Communication department faculty named 2026 faculty champions by the Center for Community News

Goshen College communication faculty are two of the 150 journalism leaders named as 2026 Faculty Champions by the Center for Community News at the University of Vermont.

Kyle Hufford, professor of communication, and Anna Groff, associate professor of communication, join the 2026 class of Faculty Champions, which recognizes leaders for their efforts to start or expand university-led reporting programs in their region, and their contribution to a national movement of student-powered community reporting.

“From a news broadcasting point of view Elkhart County, and in particular Goshen, is in a somewhat news desert,” Hufford said. “The news in our area is rarely covered by the stations in South Bend. However, important stories are happening everyday all around us. The Goshen News does a wonderful job in curating and sharing these stories with our community. I am wanting to use the assets of Goshen College’s broadcasting co-curricular, Globe Media, to partner with The Goshen News to provide video versions of their stories. These video news packages would be produced and created by our students and it will get them more involved with our community in providing a vital service.”

Each Faculty Champion will receive a $1,000 reward, peer support and coaching throughout the year. As part of CCN’s expanded approach to the Champions program this year, participants will work in dedicated cohorts that are organized around beats, communities and geographic regions.

GC’s cohort will be led by Colleen Steffen, executive editor of Franklin College’s TheStatehouseFile.com, a full-time, year-round student newsroom in the Press Corps of the Indiana Statehouse.

“This is excellent timing as I prepare to teach Comm 250: Journalism Essentials in the fall, and coordinate a special section of articles for The Record. This reward, support and coaching will elevate my plans for connecting students with The Goshen News to serve our local community alongside those professional journalists,” said Groff, who serves as faculty adviser for The Record, GC’s student newspaper.

The Faculty Champions awarded this year represent 41 states and two Canadian provinces. They come from 15 community colleges, 41 Minority-Serving Institutions, 4 Historically Black Colleges and Universities, 30 Hispanic-Serving Institutions, and seven public media outlets. There are 35 private institutions represented and 113 public ones.

The Center for Community News at UVM is a nonpartisan nonprofit working to grow and strengthen university-led reporting programs around the country to create a more sustainable future for local news outlets and the communities they serve. It works with a network of more than 4,000 faculty and news leaders, and is the only organization dedicated to growing the field of student-powered community reporting.