For years, Joe Dennis was always on call. The news didn’t care if he was spending time with family. And it certainly didn’t care that he was shopping for baby strollers with his wife. “We were shopping for baby strollers when I got a call from my contact at GBI, he said, ‘Hey Joe, I need you to come down to Logansville at 5 o’clock tonight,” Dennis said. Like countless times before, Dennis had a choice to make. He could continue the afternoon with his family, or he could chase the story. Joe explained the situation, saying, “I’m having some family time right now, but this is my job, and I need to do this.” For much of his career, journalism dictated Dennis’ schedule. But experiences like that eventually changed how he viewed the profession and led him toward a new role, teaching the next generation of journalists.

While Dennis eventually left the fast-paced world of daily news reporting, he never left journalism behind. Instead, he found a new way to pursue it through teaching. Today, Dennis helps students understand not only how to report stories, but also how to navigate an increasingly complicated media landscape. “I wanted to continue journalism for something that was on a more regular schedule,” Dennis said. “That’s what led me into teaching.”

While Dennis found a more predictable schedule in teaching, his experiences as a journalist continued to shape the lessons he shared with students. Years spent covering the news also changed the way he viewed information itself. “You are overwhelmed with information. I actually struggled with this,” Dennis said.

Having experienced the effects of information overload himself, Dennis believes quality journalism is more important than ever. In a world dominated by social media, he argues that journalism provides something many online platforms cannot: context.

While social media often delivers information through short clips and individual opinions, journalism requires reporters to gather information from many sources and present a fuller picture of events. “Journalism is rooted in principles that other forms of media aren’t,” said Dennis.

Dennis’ view of journalism has evolved in other ways as well. Early in his career, he believed journalists should strive to be completely unbiased. Over time, however, he came to realize that complete objectivity is impossible. Instead, he believes journalists must recognize their own biases and understand how those biases can influence their reporting.

Although Dennis remains passionate about journalism, the most rewarding part of his career isn’t seeing a story published; it’s seeing where his students end up. Former students have gone on to work for organizations ranging from the NBA to the Savannah Bananas. For Dennis, those successes serve as a reminder that his impact extends far beyond the classroom.”Seeing where some of my students go afterwards and how they make an impact is really cool,” Dennis said, “It’s rewarding to know that I helped them get to where they are today.”

This is a man that wears many hats mainly Fedoras. Behind that hat is a very impactful man who has had an incredible journey in journalism. This a man who has encountered multiple politicians, major sports figures, and civil rights leaders. If you name them he has pretty much met someone that is major in whatever field you want to talk about. This is a man who has a long career that can be summed up into one word “opportunity”. No matter the circumstances or the obstacles he has to face he is a person that remains humble, dedicated, and passionate about his job in the field of journalism. I am talking about the one, the only Dr. Joe G. Dennis. “This is my job I need to do this” Joe said. “I really wanted to do something in the field of journalism”.

Joe Dennis went to a college named North Central College in Naperville, Illinois. It all started when he became fascinated by the uniqueness of people and wanting to know more about their stories. “Every person has a story, and I want to discover it” Joe says. When he discovered Journalism this became a passion that would have given him experiences with people he probably had no idea he would even meet. During the time he was at college his orientation lead was a sports editor of a college newspaper, and he needed a volleyball reporter. Little did they know that this would set him up for a woman (who played volleyball) he would be with for the rest of his life.

“The stories I heard, wrote and even lived through shaped who I am today and the hats I wear. I became an organ donor after profiling a man’s unsuccessful wait for a new liver. My respect for police officers grew immensely after spending 20 hours with a unit during a meth-lab drug bust. My compassion for the poor — especially children — was reinforced after visiting the blighted home of a slum-lord victim.” Joe said. This shows to me that not only does he do journalism to ask questions to people. He also does it because genuinely cares about people and their well being and I feel that is one of the most important things you need to have to be successful in this industry.

