Matthew P. Taylor

Dr. Matthew P. Taylor serves as an Associate Professor in the School of Journalism and Strategic Media at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU). He holds a PhD in mass communications from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (2005), where he was a Roy H. Park PhD Fellow, an MA from George Washington University (2001), and a BA from Rutgers University (1997). Prior to joining MTSU, he taught at UNC Chapel Hill, George Washington University, and Mount St. Mary's University.

Dr. Taylor's professional background includes over a decade of strategic communications experience, having served as Director of Strategic Communications at preK-12 independent schools in North Carolina, where he led rebranding campaigns and managed crisis communications. He also guided alumni communications at Duke University School of Law and worked as a newspaper reporter (earning multiple Maryland-Delaware-D.C. Press Association awards), television production assistant for 'America's Most Wanted,' and senior writer for the American Cancer Society.

His research examines digital media with specific focus on sports communication and nonprofit advocacy communication. Dr. Taylor has published extensively on social media practices, particularly analyzing Twitter chats for nonprofits, sports podcasting dynamics, and athlete-related social media discourse. His scholarship demonstrates how digital platforms transform communication practices across commercial and nonprofit sectors, with notable recent work examining social media responses to athlete gambling scandals and the motivations of independent sports podcasters.

• PhDigital Bootcamp Fellowship (2022)
• MTSU Faculty Fellow (2019-2020)
• Phi Kappa Phi Influential Faculty Recognition (2022)
• AEJMC Great Ideas For Teaching Award (2022)
• Multiple Graduating Seniors Recognition awards (2019-2022)

As an educator, Dr. Taylor teaches American Media and Social Institutions, Public Relations Campaigns, Public Relations Management (graduate), Public Relations Principles, Social Media and Sports, and Strategic Planning for Public Relations. His teaching integrates extensive professional experience with scholarly research, creating practical learning experiences that prepare students for contemporary communication challenges. He serves as adviser for the MTSU chapter of Kappa Tau Alpha National Honor Society.