About Us
“Inside the Food Fight” is a feature reporting project by the School of Journalism and Electronic Media at the University of Tennessee. From November 9th to 12th, seven students and two faculty members from the school traveled down to Orange Beach, Alabama to cover the World Food Championship.
The students — focusing on storytelling for social media — spent the weekend covering all aspects of “the largest competition in food sport.” Their stories focused on the competitors, judges, organizers and spectators of this international event.
During the competition, they posted photos, videos and other content to Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. We have created this website as a clearinghouse for their coverage from the weekend.
This is our second year covering the competition. You can find our work from last year in our archive. Our 2016 coverage was named a finalist in the Society of Professional Journalists Mark of Excellence Awards for online feature reporting.
This project is being supported by University of Tennessee graduate Mike McCloud (BS/JEM ’90), who is the president and CEO of the World Food Championship.
About Mike McCloud
McCloud is an award winning marketing entrepreneur focused on making food competitions a long-term, fun-filled legacy for the culinary industry. His major accomplishments include: building a full-service ad agency — MMA Creative, publishing a regional business journal, creating and funding new ventures like the World Food Championships and a Food Champ talent management group and serving as active food marketing lead strategist for Coca-Cola, Sam’s Club, Bull Outdoor Products, Tyson, Smithfield and Kraft Foods. — From McCloud’s UT Alumni biography
This project is also possible because of the equipment support provided by Canon USA, the School of Journalism and Electronic Media and Land Grant Films.
