Author: Michael Ray Smith
Date of birth:
Website: www.featurewriting.net
A professor at Campbell University, Michael Ray Smith earned a doctorate in communication in 1999. He is an award-winning writer, photojournalist, academic and conference speaker. He published FeatureWriting.Net, his fourth book, in 2005. University Press of America published The Jesus Newspaper, his third book, in 2002. Smith’s other books examined local history. His academic journal articles explore people with disabilities and mass media, the early American press, editorial cartoons, C. S. Lewis and G. K. Chesterton, international mass communication and other communication topics.
In 1988 Michael began his teaching career at a state school in the South. Since then, he has taught journalism at a private college in Pennsylvania, directed a journalism program at a liberal-arts college in Indiana and served as chair of a graduate journalism program in Virginia.
As a journalist, Michael spent a decade in newsrooms as a reporter and editor and penned articles for publications such as The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Baltimore Sun and The Philadelphia Inquirer. He was among the 50 alumnae honorees for Prince George’s Community College 50th anniversary in 2008 and he was one of four Jesse S. Heiges Distinguished Alumnus of the Year for 2008 at Shippensburg University. In 2001-2002, his students recognized him as Favorite Professor of the Year.
His work in professional organizations such as Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication resulted in the establishment of an interest group. He is member of Who's Who Among American Teachers and Who's Who in Communication. Michael has been quoted in The New York Times, The Boston Globe, The Chicago Tribune, Editor & Publisher and many other publications and online news sites.
Michael and Barbara Smith have two daughters, Shannon, a public relations counselor, and Taylor, a ballerina. Barbara is a tenured certified public school teacher. Shannon is married to Michael Ryals, a veteran of the Iraq conflict.
