Paula Poindexter

Paula M. Poindexter is a Professor of Journalism and Media at The University of Texas at Austin whose work focuses on news engagement, media literacy, and journalism in the digital age. She is the author of six books, including “Gen Z, Social Media, and News: Implications for the Future of News Engagement, Journalism, the U.S., and Democracy.” Before entering academia, Poindexter worked as a manager and executive at the Los Angeles Times and as a reporter and producer at KPRC-TV, the NBC affiliate in Houston. She earned her Ph.D. from Syracuse University's S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. 

A recognized leader in journalism education, Poindexter served as president of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) in 2014. During her presidency, she founded News Engagement Day She established an annual research grant supporting news audience studies, launched the Scholarsourcing publishing initiative with Peter Lang, and helped create the Tankard Book Award and “Recommended Ethical Research Guidelines for AEJMC Members.” Her leadership has had a lasting impact on journalism education and research.  

At UT Austin, Poindexter has developed seven journalism courses, including News Literacy in the Digital Age, Journalism, Society, and the Citizen Journalist, and Understanding African Americans and the Media. She has chaired numerous doctoral dissertations and serves as chair of the Maxwell McCombs Graduate Student Research Publishing Award, helping establish permanent endowments that recognize and support outstanding graduate research within the School of Journalism and Media. Upon Dr. McCombs’ retirement, Poindexter chaired a fundraising committee to raise $25,000 to establish a permanent endowment in the Moody College of Communication that would generate interest to fund cash awards for School of Journalism Ph.D. and master’s students who published articles in academic journals.   

Poindexter has received numerous honors for her scholarship, leadership, and commitment to diversity in journalism, including the Lionel C. Barrow Jr. Award for Distinguished Achievement in Diversity Research and Education, AEJMC's Eleanor Blum Distinguished Service to Research Award, and the naming of the Dr. Paula M. Poindexter Research Grant by AEJMC's Minorities and Communication Division. Her current research explores civic responsibility, news engagement, and media audiences in the digital age, and her publications continue to shape scholarship on journalism and communication.