Claire Rounkles
Assistant Professor
About Dr. Claire Rounkles
Dr. Claire Rounkles joined the Department of Journalism and Strategic Media faculty in 2024 after earning her Ph.D. in Journalism from the University of Missouri School of Journalism. She specializes in media law, photojournalism, and visual communication.
Her research interests include the Black press, media coverage of lynching, First Amendment legal history, visual communication, race and critical/cultural studies. Before starting the Ph.D. program, she earned her master’s degree (2020) from Ohio University E.W. Scripps School of Journalism and a bachelor’s degree (2018) from the Missouri School of Journalism (emphasis in photojournalism).
At the Missouri School of Journalism, she worked as a freelancer covering multiple local, collegiate, and professional sporting events. In 2015, she assisted the Kansas City Royals team photographer. During the 2015 season, she covered the Royals win the World Series. 2017, as an independent contractor, she worked with the Tennessean visual team in their coverage of the Tennessee Titans' AFC wild-card game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Besides working as a freelancer, she developed the Columbian Missourian Friday Night Sights, a photo initiative dedicated to providing opportunities for beginning photographers to capture the small moments around the game of football. Focusing on Mid Missouri High School teams, photographers photographed the unseen moments behind the game of football.