Pictured Above: Bernardo Motta has been a member of the department of journalism and media studies since 2015.
Courtesy of Bernardo Motta
By Edyn Gottlieb
When Bernardo Motta became a member of the USF St. Petersburg faculty in August 2015, no one could have predicted the impact he would have on USF St. Petersburg and the surrounding community.
After five long years, his time at USF St. Petersburg is coming to an end.
Motta was put in charge of the Neighborhood News Bureau (NNB) in addition to teaching and conducting research.
After completing three degrees in journalism and a doctorate in communication and information from the University of Tennessee, he chose to come to USF St. Petersburg.
“For me, it was my dream job,” Motta said. “I couldn’t think of anything better than being both a journalist and an academic, applying everything I learned to improve the quality of journalism in a community by also improving the quality of journalism education in that community.”
With this passion in hand, Motta began to transform the Neighborhood News Bureau into the program it is today.
Motta worked with local K-12 programs, implementing new techniques and skills such as multimedia, investigative and data reporting. He also cultivated a relationship with community members of St. Petersburg.
It was through this commitment to the community that Motta began to study the historic African-American neighborhoods of South Pinellas and their long history, much of which was lost and forgotten. From there, with the help of students, faculty and librarians at the Nelson Poynter Memorial Library, Motta went to work gathering every bit of material on St. Petersburg’s local history and making it an essential part of all reporting going forward.
“I am incredibly humbled by and proud of my students and how they always stepped up to the plate and recognized that what we were doing was important work and that they could work with our community members not as ‘sources’ but as co-authors, collaborators and partners,” Motta said. “I wish I could give you a small list of people who helped in this process, but the list has hundreds of names.”
According to Motta, his work for the Neighborhood News Bureau was only half of his job.
“I taught many other classes, worked with students on many theses and applied research projects and produced and edited my own work and work in collaboration with students and community members,” Motta said. “There is so much to be grateful for (in) my time at USF St. Petersburg. I learned a lot from my colleagues, students and community members.”
Motta’s students shared his impact on their university experience.
“I think he’s an amazing professor,” said Savannah Billett, a senior mass communications major. “He truly cares about his students and it shows even over Zoom, now that he is in another state.”
Billett took two classes taught by Motta, both during semesters plagued by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“He always adds to let him know if we are okay or need anything and I just feel like some professors don’t care the way that he does,” Billett said. “He truly shows he cares and wants to help his students succeed.”
Motta’s impact on the university was felt by many, from student to faculty.
“The Department of Journalism and Digital Communication at USF has long sought to foster responsible, ethical journalism and Dr. Motta relentlessly championed that cause while at the helm of the Neighborhood News Bureau,” said Casey Frechette, chair and associate professor of the department. “Dr. Motta’s focus on improving news coverage of marginalized communities, his mentorship of students and his deep commitment to our community partners will resonate for many years to come.”
Motta’s replacement as NNB professor comes in the form of Nicole Slaughter-Graham, who worked with Motta as a grad student until her graduation in spring 2020.
“I am thrilled to join the journalism department and teach NNB this fall,” Graham said. “I think—especially given the fact that it’s an election year and we’re in the middle of a global pandemic—that it’s a really interesting and important time to be teaching students how to report on their local communities.”
Sophie Ojdanic contributed to this report.
Where is he going or gone to? This article never gets around to informing us.