Dale Cressman is an associate professor in BYU's School of Communications. In the classroom, he teaches media history, historical research methods, backpack journalism, television news producing, and reporting. He currently serves as the School's Associate Director for Student Learning, responsible for assessment, diversity and inclusion. From 2010 until 2015 he served as Associate Director* for Undergraduate Studies, overseeing undergraduate curriculum, course scheduling, admissions, and assessment.
After working as a professional journalist, Dale made the transition to higher education in 1990, with his first faculty appointment at Lyndon State College (now Northern Vermont University), where he was an assistant professor and television news director. Following that, in 1993, he was appointed an assistant teaching professor at BYU and served as news director of KBYU-TV and KBYU-FM. In 1996, Dale left BYU to pursue a PhD. After teaching at Utah State University for three years, he returned to BYU in 2000. He earned a Ph.D. at the University of Utah in 2003.
His professional journalism career included working as a newspaper reporter in Saskatoon Saskatchewan; line-up editor at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, television news producer in South Bend, Indiana; executive producer in Salt Lake City and in Waco, Texas; managing editor in Green Bay, Wisconsin; and radio and television news director in Provo, Utah. In 1995, he produced the Emmy Award winning public television documentary "Russia: Hidden Memory.” A mentored learning project he organized on the Camino de Santiago in Spain won a BEA Festival of Media Arts faculty award. He was a chief liaison to rights-holding broadcasters for the Host Broadcaster during the 2002 Salt Lake Winter Olympic Games. In 2008, he produced BYUtv’s worldwide coverage of President Gordon B. Hinckley’s funeral.
After working as a professional journalist, Dale made the transition to higher education in 1990, with his first faculty appointment at Lyndon State College (now Northern Vermont University), where he was an assistant professor and television news director. Following that, in 1993, he was appointed an assistant teaching professor at BYU and served as news director of KBYU-TV and KBYU-FM. In 1996, Dale left BYU to pursue a PhD. After teaching at Utah State University for three years, he returned to BYU in 2000. He earned a Ph.D. at the University of Utah in 2003.
His professional journalism career included working as a newspaper reporter in Saskatoon Saskatchewan; line-up editor at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, television news producer in South Bend, Indiana; executive producer in Salt Lake City and in Waco, Texas; managing editor in Green Bay, Wisconsin; and radio and television news director in Provo, Utah. In 1995, he produced the Emmy Award winning public television documentary "Russia: Hidden Memory.” A mentored learning project he organized on the Camino de Santiago in Spain won a BEA Festival of Media Arts faculty award. He was a chief liaison to rights-holding broadcasters for the Host Broadcaster during the 2002 Salt Lake Winter Olympic Games. In 2008, he produced BYUtv’s worldwide coverage of President Gordon B. Hinckley’s funeral.
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Dale currently serves as Vice President of the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications (ACEJMC). He is also a member of the Council, representing the American Journalism Historians Association (AJHA), of which he is also an ex-officio member of its board. Dale is a past division chair of the Broadcast Education Association and was the program chair of BEA's 2012 convention. He also serves on editorial boards for three academic journals. He's been published in the Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media, American Journalism, Journalism History, and various textbooks and encyclopediae. His 2018 article, "News in Lights: The Times Square Zipper and Newspaper Signs in an Age of Technological Enthusiasm," was chosen as winner of the Michael S. Sweeney Award for best article of the year published in Journalism History. His 2007 article on television coverage of space flight was runner-up for best article of the year in American Journalism, the peer reviewed journal of AJHA. His 2009 article on the history of Times Square was reviewed in Columbia Journalism Review. His current research on 1963 was highlighted in the August 2013 edition of High Life, British Airways in-flight magazine. He is also writing a biography of network television news pioneer (and former ABC News president) Elmer W. Lower, to be published by the University of Missouri Press.
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Born and raised in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, Dale came to the United States as a student athlete, recruited by the University of Kentucky and Brigham Young. He lettered in swimming at BYU in 1979-80 and 1980-81. He continues to enjoy swimming and cycling. He is married to Rebecca Cressman, a Salt Lake City broadcaster. They have three adult sons, three daughters-in-law, a granddaughter, a Goldendoodle and a mini Labradoodle.
