The SFP story
The Starkville Free Press Workshop is the brainchild of Pete Smith, MSU Department of Communication associate professor, who brought the idea to Todd Stauffer and Donna Ladd, co-owners of the Jackson Free Press. After enlisting other MSU communication department faculty members as advisers—Philip Poe, Lindsey Morshauser and Wendy Roussin—the group set out to recruit students willing
and able to meet the challenges of producing a 21st-century digital news outlet. The project’s goal is to provide readers with a fresh perspective on news, features, and culture in and around Starkville and surrounding areas. The Starkville Free Press Workshop (SFPW)
Because the student staff members receive course credit for their contributions, education is a key component of the SFP Workshop. As an ongoing internship program, the SFPW, then, is the lifeblood of the SFP. Student staff members get hands-on experience writing, reporting and editing stories, while gaining a greater understanding of the “business” of content production. By integrating traditional storytelling with diverse multimedia content and innovative social-media marketing, SFP staffers learn how to thrive in an increasingly converged media environment. While faculty advisers and JFP leaders are available for editorial guidance, MSU students pitch, write, produce and package SFP stories. The Starkville Free Press (SFP)
The Starkville Free Press is an online publication published by Jackson Free Press Inc., with editor in chief Donna Ladd at the helm. As a Mississippi State alumnus, Donna Ladd has long sought an opportunity to return to Starkville with an eye for good stories that need to be told. The SFP seeks to create a sense of community in Starkville that focuses both on informing readers about the goings-on of government and development while inviting them to play an active role in Starkville’s arts, culture and foodie scene. We sincerely hope and expect the SFP to be something that is very Starkville—a strong voice for the city that includes the perspectives of State students, alumni and residents alike. We champion local businesses, we challenge local government, and we encourage creative thought from Mississippians. Together, informed by our diverse backgrounds, we make progress.