“My career has given me the opportunity to hang out with several “stars,” such as musician John Mayer, WWE superstar Chris Jericho and basketball legend Isiah Thomas. I’ve met several historical figures including civil rights leaders, war heroes and prominent politicians.” Joe says. Not only does he interview regular people on a day-to-day, but he also has talked to, interviewed, questioned, and met some of the most famous people in the world. How many people can say that they have met some of the most famous people in history while having a one on one with them asking questions? This man has lived a life that people can only dream of. It maybe even became a surprise to himself that he would have been able to get the opportunities that would have changed his life forever.

Joe G. Dennis has had an extraordinary career built on curiosity, hard work, and a passion for telling people’s stories. His journey shows us how journalism can open doors to incredible opportunities while also teaching valuable lessons about compassion, empathy, and understanding. Whether interviewing ordinary citizens or world-famous figures, Joe has always remained committed to learning about others and sharing their stories. His career is an amazing example of how dedication and a genuine interest in people can lead to a meaningful and impactful life. “Just being nice.” He says, “Communicating with everyone nicely. Just try to be a nice person and a good human being. By taking an active interest in other people and it will pay-off.”

A young girl sitting in front of a camera for her middle school’s morning show broadcast had no idea she would be setting the course for her future and the time to come. Years later, that girl would go on to co-produce a Student Emmy Award-winning documentary about one of the most devastating school shootings in Georgia history, where she would overcome the difficulties of sitting face to face with grieving families, asking the questions that nobody wanted to answer, so that she could tell the story that needed to be told.

“The first thing that drew me to journalism was communications,” said Morgan Hardy, a second-year graduate student at the University of Georgia’s Grady college of Journalism and Mass Communications, “and for me, communication is learning about other people.”

Hardy who earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism and mass communication from Grady, along with a minor is sociology and a certificate in news literacy, has spent years turning that curiosity about people into a career. From broadcasting daily news announcements in high school to launching her school’s newspaper, Hardy has never stopped chasing stories.

At Grady, those instincts were put to the test in the deepest way possible. Hardy served as a producer and social media producer for “We Will Rise: The Story of the Apalachee High School Shooting,” a documentary that earned a Student Production Emmy Award. The project required her to interview grieving families and community members who witnessed the tragedy firsthand, something she describes as one of the hardest things she has worked on.

“Interviewing those families and people in that town was really tough,” Hardy said. “What they saw firsthand was really hard to swallow.”

As someone who feels deeply, Hardy had to find a way to keep going. “I’m an empath so when people are really upset I kind of feel that too, just hearing the graphic details, that was really tough: to set my emotions aside and ask the questions, knowing its gonna hurt.”

She learned quickly that there was only one way through it.

“I really learned you can’t go in head first,” Hardy said. ” My toughest thing was going in small and taking baby steps, making them feel comfortable to even talk about something like that.”

That same patience and willingness to adapt has defined how Hardy approaches journalism as a whole. When asked about figuring out what kind of journalist she wants to be, her answer was simple. “You won’t know until you try,” she said.

That openness to trying led her to UGA, a decision she says changes everything. “If I didn’t go to UGA, I don’t think I would’ve had as many opportunities,” Hardy said. “It’s so incredible that a school has so many connections.”

For someone who simply started wanting to connect with others, the journey has exceeded every expectation.

“So far so good,” Hardy said. “It’s opened so many doors I never knew could be opened.”

John Mayers the seven time grammy award winning singer and guitarist, Chris Jericho a prominent WWE wrestler and lead singer of the heavy rock band Fozzy, and Isaiah Thomas an NBA hall of Famer. what connects all these people? Just your average Joe, Doctor Joe G. Dennis. How did he make all of these connections? “Just being nice.” He says, “Communicating with everyone nicely. Just try to be a nice person and a good human being. By taking an active interest in other people and it will pay-off.”

