Story and photos by Logan Jackson
- Theo Agniel – sophomore dual major in constitutional democracy and journalism
- Research Mentor: Nick Mathews, assistant professor in the Missouri School of Journalism
Nearly a year ago, the Missourian Publishing Association, which operates the Columbia Missourian, purchased the Boone County Journal, a weekly newspaper that serves Ashland, Hartsburg and southern Boone County.
The paper has continued to provide important news and feature stories for the area. In an effort to strengthen community relationships even further, Mizzou student Theo Agniel has spent his summer conducting an audience analysis to gain insight into the community’s feelings on the change.
“My research mentor, Dr. Nick Mathews, brought this idea to me, and I thought it sounded really interesting,” said Agniel, who is pursuing dual degrees in constitutional democracy and journalism. “It’s vital to understand how reporters can engage with the community and help those who live there. We decided to expand the work, too, and research what it looks like on the national level when universities step in and act as a form of a life support to rural papers.”
Mathews is an assistant professor in the Missouri School of Journalism.
Agniel has been a regular at many events in southern Boone County, making connections with locals to better understand what the audience is looking for in their news coverage. He has interviewed several subscribers to discuss how student reporters, who cover stories for the paper, can be a bigger part of the community as well.
“For students, I think it’s actually harder to find an impactful story in southern Boone County than it is in a larger area because they really have to put in the work to dig for it and build connections with people,” Agniel said. “You can’t just approach it as an assignment that needs to be completed. Small communities obviously build trust with reporters who are active within the area they’re covering. I do think it can be tough for a student to build those relationships since a lot of times they are in and out of town very quickly. I’ve had some great conversations about it all and it’s been enlightening.”
Those conversations have also informed a broader question about the future of local journalism. Part of Agniel’s summer research has focused on how university newspapers and other nonprofit organizations across the country are aiding rural communities with news coverage. He’s specifically been examining whether the Missourian Publishing Association’s model with the Boone County Journal could be implemented in other communities with large journalism schools.
“The Missouri School of Journalism has had students covering the community since its inception, which is really cool,” Agniel said. “Other universities cover their respective communities in the same way that we do, with students writing stories about the local happenings. Within my research, I’ve been working to see if this larger model could be adopted, where university papers step in and provide this vital service for rural communities.”
Agniel has been able to devote the summer to the project through the Cherng Summer Scholars program. The program, supported by a gift from Peggy and Andrew Cherng, is a nine-week research or creative scholarship program for Mizzou students pursuing the Honors Certificate. The program allows students to participate in individually designed projects under the mentorship of a Mizzou faculty member. Students also take part in a weekly seminar course and present their research findings during Mizzou Office of Undergraduate Research’s Summer Forum.
“It’s been really exciting to be able to contribute something to the academic community here at Mizzou this summer,” Agniel said. “I’ve enjoyed talking with my peers within the program as we discuss what we’re doing to work toward a better society and a better world. I truly love the entire program.”