Intro
Fostering the Next Era
of Storytelling
Journalist | Professor | Entrepreneur | Inciter
Intro
Fostering the Next Era
of Storytelling
Journalist | Professor | Entrepreneur | Inciter
Matthew C. Sheehan is a journalist and MBA who has spent his career working in established and emerging media and is now on the journalism faculty at the University of Florida. He serves as the managing director of the Center for Public Interest Communications. He teaches undergraduate and graduate courses on the science of story, audience engagement, leadership, media product development and integration of emerging technologies in journalistic practices. He is a former assistant news editor at The Washington Post, was COO of a digital media startup in D.C., served in senior administration at University of Maryland’s Philip Merrill College of Journalism and led the integration and digital evolution of five newsrooms serving public and commercial radio and television stations in Florida as the inaugural director of UF's award-winning Innovation News Center.
Current Gig
Current Gig
As managing director of the Center for Public Interest Communications, I manage operations and steward sustainability of this entrepreneurial educational business activity at the University of Florida. The Center is a consultancy that helps movements, foundations, agencies and organizations apply behavioral, cognitive and social science to build better communication strategies for the common good.
Current Gig
Current Gig
As managing director of the Center for Public Interest Communications, I manage operations and steward sustainability of this entrepreneurial educational business activity at the University of Florida. The Center is a consultancy that helps movements, foundations, agencies and organizations apply behavioral, cognitive and social science to build better communication strategies for the common good.
Where I've Worked
and what i've done...
Editor | Designer | Reporter | Web Developer | Web Editor | News Editor | Copy Editor
Developed sites in WordPress and Drupal | Freelance designer
Academic administrator | Communications director | Chief Operating Officer
Teach
Teacher
I have taught graduate and undergraduate courses at two major research universities, and served as instructor for multiple high and middle school classes and camps.
Teach
Teacher
I have taught graduate and undergraduate courses at two major research universities, and served as instructor for multiple high and middle school classes and camps.
college Courses taught
Multimedia storytelling, master’s program journalism bootcamp, editing, news center practicum, entrepreneurial journalism, media leadership, audience engagement, art and science of story, innovative/creative storytelling, 360/non-traditional video, news design and multiple capstones.
student projects
State of Water | Team in Transit | Bay on the Brink | The New Voters | WUFT.org | Project: Blue Ether
Cuba: Outside In - A 10-day study abroad experience in Havana
High school journalist programs
UF Summer Journalism Institute | Maryland Scholastic Press Association | Washington Post Young Journalists Development Program
Convene
Instigator
Convene
Instigator
a leader in National Gatherings
Co-founder Journalism Interactive, the conference on digital media and journalism education
J/i Program chair (2013, 2016)
Technical director of the annual frank gathering for those working toward the public good
driving innovation in a working newsroom
Innovation News collection on Medium: Chronicling the activities of the Innovation News Center
Leading Testing of New Platforms for News:
Yik Yak | Integrating Analytics in College Newsrooms
Service to the Industries
Online News Association - Member; student newsroom and innovation lab mentor (2016-present), registration desk captain (2012-2015); 2015 Board candidate
Member: RTDNA, IRE, Florida Society of News Editors
In the News
Conversations
Frank 2015
Accompanied by her service animal Professor Higgins, Jenny Lawson, aka "The Blogess," reminds us how important community is to those who struggle with mental health.
Matt Sheehan is ‘Leading a Movement’ at UF’s Innovation News Center That May Help Shape Journalism’s Future | College Media Matters
The Innovators Series
Melissa Bell, Executive Editor, Senior Product Manager, and co-founder of Vox.com, visited the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications on November 12, 2014. Bell spent a whirlwind day in our classes, with our faculty and students, and was interviewed on camera by our Matt Sheehan in front of a live audience.
training
@frankgathering on Instagram: "We are kicking off day 2 of our frank academy. We are #training#leaders and #scientists at NIFA in #storytelling and strategic #communication for #science. #scicomm#nifaimpacts"
Providing training for communicators and scientists on the science of story building and what research tells us about how we process and believe information.
Find out more at the frank Academy
Clients include:
National Institute for Food and Agriculture - USDA
Southwest Florida Community Foundation
University of Florida Strategic Communications Academy
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agriculture Sciences
'Science of Story Building' presentations include to:
Media Learning Seminar - John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
Southern Newspaper Publishers Association Megaconference
CommNet 2017