Amanda Hinnant

Amanda Hinnant is a Professor of Journalism Studies at the Missouri School of Journalism and serves as the Wallace Turner Memorial Faculty Fellow. She is an award-winning educator and widely published researcher with expertise in health journalism, science communication, media sociology, and narrative persuasion. In 2025, she began serving as a Faculty Fellow for the Honors College and Office of Global and National Fellowships at the University of Missouri.

Dr. Hinnant's educational background includes:

• B.A. in English from Bates College
• M.A. in Journalism from the University of Missouri
• Ph.D. in Media, Technology, and Society from Northwestern University's School of Communication

Dr. Hinnant's research focuses on health journalism and science communication, media sociology, and narrative persuasion. She currently conducts science communication training as part of an NIH grant with colleagues in the School of Medicine. Her work includes leading research teams on health communication sub-grants from the Institute of Clinical and Translational Sciences and Centers of Excellence in Cancer Communication Research. Recent projects encompass nationwide surveys of health journalists, improving clinical trial and donor recruitment, and examining how narrative enhances engagement with health and science stories. She has taught 16 different courses since joining the faculty in 2006, including communication research, qualitative methodology, documentary storytelling, journalism and democracy, and magazine reporting and writing.

Dr. Hinnant's recent publications demonstrate a consistent focus on health communication, science journalism, and media effects. Her work examines how digital platforms like TikTok influence health decisions, how narrative techniques affect credibility in science communication, and how journalistic practices evolve around ethical considerations. Her research combines quantitative and qualitative methods to explore the intersection of media, health, and public understanding.

Dr. Hinnant has received numerous prestigious awards recognizing her contributions to journalism education and research:

• 2025 MU Graduate Faculty Mentor Award
• 2023 Arthur W. Page Legacy Scholar
• 2022 Faculty-Alumni Award from Mizzou Alumni Association
• 2022 Gold Chalk Award for graduate education
• 2021 Outstanding Woman in Journalism and Mass Communication Education from AEJMC
• 2020-21 O.O. McIntyre Professorship for Teaching Excellence
• 2019 Shared Governance Award for an Individual from University of Missouri Faculty Council

Dr. Hinnant has served on more than 150 graduate committees for master's and doctoral students at the Missouri School of Journalism. She is recognized as an exceptional mentor, having received the 2025 Graduate Faculty Mentor Award. Her grant-funded research includes an NIH grant for science communication training with the School of Medicine, as well as multiple sub-grants from the Institute of Clinical and Translational Sciences and Centers of Excellence in Cancer Communication Research. She serves as an Associate Editor of Science Communication journal, connecting her with an international network of scholars in the field.

Dr. Hinnant leads interdisciplinary research teams focused on health communication across the University of Missouri campus. She collaborates extensively with colleagues in the School of Medicine and other departments on health communication initiatives. She also serves on Faculty Council and chairs the City of Columbia Commission on Human Rights, demonstrating her commitment to community engagement and social justice beyond her academic work.