My News Release

Shirley Hudson
Department of Public Relations
555-555-5555



BALTIMORE, MD- Morgan State University’s Department of Communication Studies has
recently appointed a new chairperson; Mr. DeWayne Wickham as of July, 2012. Since his hiring, Mr.
Wickham has been very outspoken about his plans for the department. He has already begun molding and
reshaping the exterior of the department by posting news articles from reputable news sources to help the
area illustrate the field of communications and the aspirations of the students. Internally, Mr. Wickham
stated, “My focus as the new Communication Studies Department chairman will be upon creating a new
School of Global Journalism and Communication at Morgan State University.” The department is
currently listed under the College of Liberal Arts and transitioning into a school will create many
possibilities that were not accessible before; like opportunities for national recognition and accreditation.

Mr. Wickham brings years of experience in the field of the communication studies to the
department. He was previously employed with several reputable news entities, such as: USA TODAY,
Gannett News Service, US News & World Report, The Baltimore Sun and CBS News, just to name a
few. He is a founding member and former president of the National Association of Black Journalists
(NABJ). He also has a $2,500 high school scholarship in his name on behalf of the NABJ.

Though he has accomplished much; it was not without feat. According to an interview in June
of 2005 by TheHistoryMarkers.com, Mr. Wickham was raised in Cherry Hill, MD with his aunt and
uncle after the death of his parents. He grew up with very little contact to his family, and was also forced
to transfer schools almost every year, due to expulsion. Through determination and perseverance, Mr.
Wickham managed to transition his life. He is now known as the man that traveled with Nelson Mandela,
witnessed Barack Obama’s historic campaign trip to Paris, wrote four novels and dined with Fidel
Castro. Mr. Wickham has an immense amount of knowledge and experience that can and will benefit the
Communication Studies department.

Morgan State University is a co-educational academic institution of higher learning located in
Baltimore, Md. Since its inception in 1867, the university continually strives to deliver well-rounded
critical thinkers with the tools and knowledge to be successful in their fields of study, and the passion and
leadership to give back to the Baltimore community.

###

For more information; please visit Morgan.edu