Jackson Free Press

Martin G. Reynolds understands the impact that media has on society, and he dedicates much of his life and career into molding honest, audacious stories and educational projects for the communities he serves. An Oakland, Cali., native, Reynolds serves as the senior editor of community engagement for the Bay Area News Group. Reynolds is the keynote speaker at Jackson State University's Department of Mass Communications' "Connecting with Diverse Communities," a Maynard Institute for Journalism Education workshop.

Reynolds was one of the lead editors of the award-winning "Chauncey Bailey Project," an investigative story that examined the assassination of a former Oakland Post editor and Oakland Tribune reporter. He has also spearheaded community-engagement programs in the Oakland area that include public forums, webinars and lectures on topics such as gun control, crime, health and economic disparity.

Digital First Media awarded Reynolds the 2012 Innovator of the Year award for his involvement in community programs and promoting local narratives. He's gained specific recognition for "Oakland Voices"—an educational program that trains regional reporters to tell the story of their neighborhoods while confronting the misperceptions and nearsightedness that one-dimensional storytelling fosters.

"Connecting with Diverse Communities" will give faculty and students of the JSU Department of Mass Communications a chance to hear Reynolds speak about some of the same subject matter that he developed in Oakland: technological strategies in media, serving underserved communities, and a five-part introduction to "faultlines" (an approach to journalism that emphasizes race, gender, class, geography and generation simultaneously) will be just a few of the topics covered by Reynolds.

The workshop is at the Convention Hall at the Mississippi e-Center (1230 Raymond Rd., 601-979-1246) Thursday, Sept. 26, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Local media and members of the public are encouraged to attend. For information email Jean Gordon Cook at [email protected].