Joe G. Dennis began his career in Journalism, and mass communication at North Central College university, he worked at the Walton tribune, as well as Reporter Progress News and now is working as the associate professor of mass communications at Piedmont University. Doctor Dennis always had an interest in actively telling the stories of the people all around him. This zealous curiosity is what led him to be so interested in this career as a whole. He always had this passion, but his intentions began to evolve to a desire to work as a teacher. He states that his intentions for his career changed when quote, “I was out with my wife, who was pregnant at the time, shopping for items for our baby, when I got a call. From my contact at the GBI (Georgia Bureau of investigation). Saying that I needed to drive down to Loganville to meet up with them for a drug bust they were about to conduct on a kingpin in that area. Telling me ‘this is gonna be a great story you won’t want to miss it.’ And I realized, aw man, this sucks, I’m having some family time and now a have to drive down to Loganville. The reality of the profession I was in is that this would be happening a lot when the baby came.” This type of situation was not the type of situation that could be ignored. Leading him to turn to teaching instead.

Dennis’s entire career as a Journalist was about telling the story of other people and showing the world what their lives were like. He reported on a couple keeping their chapter of the Red Cross alive in their own home, the infamous drug bust with the GBI, and also the story of a judge who was unable to get access to an organ transplant in time. The main thing even allowing him to do all of this was his network of connections. Which he maintained by, “Keeping up contact with each of the people you meet in your life. Not treating them like contacts, but instead treating them like human beings. Building a rapport and trust with each of the people you know. Because you never know who could become your next contact.” This concept is what allowed Joe Dennis into these all of the rooms where he could be the one trusted to tell these stories.

Staying grounded in reality as well, telling stories about people in his own community. Also stating that, “We consume lots of information, try and limit your information from the internet and focus on the reality of it all.” Because although lots can be learned from the internet, lots more can be learned from the real world. The stories that happen in the embodied world and don’t make to your for you page on reels.

Although his career as a journalist was an incredible one, it was a demanding one. Having to sacrifice personal time for the sake of those stories, as we saw with him having to leave his wife for a story. He states that, “I really wanted to something in the field of Journalism, but with more of a stable schedule, leading me to teaching at Piedmont.” This conflict is what made him change his career so that he could focus more on his own story with his wife and family. while still leaving his skills in the field of reporting to his students at his job at Piedmont.

For many people, Nascar is just a group of drivers making endless left turns around a track. But spending a few minutes inside a race car — traveling nearly 200 miles per hour, enduring extreme heat, split-second decision-making and hours of physical strain — and that opinion quickly changes. The belief that Nascar isn’t a real sport ignores the athleticism, mental toughness, and skill required to compete at the highest level. If sports are defined by physical ability, strategy, training and competition, then Nascar deserves a place alongside football, basketball and every other major sport.

Brad Keselowski is a 42-year-old Nascar Cup Series Champion. All throughout his Cup Series career, he has had major injuries like a broken femur and fractured ankle and he has had to recover through physical therapy. But he still got in the race car and raced.

On March 2, 2025, Brad Keselowski’s cooling-suit failed and he was sent to the infield care center to be hooked up to an IV to get the fluids he needed. The race car he was in got up to 150°F and his body heat was 130°F, so in total the race car felt like 280°F. Athletes in other sports do not have to experience what 280°F feels like, but these racers feel that heat every time they step into a car to race.

Christopher Bell is a 31-year-old All-Star Race winner. Bell is one of the younger drivers and he is a little smaller than the other drivers. On June 7, 2026, he was racing for the lead at Michigan and he collied with Chase Elliot and hit the wall at 200mph and demolished his car and Elliot’s race car as well. His injuries were a fractured wrist. He did not speak with broadcasters after to get his side of his story.

Nascar drivers have to go through extreme practices to get their bodies to even be able to stand the heat and exhaustion that goes into racing. They go through cardiovascular conditioning, extreme heat training, hydration protocols, and extensive mental and stimulator practice. During their cardiovascular conditioning they tend to cycle, run and swim to learn how to keep their heart rate down under stress. While doing heat training, they sit in warm environments like hot yoga to get their bodies used to the high temperatures in the race cars. They also work on their strength and flexibility, which focuses on neck strengthening and upper-body stamina to withstand the weight of the helmet and the steering force.

