Mark Masse
Professor of Journalism Emeritus
Educational Background:
MS - Journalism, University of Oregon, 1994,
graduated with honors
BA - Sociology, Miami University, 1974
Professional Experience:
He has 40 years’
professional experience as a freelance writer, public affairs specialist and
communications consultant. His background includes positions at ad/PR agencies,
educational establishments and government organizations. His fields of
professional specialization are literary journalism and the teaching of
writing.
A faculty member
in the Department of Journalism at Ball State University since 1996 and
graduate studies director since 2011, Professor Massé was the news-editorial
sequence coordinator for four years. He is director of the Journalism Writing
Center and has served as coordinator of the Pulliam National Journalism Writing
Award and the departmental liaison for Ball State's Academic Honors in Writing program
since 1996.
Research/Creative/Publication Interests:
Professor
Massé’s research has focused on the teaching of writing using national survey
research and Q-methodology. A qualitative researcher, Professor Massé
specializes in literary journalism, primarily using ethnography.
Research/Creative/Publication Career
Highlights:
Professor Massé
has written and co-authored eight peer-reviewed articles in publications
including Journalism & Mass
Communication Educator, Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly and Operant Subjectivity. He has contributed
to professional and trade periodicals such as Writer’s Digest, The Writer
magazine and Etude online literary
magazine. He has also been a widely published freelance author since 1978. His
works have appeared in The New York Times,
Ladies’ Home Journal, Men’s Health, Midwest Living, Golf Journal
and Modern Short Stories, among other
publications.
He has published
two books of literary journalism. The first, Inspired to Serve: Today's Faith Activists (2004), explores the
role of religion in motivating social activists to address community problems
across the U.S. The second, Trauma
Journalism: On Deadline In Harm's Way (2011), chronicles the lives of U.S.
and international journalists who cover conflicts, crises and tragedies, and
describes the impact of this trauma reporting on victims, sources and
journalists themselves. Professor Massé has also published two novels.
In January 2013,
Professor Massé was presented with the American Psychoanalytic Association’s
(APsaA) 2012 Award for Excellence in Journalism for an excerpt of his 2011
book, Trauma Journalism: On Deadline In
Harm's Way. The award, which has previously been won by The New York Times,
the New Yorker, the Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, and other leading
publications, acknowledged his “commitment to covering mental health issues
with integrity and sensitivity.” The APsaA’s Award for Excellence in Journalism
recognizes professional reporting of outstanding merit that contributes in an
exceptional way to the public understanding of psychoanalytic and psychological
principles and phenomena.
Professor Massé
has presented research papers at numerous national and international
conferences on a range of journalistic topics, and he continues to publish in
print and online periodicals nationwide.
He is a member
of the following professional and honorary organizations: the Authors Guild, Society
of Professional Journalists, the International Association for Literary
Journalism Studies, and the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass
Communication.
Thesis/Creative Project Experience and
Philosophy:
Professor
Massé has been a thesis/research paper/creative project committee chair,
adviser or member for more than 60 graduate students since 1996. His major expectation
for students completing a thesis or creative project is that the proposal stage
is thoroughly developed. This refers to the completion of a comprehensive
introduction to the topic, a literature review, discussion of methodology and bibliography.
After the proposal stage, Professor Massé works closely with students and
expects regular updates.