Matt Haught is an associate professor of creative mass media at the University of Memphis. He teaches courses in graphic design for media, photography, data visualization and creative strategy. He is the assistant chair of the Department of Journalism and Strategic Media.

 

Matt focuses his research on the social construction of identity and culture through visual communication. His research examines the visual rhetoric of communications and explores the ways it unites and separates people. In addition, Matt researches media history to understand the social construction of ideas of democracy and freedom through periods of change in the country.

 

Matt began his career at the Times West Virginian in Fairmont, W.Va., as a copy editor. From there, he moved to The Independent in Ashland, Ky., as a copy editor and designer. He led creative teams at both newspapers in the launch of community-focused magazines.

 

Matt earned his bachelor’s in print journalism from the W. Page Pitt School of Journalism and Mass Communications at Marshall University in 2007, where he served as production manager and executive editor at The Parthenon, the university’s newspaper. While working there, he covered the filming of the 2006 Warner Bros. motion picture “We Are Marshall.”

 

In 2007, Matt began work at the now-defunct Charleston Daily Mail in Charleston, W.Va., as a copy editor and designer, and advancing to the position of sports web editor.

 

In 2010, Matt earned his master’s degree in journalism from the W. Page Pitt School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Marshall University. Matt earned his Ph.D. in mass communications at the University of South Carolina in 2014. His dissertation focused on the community-building aspects of visuals on college football Facebook pages.

 

Matt is a native of Barrackville, W.Va., and enjoys college football and basketball, as well as outdoor activity and travel.