A lifelong belief in the power of accurate journalism — and a personal connection to the profession — led Missy Pace Callero to support a new initiative shaping the future of news produced from the University of Mississippi.
Callero and her husband, Chris, have made a $50,000 gift to the Mississippi Media Lab within the Jordan Center for Journalism Advocacy and Innovation at the UM School of Journalism and New Media.
The Mississippi Media Lab is designed to connect student-produced news content with media outlets nationwide. The School of Journalism and New Media hired award-winning journalist Marshall Ramsey as its inaugural director, with Dennis Moore, visiting instructional professor of journalism, serving as co-director.
“I’ve always admired Marshall Ramsey and his career. I was so excited when he joined the School of Journalism and New Media,” said Callero of Corona Del Mar, California. “He and I actually overlapped a year working at the Clarion-Ledger when I was there in the early ’90s as a copy editor and Focus reporter. When I found out he was involved in this project, it really made me want to get involved.”
For Callero, the gift reflects concern about the current media environment and a strong belief in journalism’s civic role.
“Another huge issue for me is the trend toward misinformation in the media industry and at the same time the attack on professional journalists and accurate information,” she said. “It has left media consumers confused and no longer trustful of information.
“I have a passion for accurate journalism and its ability to be a beacon of truth which people desperately need — and I believe unconsciously deeply desire — in these strange times,” Callero continued. “The new Mississippi Media Lab will reach some of these audiences, which makes me so happy.”
Ramsey expressed gratitude for the Calleros’ flow-through gift, which will help fund the media lab’s initial projects.
“The Calleros’ support allows us to expand access to reliable, community-centered journalism in North Mississippi’s news deserts and to equip residents with the civic information they need to engage fully in our democracy,” Ramsey said.
“I loved working with Missy at the Clarion Ledger and admired her talent and kindness,” he continued. “This is a wonderful way for us to reconnect!”
A 1993 graduate of the University of Mississippi, Callero earned a bachelor’s degree with a double major in service journalism and English.
“I have incredibly fond memories of my time in the journalism program at Ole Miss,” she said. “I wrote regularly for the Daily Mississippian and became fairly well-known for a weekly column I wrote.”
She is especially enthusiastic about student opportunities created by the Media Lab.
“I’m thrilled the Media Lab is also providing so many opportunities for student journalists, including hands-on internships,” Callero said. “The more opportunities to have real-world media experience, the better, especially as media moves away from print and more toward video and social media.”
Now retired, Missy Callero remains active in philanthropy, particularly with National Charity League, a mother-daughter organization supporting Meals on Wheels and other causes. Her career included work as a reporter and copy editor at the Clarion-Ledger and later roles in corporate communications at NationsBank and Bank of America.
Chris Callero, also retired, spent 27 years at Bank of America and later served as global COO at Experian. He serves on the Hoag Hospital Board. Together, the Calleros focus their giving on health, the arts and education, supporting organizations such as Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Hoag Hospital, the University of California Irvine and the Orange County School of the Arts. Missy Callero also supports charities in her hometown of Aberdeen, Mississippi.
The Calleros have two daughters: Caden, who is expected to graduate from Penn State University this year, and Finley, a junior at Sage Hill School, who is strongly considering attending Ole Miss.
“I’m so grateful to Missy and Chris for their support, which will have a lasting impact on the communities we serve and on the students and journalists working to tell their stories,” said Andrea Hickerson, dean of the School of Journalism and New Media.
To make a gift in support of the Mississippi Media Lab, click here.
For more information about supporting the media lab, the Jordan Center for Journalism Advocacy and Innovation or the School of Journalism and New Media, contact Sloane Reid, associate director of development, at sloane@olemiss.edu or 662-915-3523.
By Bill Dabney/UM Foundation