People tend to say that these drivers aren’t athletes because they think the machines do all the work and that the drivers don’t do the standard athletic movements. Nascar doesn’t change anything major in the race cars unless there is a major injury or death so until something physically happens, the rules stay the same. That is not right. They should be changing the race car every time a driver enters it because the safety of these drivers should be the first priority.

Yes, fans do not like the changes that the teams do because it could make the race car slower, or that it is not the same as the 1980 stock cars that everyone fell in love with. But in this day and time, you can’t have those cars because of the competitiveness and how light these cars are, and that can result in more injuries and flips.

If the fans of Nascar would actually think about these driver’s safety instead of just thinking about their experience and how fast the car can go, there wouldn’t be as many injuries, deaths or malfunctions happening to these drivers. Athletes get in these race cars because this is what they love to do, even if there is a chance that it is their last, because anything can happen in a split second.

From launching a high school newspaper to helping produce an Emmy Award-winning documentary, Morgan Hardy has dedicated her journalism career to telling meaningful stories that make a difference. What began as an interest in morning show broadcasts during middle school grew into a passion that continued through high school and into college. Through internships, researching and in depth reporting, Morgan has worked to demonstrate that journalism has an impact on society. Now pursuing a masters degree in journalism and mass communications at the University of Georgia, she continues to build a career centered on uncovering stories that matter and sharing them with audiences through innovative digital media.

“It’s always been something I’ve always wanted to do,” said Hardy.

Long before producing digital content and gaining recognition for her work, Morgan was the kid that never wanted to miss the news. Breaking news especially caught her attention. “Every time breaking news was on I was like, oh my gosh turn everything off, we’re watching breaking news.”

She often found herself watching broadcasts with curiosity. While others focused on the events unfolding on the screen, Morgan became interested in the people behind the stories. She wanted to know who wrote the scripts, gathered all the information and delivered the news to audiences. “I would sit in my dad’s office and watch MSNBC and I’m like I want to be up there, I want to write their script.”

That early fascination with journalism eventually led her towards a career dedicated to story telling and informing communities.

Morgan’s interest in journalism soon became more than just watching the news. In middle school, she joined her school’s morning show broadcast, giving her a firsthand look at what it was like to help create content for an audience. That experience continued into high school where she spent four years on the journalism staff. During her first two years, she worked in broadcast journalism for the daily news announcements before expanding into other forms of storytelling.

As her skills and confidence grew, Morgan took on a larger role within her school’s journalism program. She helped launched the school’s newspaper and began producing digital content for its website, including video and audio stories. Through these opportunities, she discovered a passion for multimedia storytelling and connecting with audiences through different forms of media.

Morgan’s passion for storytelling continued at the University of Georgia Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication. Throughout her undergraduate career, she gained valuable professional experience through internships and digital media projects. Working with organizations such as the Oglethorpe Echo and The Christian Index, she created content and analyzed audiences’ engagement and developed strategies to connect with readers across digital platforms. “If I have not gone to UGA, I don’t think I would be able to do something of this magnitude,” said Hardy. These experiences helped her strengthen the skills she had developed in the classroom while preparing her for a career in journalism.

One of the most meaningful experiences of Morgan’s career came during her work on the documentary “We Will Rise: The story of the Apalachee High School Shooting.” As a social media producer, she conducted research, interviewed sources and helped create content that shared the story of a community facing tragedy. “It was really tough to set my emotions aside knowing it’s going to hurt.”

Working alongside her team, Morgan helped tell a story that not only informed audiences, but also honored those affected by the event. The documentary later earned a student production Emmy award, marking a major milestone in her journalism journey.

Now entering her second year as a graduate student at the University of Georgia, Morgan continues to build on the passion that first began while watching breaking news as a child. Through internships, digital storytelling and award- winning projects, she has remained committed to informing communities and telling stories that matter. As she continues her journey in journalism, Morgan hopes to use her skills to make a lasting impact through meaningful and engaging storytelling. “You won’t know until you try.”

