The James Thompson Journalism Awards will honor local photojournalist and photographic conservationist James Thompson on April 24 with an evening recognizing the work of students from the University of Tennessee College of Communication and Information and the Pellissippi State Community College Media Technologies Program.
The contest and awards event were organized by the Front Page Foundation and the East Tennessee SPJ Chapter with the assistance of UT professor Robert Heller and Pellissippi State professor Ron Goodrich.
James E. Thompson
Thompson (1880–1976) was one of the most famous photographers from East Tennessee and his vast photographic archives are held at the University of Tennessee library.
He will be recognized with a lifetime achievement award during the April 24 event.
Contest Day
Students submitted photos and videos during a “contest day” on February and the winners will be announced at the Scripps Convergence Lab at the University of Tennessee.
Complete event details and how to RSVP to attend are on the contest page of the Front Page Foundation web site.
Guest speaker Dr. Michael Martinez
Guest speaker will be Dr. Michael Martinez, an associate professor in the UT School of Journalism & Media.
Before coming to Knoxville, Martinez had a long career as a news photojournalist with the Associated Press in New York, the Louisville Courier-Journal, the Detroit News, the Cincinnati Enquirer and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
He is a past president of the National Press Photographers Association and currently serves on the board of the East Tennessee SPJ Chapter.