NGU Hosts World Journalism Institute Course in Tigerville
Posted on: July 22, 2025
Tigerville, SC—Eighteen journalists received hands-on training and instruction from North Greenville University (NGU) professors during the World Journalism Institute’s (WJI) young professionals course last week.
Students from across the United States participated in man-on-the-street reporting, as well as in-class lectures during the event. It was the second-consecutive year NGU’s Tigerville campus has hosted the WJI course.
“It’s such a perfect partnership because NGU is Christ-centered and WORLD also seeks to be Christ-centered and biblically centered,” said Naomi Balk, assistant director at WJI.
“The teachers who come teach at WJI are reporters who work at WORLD. NGU is very unique because professors here actually participate in the instruction,” she continued. “This is the only place we partner and let professors help out. It’s a stronger partnership than some of our other programs.”
NGU’s Communication faculty who taught at WJI included Dr. Randall E. King (Associate Dean for the School of Communication), Dr. Karyn Campbell (Associate Professor of Communication), and Lara Jackson (Instructor of Communication).
“Students have an opportunity to explore their calling and hone their skills in the field of multimedia journalism. They learn how to tell stories informed by a biblical foundation in print, online, and on the air,” said Balk. “This intensive can lead to new career possibilities and lifelong friendships as they get to know instructors and their classmates.”
Mary Margaret Flook, who graduated from NGU in 2023, was one of the eighteen participants this year. During her time at NGU, Flook studied Communication with a minor in Christian Studies. She currently works as a reporter and social media manager at the Baptist Courier.
The decision to study communication was not an easy one for Flook as she was deciding on her career path.
“I prayed about it a long time and I’ve always been passionate about missions. I’ve always been passionate about writing. My thought process was if I can learn how to better communicate that can help me better communicate the gospel, that can help me be a good steward of the writing abilities that the Lord has given me and it can also give me a platform if I ever did go overseas to be able to use something like that,” said Flook.
“I think my aim in communication was more than just journalism but also using journalism as a way to do ministry so that’s kind of why I paired up communications and Christian studies,” she said.
As Flook pursues her career goals in missions and journalism, she applied to WJI’s young professionals course in hopes to expand and strengthen her writing abilities.
“WJI does a great job of reporting regular news, world events, tragedies, and just doing that from a biblical perspective and so I want to get better at writing about normal, regular things, not just in a Christian bubble and doing it from a Christian perspective so just widening the content of what I’m writing about and not just the Baptist Christianese kind of writing,” Flook said.
Flook, who recently returned from a short-term mission trip, is eager to use both her passions for missions and journalism to share the gospel with others, with the goal of using her writing to connecting fellow co-laborers of the gospel with lostness around the world.
“My biggest heart and passion is sharing the gospel with lost people and I think that journalism can help the gospel go forth,” she said. “I think it’s just a tool in my backpack to use so whether that’s writing for a missions organization, whether that’s telling the stories of missionaries that are on the field, or whether that’s just having a platform to be able to enter a country, I think it’s a valuable skill to have.”
WJI offers four courses: high school, college, young professionals, and mid-career. While the program is competitive to get into and has an intense application process, Balk encourages those interested to apply and learn how to report through a biblical worldview.
“I’d encourage you to seriously consider applying to WJI because this course is a great way to deepen your understanding of what it means to live out a Biblical worldview and hone your writing and communication skills.” said Balk. “It’s for writers, journalists, and aspiring writers to learn how to tell a good story with a biblical worldview and learn multimedia skills as well. Do apply. You never know what doors the Lord will open.”
As she reflects on this year’s cohort, Balk is excited to see friendships form and how the participants will grow in their skills and in their faith.
“I am most excited for students to grow in relationships with each other, their faith and understanding of God’s word, and in their confidence and skill as reporters. It’s a joy and honor to connect with students at an intensive like this because what they learn at WJI has so much potential to help and launch them into the next stage of their journey, wherever the Lord leads them,” she said.