How do you differentiate between artificiality and authentic work, and furthermore how can a line be clearly drawn between the two, if it is impossible to tell where deception began? As a journalist, UGA Graduate Student, Morgan Hardy faces these questions every day, and strives to responds to them with boldness and bravery as she relentlessly pursues truth into the future.

To Hardy, being a journalist is much more than just writing and reporting. It’s understanding, knowing and connecting to the people you are writing about, and representing them in a light that is true to them. “We are real life people,” Hardy declared, while emphasizing the importance of intrapersonal connection as a journalist.

“Put your voice in your writing,”. she stated. Here, she highlights how emotional connection is something that is unique to humans, and can’t be easily replicated by Generative AI, despite implications by some in the journalistic industry.

Hardy’s perspective on this is a breath of fresh air compared to the overwhelming narrative about Generative AI in a contemporary society; as many seem to be disregarding the value of human journalists, and overestimating the capability of artificial intelligence. Hardy continues to discuss struggles she faces while rising in the industry, mainly focusing on the integration of AI into creative fields.

Hardy described how she finds herself to be dissapointed with said integration, as it is being forced upon us, rather than offered as an option. She continues to recognize the danger of that, not only as a journalist, but a youth leader entering the world. Despite the precedent, Hardy drives her own opinion about who (or what) exactly will be leading the next generation of democracy: the talented and inspired youth.

She admires the tenacity and creativity of young journalists, and how they approach tackling difficult topics in unique ways. Hardy specifically recalls her admiration of a certain journalist who captivated her audience by being funny and relatable, before highlighting the deeper issue about the topic she was covering. Hardy explains how she senses a real shift in the industry towards something greater than AI: authentic youth innovation.

As the stakes continue to rise, Morgan Hardy stays set on tackling the tough topics, and approaching them in a sensible, emotional and uniquely human way. Her influence and perspective is something that creates a space where many can feel accommodated for, and understood. As her journey continues to evolve, her voice does as well, stating the things left unsaid, and representing those left unheard.

Morgan Hardy, though a newcomer to journalism as she still paves her path at UGA, is already making progress as a journalist and at only 24 she has shown that the new generation of journalist are coming in hot.

“We’re not just talking, we’re real people” Hardy says as she explains the different ways that not only she, but her fellow peers are adding character into journalism. “I get a lot of inspiration from new reporters- a lot of new news reporters my age are changing the game.”

Journalism has always been a dream career of Hardys and though she started off in different majors, she still made her way back to the art of communication. Although Hardy may have been born in an era where AI and other new technologies are slowly taking over, she hasn’t let that hold her back and she states that in the future we’ll “go back to the beginning and start over”

“What they saw first hand was very hard to swallow,” Hardy has already impacted her community with her empathy, reaching out to the grieving community of Apalachee High School, where journalism gets emotional. “Having the ability to focus even when interviewing about serious topics is one of the toughest parts.”

“That’s when you lean on your friends and other journalist you’re working with.” The relationship not only with other forms of journalism but also the different creators who may just be right next to you are there to provide you some sort of guidance to produce work that brings communities together. If journalism is a form of communication than the effort that goes into that conversation must be applied “kinda making them feel very important , not just having a camera staring them down.”

Hardy depicts journalism as many different subjects, but the fear or anxiety of switching from one type to another is real. “You won’t know until you try” said Hardy.

There is no true way to stay prepared, every experience is different, but as long as one is willing to apply themselves to the cause anything is possible.

Hardy states that “all forms of journalism are very similar” These contributions, whether big or small, come together to create a positive impact on journalism as a whole. “It helped me a lot learning about journalism as a whole and why it means so much to each other to make one big piece.”

Hailing from the Southside of Chicago, Joe Dennis — a Filipino journalist-turned professor — has a passion for sharing and discovering stories. The Windy City native has worked in the world of journalism for many years, meeting an innumerable amount of people — such as John Mayer and Isiah Thomas — and sharing his enthusiasm with them. Despite being able to meet major personalities and celebrities, Dennis claims he finds the most inspiration from ordinary people.

