Dr. Williams Fayne in an assistant professor in the Department of Communications. She holds a Ph.D. from Northwestern University in media, technology and society, an M.A. from Emerson College in publishing and writing and a B.A. from the University of Southern California in print journalism. Her research investigates the black press in the new media age via qualitative methodology and analyses of web metrics. She is particularly interested in how entertainment content operates in the digital black public sphere. Dr. Williams Fayne is an affiliate of the Center for Critical Race and Digital Studies and an executive board member of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication’s (AEJMC) Minorities and Communication Division. In addition, she currently advises the National Association of Black Journalists chapter at Cal State Fullerton. Her teaching areas include courses on entertainment communications, entertainment public relations and feature article writing.

Dr. Williams Fayne has received research fellowships/grants from Columbia University's Tow Center for Digital Journalism, AEJMC’s Newspaper and Online News Division and Northwestern University. Her work has also received top paper awards from AEJMC’s Minorities and Communication Division and the National Communication Association’s African American Communication and Culture Division.

Prior to entering academia, Dr. Williams Fayne worked as an editorial assistant for Jet and Ebony magazines. In addition, she has written for Blast Magazine, Chicago Union Teacher magazine, USC Trojan Family Magazine, N’Digo magapaper and The Chicago Defender newspaper. Dr. Williams Fayne’s professional experience also includes working in internal communications for Disney Consumer Products and in public relations for B/HI where she primarily contributed to campaigns for the 20th Century Fox/MGM Home Entertainment account.

Publications

Williams Fayne, M. (2021). Advocacy journalism in the 21st century: Rethinking entertainment in digital Black press outlets. Journalism, https://doi.org/10.1177/14648849211023166

Williams Fayne, M. (2020). The Great Digital Migration: Exploring What Constitutes the Black Press Online. Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly. 97(3), 704-720. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077699020906492

Select Conference Presentations

Williams Fayne, M. (2021). An Examination of Entertainment as Self-Care in the Digital Black Press. International Communication Association Conference (Virtual).

Williams Fayne, Miya (2020). The Blackish Press: Examining the White Gaze on Entertainment in Digital Black Press Outlets. Paper presented at the International Communication Association Conference. Gold Coast, Australia (Virtual).

Williams Fayne, Miya (2019). Adapting to Change: Rethinking Advocacy in the 21st-Century Black Press. Paper presented at the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication Conference. Toronto, ON.

Williams Fayne, Miya (2019). New Medium, New Criteria: An Examination of How Digital Media is Redefining the Black Press. Paper presented at the International Communication Association Conference. Washington, DC.

Williams Fayne, Miya (2018). Keeping it Real: Exploring Legitimacy and Authenticity in the 21st Century Black Press. Paper presented at the African American History, Culture and Digital Humanities Conference. College Park, MD.

Williams Fayne, Miya (2018). Renaming and Reframing: Exploring the Shift from "Black Press" to "Black Media" in the Digital Age. Paper presented at the Association of Internet Researchers Conference. Montreal, Quebec.

Williams, Miya (2017). Seen and Heard: Examining the Leadership of Black Women Journalists in the Black Press. Paper presented at the National Communication Association Conference. Dallas, TX.