Stacey Woelfel, news director at KOMU Columbia (MO) and associate professor at the Missouri University School of Journalism, will step down as head of the university-owned news operation. He has been named director of the new Jonathan Murray Documentary Journalism Center at the MU School of Journalism and begins Sept. 1.
“I’m delighted that Stacey, who has already done so much for the School of Journalism with his superb leadership of KOMU-TV’s unique news operation, has agreed to take on this new challenge,” said Dean Mills, dean of the University of Missouri School of Journalism, on the university website. “He’s a superb teacher and manager, and he has a deep commitment to documentary journalism.”
The Documentary Journalism Center was created out of a $6.7 million gift from documentary journalist and television producer Jonathan Murray.
“Getting to know Stacey, I’ve been impressed by his quiet determination to get this documentary journalism program off the ground,” Murray said. “Stacey’s successful track record at the J-School and KOMU-TV, and his appreciation for what goes into making a great documentary, make him uniquely qualified to run the center.”
The new program will offer bachelor of journalism and master of arts degrees and fund research that advances the field of documentary journalism.
Woelfel, former chairman of the trade association RTDNA, has been news director at KOMU, an NBC affiliate, since 1990.