“What was really impactful for me, was when I was reporting on a judge who needed a liver transplant and was on the waitlist for organ donation,” said Dennis, as he recollected on a past assignment. “I really got to know the family. I would come in and have dinner with them. And every month, I would write an update on how his health was doing.”

Dennis didn’t just write stories, he connected with the people he worked with. After months of engaging with the family and providing monthly updates, the judge passed away while being 12th on the waiting list. “That really was powerful to me,” Dennis reflected. “That day, I went to the driver’s license facility and became an organ donor, because I saw the impact that organ donation can really have on people.”

Dennis takes pride in making connections and taking time to know his subjects. “When you’re working as a journalist, one of the most important things you can do is continue to be very friendly,” Dennis advised. “Take an active interest in other people, not just what you need for journalism. Take an interest in who they are and their families.”

Dennis’ commitment to connection proved to pay off, as he received additional opportunities. One day while out shopping, he received a phone call from a connection at the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) for a chance to work a substantial story on a drug bust. “The GBI was doing an undercover drug bust that they really wanted the promotion about,” Dennis said. “I’m working at this community newspaper, and they called me as opposed to calling Fox 5 in Atlanta or NBC 11. That’s because I had developed that rapport with them from a previous story.”

Coincidentally, the call from the GBI was also the moment that Dennis realized a change in profession would be in order. “I knew I wanted to go a different path and go into teaching when we were shopping for baby strollers,” said Dennis when describing getting the call. “I’m having some family time now and this is my job and I need to do this. I really wanted to do something that was on more of a regular schedule. That’s what led me into teaching.”

Following his profession change to a college professor, Dennis found pride in teaching successful students. “It is so cool to see where some of my former alumni end up,” said Dennis. “One of my former students is now working with the NBA as a social media coordinator. I have another student who works as the announcer for the Texas Tailgaters.”

Throughout the duration of his career, Dennis has had an immense impact on those he interacts with. He serves as an inspiration to aspiring journalists through his dedication to connection.

Dennis currently serves as the Associate Professor of Mass Communications at Piedmont University in Demorest, Georgia.

Loneliness is a major fear among many groups of people, regardless of age or location. Moving away from home, ending up in an unwelcoming school or workplace, and losing loved ones are some of the hardest experiences people go through, and yet many spend little time thinking about how to connect more with those around them. Journalist Morgan Hardy, however, centers her whole career around connection.

Hardy has worked on a diverse set of projects within the field of journalism, from broadcast script writing to photography to documentaries. 

“The first thing that drew me to journalism was communication. And for me communication is learning about other people, and their cultures, and just them as a whole,” said Hardy, who minored in Sociology at UGA. “Sociology kind of opened the door for that and helped me learn more of the intricate details of that and helped me learn how different people communicate socially.” 

She brings this perspective into her work in the field, valuing an understanding between her and the interviewee as one of the most powerful tools for a successful story. As part of an emotionally charged documentary Hardy co-directed on the Apalachee High School shooting, she interviewed a Sheriff she didn’t have much built-in common ground with. “Pre-interview we were kinda just like ‘Oh, hey, what’d you do today? How was your day?’ Like, just like making them feel comfortable.” 

Looking forward, Hardy sees the connection between journalists and news consumers as the next step in the evolution of journalism. “I love how people my age are really starting to try to change the format, ‘cause we’re not just talking heads, we’re people…I just love to hear different voices within journalism… not just the voices that [journalists are] reporting on, but the reporter’s voices as well.”

With the aftermath of CoViD, the rise of social media, and AI causing all-time high levels of loneliness, Hardy’ vision for the future of journalism–centering a more personal field and product–is one we need more than ever.

When it comes to Hardy’s vision for her own future, it looks like her passion for journalism won’t be going anywhere. “So far, so good. I’ve been surprised by the doors that [journalism] can unlock and what I’ve learned,” she reflects. “I’m so glad I did this.”