Charles Ledford

Charles Ledford is an Associate Professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, holding dual affiliations with the College of Media's Department of Journalism and the Center for African Studies. His work bridges multimedia journalism with documentary storytelling, focusing on themes of women's health, poverty, and cultural exclusion in global contexts like Sierra Leone.

• Multimedia Journalism (University of Miami, 2011)
• BS in Psychology (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1985)
• BS in Journalism (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1985)

Research interests include empathy in journalism, ethical reporting in disaster scenes, and media's role in documenting societal crises. His recent publications analyze pandemic response narratives and the moral responsibilities of journalists.

Key contributions:

• 2020: Documenting pandemic challenges through multimedia journalism
• 2013: Exploring trust in media during crisis scenarios

His work emphasizes visual and audio storytelling, with a focus on marginalized communities and ethical frameworks.