Former Tropolitan adviser honored by Alabama Press Association

Pradyot Sharma

A former assistant professor of journalism at Troy will receive the Alabama Press Association’s (APA) Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2020 Media Summit in Birmingham on Feb. 7.

Steve Stewart, who joined Troy’s faculty in 2009, retired at the end of the Spring 2019 semester. He served as the faculty adviser for the Tropolitan and the Palladium for those 10 years.

“I appreciate the honor although a lot of other people deserve it,” Stewart said.

“Newspapers and journalism have been my lifelong interest, and I was lucky to have a chance to teach journalism at Troy.”

Prior to teaching, Stewart worked in the newspaper industry for 37 years, during which he served as the editor and publisher of the Monroe Journal, a newspaper in Monroeville that his father purchased in 1947.

Stewart was the APA president in 1987 and served as president of the APA Journalism Foundation and the Alabama Newspaper Advertising Service.

After earning his master’s degree in journalism, Stewart transitioned to teaching at Troy where his input was valued by both students and staff.

Tori Bedsole, a former editor-in-chief of the Tropolitan, credited Stewart’s encouragement and dedication to Troy’s student newspaper as the foundation for her love of journalism.

Jeff Spurlock, the director of the Hall School of Journalism and Communication, said that Stewart’s mentorship of the Tropolitan was instrumental in bringing awards and recognition to the newspaper.

“I think this is wonderful for Steve,” Spurlock said. “He was a tremendous journalist in Alabama serving well over 30 years in the newspaper business and then taught with us for about 10 years.”

Spurlock described Stewart as a “tremendous” educator and a “fantastic” journalist.

“I can’t think of anyone more deserving of this honor than Steve Stewart,” Spurlock said.

The APA will also be presenting the Emerging Journalist Award to Taylor Beck, managing editor of The Sand Mountain Reporter at the Media Summit.