Gardner-Webb Faculty Member Dr. Kortni Alston Lemon Receives Prestigious Grant from Broadcast Education Association

Funding will Support Multimedia Audio Mini-Series on Rosalynn Carter’s Impact on Mental Health Journalism

BOILING SPRINGS, N.C.—Gardner-Webb University faculty member, Dr. Kortni Alston Lemon, has received the Broadcast Education Association (BEA) 2025 Leibner Cooper Grant for Creative Productions on the History of Media. Lemon is chair of the Department of Communication, Art and Design and an associate professor of journalism and communication. She will use the grant to produce “Rosalynn Carter’s Caring Call: How Former United States First Lady’s Historic Compassionate Legacy Has Transformed Mental Health Journalism and Continues to Transform Newsrooms.”

Lemon was invited to speak in 2019 at the Carter Center about trauma and reporting and noticed Carter sitting in the front row listening to her presentation. Then in 2021, the former first lady appointed Lemon to serve on the Rosalynn Carter Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism Advisory Board. Lemon appreciates Carter’s legacy and describes her as a pioneer in mental health. “She is the greatest inspiration in my life,” Lemon shared in 2023 when Carter passed away. “It is an honor to continue to serve her mission in mental health journalism.”

Lemon’s project is a multimedia audio mini-series focusing on Carter’s compassionate legacy. The programs will air on Lemon’s the Compassionate Newsroom podcast. It explores Carter’s significant impact on mental health journalism. Through historical perspectives and contemporary interviews, the series examines how Carter’s empathetic leadership and her establishment of the Rosalynn Carter Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism have fundamentally reshaped the coverage of behavioral health issues.

“I am honored and grateful to receive the Leibner Cooper Grant for Creative Productions on the History of Media to share the life and legacy of our beloved former United States First Lady, Mrs. Carter,” Lemon shared. “She was a pioneer who led with compassion. I look forward to interviewing the many people who cherished her leadership and service.”

Lemon is a former news director and television reporter turned happiness scholar, TEDx speaker, and Transformational Trainer. Fueled by her passion to support the news industry, she is a sought-after speaker training journalists on workplace well-being. Lemon is host and executive producer of The Compassionate Newsroom podcast. The podcast targets news leaders to discover vital insights and strategies for fostering resilience, happiness, and compassion within the media industry.

The Leibner Cooper Grant for Creative Productions on the History of Media is made possible by an endowment from Leibner Cooper Family Foundation. Annually, a $2,500 grant is awarded to a faculty member who is producing a documentary, news story, multimedia project or sports production focused on historical issues, figures and/or events related to media. Each year the recipient will be recognized at the Library of American Broadcasting Foundation Giants of Broadcasting Luncheon and at BEA’s annual awards ceremony in Las Vegas. 

Listen to The Compassionate Newsroom here.

About the Broadcast Education Association (BEA)

BEA is the professional association for professors, industry professionals and graduate students interested in teaching and research related to electronic media and multimedia enterprises. There are currently more than 2,500 individual and institutional members worldwide. Visit www.beaweb.org for more information.

About Gardner-Webb University

Gardner-Webb University is North Carolina’s recognized leader in private, Christian higher education. A Carnegie-Classified Doctoral/Professional University, GWU is home to nine colleges and schools, more than 80 undergraduate and graduate majors, and a world-class faculty. Located on a beautiful 225-acre campus in Boiling Springs, N.C., Gardner-Webb prepares graduates to impact their chosen professions, equips them with the skills to advance the frontiers of knowledge, and inspires them to make a positive and lasting difference in the lives of others. Ignite your future at Gardner-Webb.edu.