Hatcher: Southern history is fraught with complexity
Winston-Salem Journal
2017-09-05
In an opinion article, Hatcher argues, "Some who fly the Confederate flag celebrate “heritage, not hate.” Confederate statues celebrate the boys in gray. Southern heritage, however, has shades of gray, and is fraught with complexity."
Is the press the enemy of the people, or the people’s best friend?
Huffington Post online
2017-03-01
Hatcher discusses freedom of the press and a President Donald J. Trump tweet calling the journalists "the enemy of the American people."
Anthony Hatcher: Disagreeing in close quarters
The Fayetteville Observer print
2016-10-31
Hatcher writes, "Issues of race have always been on America’s agenda, even more so of late. It seems we’ve stopped listening to one another, stopped caring who we hurt."
In defense of ‘Invisible Man’
Atlanta Journal Constitution online
2013-10-06
Hatcher writes, "In a world in which I actually have to teach many students coming out of high school the difference between a novel and a work of nonfiction, I see little harm in allowing our schools to stock difficult works of literature. I am pleased that cooler heads prevailed in this case, and “Invisible Man” is back in the school library."
Event Appearances (5)
Neither Fish nor Fowl: Covering the Private/Religious Campus
College Media Advisers Conference New York City, NY
2013-03-01
Internet Censorship
DEKRA Hochschule Berlin, German
2013-01-01
Amusing Ourselves to Death?: The Merging of Information and Entertainment in the Age of Infotainment
Religion & Media Interest Group and Small Programs Interest Group of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication annual conference St. Louis, MO
2011-08-01
Why People Hate the Media
Religion and Media Interest Group of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication annual conference Boston, MA
2009-08-01
How to Teach the ‘Religion and Media’ Course
Religion & Media Interest Group and Small Programs Interest Group of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication annual conference Chicago, IL
2008-08-01
Articles (1)
Adding God: Religious and Secular Press Framing in Response to the Insertion of “Under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance
Journal of Media and Religion
Anthony Hatcher
2008 This study examines how the issue of adding “under God” to the Pledge of Allegiance in 1954 was framed and influenced by two forces-the Catholic Knights of Columbus and the secular Hearst newspapers. The time period under consideration is 1951–1954, from the initial use of “under God” in the Pledge within the Knights of Columbus to passage of the change into federal law. The Knights fraternity has been documented as the originator of the concept, and an examination of major Hearst newspapers reveals an attempt by the chain to usurp credit for the “under God” campaign.
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