Whitney Harris

Whitney Harris Christopher (she/her) is an award-winning multimedia journalist, researcher, and voiceover artist. She currently serves as a Professorial Lecturer in the School of Communication at American University. Whitney’s expertise is shooting, writing, editing, reporting, and producing broadcast news stories for local television network affiliates. She also uses this expertise in TV news as the basis for her research and publications exploring hair-based discrimination in the broadcast news industry, particularly for Black women and women of color. Before entering the education field, Whitney was an anchor, reporter, and multimedia journalist for several local news affiliates including ABC, NBC, and CBS. She received an Associated Press award for her multi-platform coverage of a news story and her work has been nominated for several other awards such as regional Emmys and Murrow awards. Whitney has covered numerous crime scenes, car accidents, fires, and high-profile court cases, but what she really enjoys are human interest stories. As a morning anchor and reporter at the ABC-News affiliate in Richmond, Virginia she created several community-oriented video series including one about outstanding teachers called Above and Beyond the Classroom and a series about different ways to get active in her community called Get Fit RVA. She also profiled a convicted felon’s journey to having his voting rights restored, and one man’s discovery of his family’s ties to slavery on a nearby plantation. Whitney is passionate about telling impactful stories and is thrilled to share those insights with students to help the next generation of journalists. Whitney previously taught for nearly five years in the Digital Media department at the University of the District of Columbia and served as an adjunct professor at American University. In addition to her work in video broadcasting, Whitney also serves as a professional voiceover artist for a local government contracting company.

Publications

Transitioning: Examining Black Women's Hair Stories in Entering Higher Education
Transitioning: Examining Black Women's Hair Stories in Entering Higher Education
Kernysha L. Rowe, Afiya Mbilishaka, Destiny Bell, Whitney Harris, Camaron Loritts. © 2024. 22 pages.
Hair is so culturally significant within the lives of Black women that the transition from high school to college forces Black female college students to make arduous decisions...