Mike M Lyons

Mike M Lyons is an Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Communication and Media Studies. His work centers on storytelling and civic media, particularly narratives of crime and incarceration. In 2015, he co-founded The Redemption Project to amplify incarcerated voices for criminal justice reform, and with Julija Kulneva established West Philly Local for community journalism.

• Education: BA from Temple University, PhD from Indiana University

Lyons' research explores how media and narrative practices intersect with social justice, focusing on marginalized communities and systemic reform. His scholarship includes work on pedagogical discomfort and prison-based education models.

His 2019 article, “There’s Urgency Here,” investigates narrative-driven approaches to prison education, falling under broader disciplines of Communication Studies, Education, and Criminal Justice. Themes include critical pedagogy, media activism, and incarceration studies.

Lyons previously worked as a correspondent and editor for the Associated Press and Agence France-Presse in the former Soviet Union, alongside roles at newspapers in Central Europe, the British West Indies, and Alaska.