Rate My Professor Kevin Finch

Kevin Finch serves as Associate Professor of Journalism and Mass Communications at Washington and Lee University, where he joined as Visiting Assistant Professor in 2013, advanced to Assistant Professor in 2014, and earned tenure as Associate Professor in 2020. He holds an M.A. in Public Affairs Reporting from the University of Illinois-Springfield, a B.S. in Radio-Television magna cum laude from Murray State University, and an A.A.S. in Radio-Television from Illinois Central College. Prior to academia, Finch enjoyed a distinguished career in television journalism spanning over two decades. He was News Director at WRTV (2011-2012) and WISH-TV (2007-2009) in Indianapolis, overseeing staffs of up to 80 journalists and multimillion-dollar budgets. At WTHR-TV, he progressed from Producer (1990-1994) to Executive Producer of Special Projects and News Co-Brands (1994-2003), leading coverage of landmark events including 9/11 in Washington and its first anniversary in New York, presidential inaugurations, political conventions, the Atlanta Olympics bombing, and multiple Indy 500s. Earlier, he worked as Producer and Reporter at WCIA-TV in Champaign (1986-1990). Finch also taught as adjunct instructor at the University of Indianapolis (1992-1995) and Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (2013), and participated in professional development through the Carole Kneeland Fellowship (2008) and the Magid Institute for news managers (2004).

Finch teaches courses in broadcast producing, announcing practicum, media ethics, in-depth and beat reporting, cross-cultural documentary filmmaking, the documentary, introduction to mass communications, and state and local government. He founded and served as president of the Indiana Debate Commission, producing televised debates for statewide offices. His documentaries include Wes Bound: The Genius of Wes Montgomery (2024, Central Great Lakes Emmy Award for Documentary-Cultural, nationally distributed by American Public Television reaching 76% of U.S. audience), Triton: America’s Deep Secret (2018, Official Selection Silicon Beach Film Festival, broadcast on Connecticut Public Television), and A Writer’s Roots: Kurt Vonnegut’s Indianapolis (2015, Official Selection Heartland Film Festival, nationally distributed by American Public Television). Finch has authored numerous articles in professional outlets such as Quill (Society of Professional Journalists, including Newsroom to classroom, Fall 2025), RTDNA Communicator (e.g., America’s Radio Centennial, 2020; Taking control: Why and how to start a debate commission, 2019), Nieman Reports (Going Far to Explore a Local Story, Winter 2007), Roanoke Times (Virginia needs a debate commission, 2018), and Indianapolis Business Journal. He organized the John S. and James L. Knight Journalism Ethics Institute at Washington and Lee University in 2018, featuring journalists from USA Today, NPR, NBC, and CNN. Through Jukeboxer Productions, he continues producing documentaries and content.