Michael Ray Smith (born February 21, 1955) is a professor, author,^[77] speaker, and an award-winning journalist.^[1] He works in trans-journalism, most recently at LCC International University, Klaipėda, Lithuania.^[2][43][78] He spent 11 years leading the new media charge at Campbell University ^[44][79][80] teaching students online skills and multimedia, through the internet.^{[3][5][45][46]} He is part of the graduate faculty in communication at Regent University, Virginia Beach, Va., where he was once chair of the journalism program until 2003.^[6][7] Smith is on the faculty as a distinguished visiting professor of journalism at LCC International in Lithuania.^[8][39] He is also a writer and actor, known for River Town (2013).^[47]

He worked as a professor of journalism at Palm Beach Atlantic University^[10][81] in South Florida for two years and his students covered presidential candidates in the field including Donald J. Trump, Ben Carson, Marco Rubio, and Hillary Clinton. In addition, he has taught at a state college in Georgia, Lycoming College, a private, liberal arts college in Williamsport, Pa.;^[82] and Taylor University, a faith-based university, which is now exclusively located in Upland, Ind.

Smith grew up outside Washington, D.C., where he was born, and attended public school in Prince George County, Md., including Prince Georges Community College where he was named one of Fabulous 50 Alumni, outstanding graduates during an October 8, 2008 ceremony.^[3] Smith was born to William Osbie Smith, Clark Range, Tenn., and Ceedie Rae (Phelps), Roper, N.C. Both his parents were business owners.^[7][13]

Smith holds a doctorate from Regent University.^[14][7] He achieved his master’s degree from Shippensburg University and his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Maryland.^[15] Smith received his second master's degree from Pennsylvania State University.

Smith carries a teaching experience of more than three decades.^[16] Smith worked as a professor at Lee University.

While he continues to work on the graduate faculty as an online professor at Regent University, Virginia Beach, Va., he is working as a writer in Waynesboro, Pa.,^[40] and caring for his mother, 90.

He taught as an adjunct professor for the Spring Arbor University graduate program in its online communication program in 2014.

Smith began his teaching career as an Instructor of English and the founder of the pilot journalism program at Gordon College, Barnesville, Ga., in 1988.^[17] In 1989, he became an assistant professor of mass communication at Lycoming College, Williamsport, Pa., then an associate professor in the Department of Communication Arts at Taylor University, Fort Wayne and Upland, Ind., until 1999.

Once Smith finished his doctorate at Regent University, Virginia Beach, in 1999, he joined the graduate faculty full-time and was chair of the journalism program until 2003.

Smith became chair of the Department of Mass Communication at Campbell University.

While teaching at Campbell University, The King’s College,^[18] Manhattan, enlisted him as visiting distinguished professor.

In addition, he taught graduate classes in Campbell University’s Lundy-Fetterman School of Business’s MBA program as an adjunct professor ^[19][20] until he became a professor of journalism at Palm Beach Atlantic University, West Palm Beach, Fla., in 2014. He then became a professor at Lee University, Cleveland, Tenn., in 2016, teaching both classes in journalism and public relations. He has also participated in workshops organized by the Baptist Communicators Association.^[21] In 2015, Smith received the CMA Noel Ross Strader Award for his work in the field since 1988 presented by the College Media Advisers^[76] and participated in the Kentucky Christian Writers Conference.^{[22][23][24][25][26][22]}

Smith has worked as a freelance writer and has published about 3,000 articles in the popular press since 1977.^[27][83] He has worked as a reporter and editor at News-Chronicle, Shippensburg; Public Opinion, a Gannett newspaper, Chambersburg; and Lancaster Newspapers, York and Lancaster, Pa. Smith was a freelance writer for The Grit and the wire editor for The Sunday Grit, Williamsport, Pa., and summer videotext editor at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He has worked for around 10 years in the newsroom.^[16]

Smith is a board member of Magazine Training International^[41] as well as a member of EPA.^[42]

In 2014, Smith was the presider at Religion and Media and Small Programs Interest Groups conference in Montreal.^[84]

In September 2019, Smith got an opportunity to speak at the Novomedia Forum, hosted by Ruslan Kuharchuk in Kyiv, Ukraine.^{[85][86][87][88][89][90]}

Smith is the author of Fake News, Truth-Telling and Charles M. Sheldon’s Model of Accuracy: How a Clergyman Insisted on Accuracy as Job One, 7 Days to a Byline that Pays,^[50] The ABC List of Feature Ideas and Free Press in Freehand.^[29][30] He has also published The Jesus Newspaper and FeatureWriting.Net,^[31] The ABC list of Feature Ideas, Yesterday's Waynesboro, and Churches of Franklin County.

He has also published nine peer-reviewed journal articles on media, religion and other journalism-related topics.^[33] Some of his articles include:

Online Journal Articles

Articles in the Grassroots Editor Journal

Other Publications

Reviews

Smith's work can be seen in a newscast on TV such as a report on a civil war journalist who handwrote newspapers.^[74] He also wrote a historical drama and acted in it as that journalist.^[75]

Smith was named one of the best 50 journalism educators in the nation by journalismdegree.org in 2012.^[33] He was awarded the CMA Noel Ross Strader Award in 2015, for his work in the field since 1988.^[22][37] Smith was named the John McCandlish Phillips Scholar for 2011 by the World Journalism Institute.^[3] He was selected as the first university-wide award recipient for teaching excellence at Campbell University and his journalism program was named one of the top 50 programs in the United States in 2012.^[15]

Smith's recognition further includes 2011 John McCandlish Phillips Chair for World Journalism Institute, Manhattan Distinguished Visiting Professor at The King’s College, Manhattan, Fall 2006^[52] and Guest co-editor.

(2013, summer) Special issue on service learning, Teaching Journalism and Mass Communication: A Journal published by the Small Programs Interest Group.^[53]

In 2003, Smith resigned along with a number of his colleagues in his school.

He left Regent University and became the chair of communication at Campbell University, later winning the award from College Media Advisers for defending free speech, at the risk of his career.

Later, Regent hired Smith to teach online classes in its communication graduate program.

Smith serves on doctoral committees and teaches online classes.

Smith married Barbara Jean (Wojcik) Smith in 1980.

They were married for 36 years.

His wife died of brain cancer in 2017.^[51] Smith lives, writes and teaches online classes from his home in Waynesboro, Pa.^[22]