Pamela Parry will be welcomed as the new chairperson for the Department of Mass Media at Southeast Missouri State University in the fall.

Parry earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri in Columbia and her Ph.D. from the School of Mass Communication and Journalism at the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg.

Her first job in the field was working for a statewide religious newspaper, The Word and Way. It was there, Parry said, that her fascination in religious news really began.

She continued to write in the religious beat, eventually working for a newspaper that covered the states of Delaware and Maryland called the Baptist True Union (now called Baptist Life).

In an attempt to be more knowledgeable about her beat, Parry said she decided to attend Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City where she earned a masters of religious education.

Parry has done some freelance writing for The Baltimore Sun and “The McLaughlin Group” television show. She is also the author of “Eisenhower: The Public Relations President,” the co-editor of a book series, “Women in American Political History” and the co-editor of “Coping with Gender Inequalities: Critical Conversations of Women Faculty.”

A Missouri native, Parry has traveled extensively during the course of her career as a reporter, public relations professional, author and freelance writer.

Although she has enjoyed every place she has lived, Parry said the most interesting was her time in Washington, D.C., where she worked for Baptist News Service as a Congressional correspondent. During that time, Parry interviewed former President Bill Clinton in the Oval Office and covered what she called her most important story, the retirement of Thurgood Marshall from the Supreme Court. She also reported on the happenings of Congress, the Supreme Court and the White House.

Parry said her love for writing began at an early age, as did her interest in journalism.

“In junior high, my goal was to be a writer, and I heard someone come and speak once, and they said, ‘If you’re planning to write books for a living, you need a job on top of that,’” Parry said.

Journalism appealed to Parry because she said it allowed her to be a public servant and seek truth on the reader’s behalf while also giving her the ability to do write for a living. She said the value of truth telling in news today is more important than ever.

“Journalism is under assault today and it makes it all the more important that the students who come out of Southeast and who have journalism degrees are well trained,” Parry said. “The best way to counter slanderous attacks against our profession is to actually be professional.”

Parry said she is excited to come to Southeast and the department just after its reaccreditation and looks forward to observing, learning and getting to know how the department works or doesn’t work.

“There are a lot of folks who have been working in that department for years, and I certainly want to respect what they’ve been doing,” Parry said.

One goal Parry has for the department is to work on new student recruitment and retain the students already in the department by building strong relationships with them.

“I think my students find me approachable, so that outside of class if you need help with a homework assignment or a career path, or an internship, that my door is open,” Parry said. “I try not to become friends with my students until after they graduate.”

Parry said she would tell a new graduate or intern that they should trust their training, trust themselves and be open to new opportunities and new ways of learning.

“Getting out in the real world to be a journalist is really just the start of the learning process, and you should be learning for the rest of your life,” Parry said.

For more information on Parry or the Department of Mass Media, students should contact (573) 651-5104.

__Quick Facts About Pam Parry:__

__Favorite Ice Cream Flavor:__

Chocolate — how can you not say chocolate — I don’t care how many others there are!

__Favorite NFL team:__

Kansas City Chiefs — it was the Rams, but we all know what happened there.

__Favorite MLB team:__

St. Louis Cardinals — has to be, right?

__Family:__

I have eight nieces and nephews. I never married, I don’t have children of my own, so they’re like my children.

__Hobbies:__

I love to read history books, going to the movies — I’m kind of a movie buff — I enjoy politics and collect political memorabilia. I like to play tennis and golf for fun.

__One Interesting Fact:__

I covered the retirement of Thurgood Marshall from the Supreme Court, and I think that’s the most important story I ever covered because of who he was.