Education

B.Sc., Mass Communication, Lagos State University
M.Sc., Mass Communication, University of Lagos
Ph.D., Journalism, University of Missouri

Background

Damilola Oduolowu is a multitalented journalism educator, researcher and journalist with a decade of experience working as a staff journalist for leading African and global media organizations, including the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) World Service. As a BBC senior journalist, he reported and produced stories from the West African region for television, radio and digital (web, video and podcast). He enjoys teaching, advising and mentoring undergraduate and graduate students in journalism and mass communication to help them reach their goals in both industry and academia.

Awards

• Mizzou ‘18 Award, University of Missouri (2025).
• Remington R. Williams Award, University of Missouri System (2024).
• Second Place Top Paper Award, Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) Internship & Careers Interest Group (2024).

Research

Oduolowu's research agenda centers on media sociology, especially in digital journalism, citizen journalism and environmental/climate change journalism. His work examines how citizen journalism and traditional news outlets cover environmental and climate issues. His recent studies look at the intersection of citizen journalism and environmental journalism, particularly the role of digital communication and social media used by environmental activists to highlight environmental and climate issues in marginalized and vulnerable communities.

Grants and Funded Research

2024 Pulitzer Center Science Reporting Grant ($5,000)
The Mangrove Destruction Crisis in Africa's Most Populous City (Lagos's Vanishing Mangroves)

Teaching

Oduolowu has always been an advocate of bridging the gap between the newsroom and the classroom and aims to impact existing media practices and emerging technologies through his research and teaching. His professional experience informs his research, and both directly influence his teaching. His classroom experience includes teaching practical journalism skills and digital reporting. He has taught courses like the Principles of Journalism in Democracy and Applied Projects in Journalism and Strategic Communication at the University of Missouri. He currently teaches Social Media and Mobile Journalism as well as Introductory Reporting and Writing.

Recent Publications

Mislán C., Oduolowu, D., & Zielinski, I. (2025). Extractive Journalism: Conceptualizing extractivismo in climate and environmental journalism. Media, Culture & Society, 0 (0).

Heiselberg, L., Mathews, N., Jadhav, P., & Oduolowu, D., & Poulsen, M.V. (2025). We’re lucky to have them: Exploring the audience perspective on volunteer journalism. Journalism, 0(0).

Mathews, N., Heiselberg, L., Jadhav, P., & Oduolowu, D. (2024). Volunteer Journalism: Defining a Sub-field of Journalism Studies. Journalism Practice

Capizzo L., Nzau T., Oduolowu, D., Brengarth L., & Duffy M. (2023). Permanent scars, improvisation, and new paths forward: Communication agency leadership responses to COVID-19. Corporate Communications: An International Journal.

Service

• Member, the International Committee, School of Journalism and Mass Communications (2025)
• Reviewer, Environmental Communication Journal (2025)
• PF&R Chair (2025-2026), Participatory Journalism Interest Group, Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC)
• Co-Communication Chair (2023-2025), Participatory Journalism Interest Group, Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC).
• Mentor, Climate Education Leaders Fellowship, EcoChampions

Personal

Oduolowu thoroughly enjoys research, teaching and practice. Whenever he is not doing research or teaching, he listens to music or passionately sings off-key. He fancies karaoke, cooking his meals and traveling, particularly long-distance driving.