Students and colleagues of the late mass communication chair Guy Reel remember a man who dedicated his life to journalism and those who wanted to pursue it.
By Chase Duncan
Copy Editor
“Never start a story with a quote unless the Pope says shit” was a piece of advice the late mass communication professor and former chair Guy Reel would sometimes share with his students, a phrase his former student Marley Bassett remembers to this day.
Whether it was for his sense of humor, his cutting but fair wit, his love for journalism or his unending dedication to raising college students into professional reporters, countless Winthrop colleagues and former students continue to remember Reel for his dedication to the world around him.
Reel was a former newspaper reporter who became an associate professor in mass communication at Winthrop University in 2002, took over as chair of the department at the beginning of the 2016-2017 academic year and retired at the end of the 2023 spring semester.
Carolyn Murray, a 2016 graduate of Winthrop’s bachelor of arts in mass communication, said Guy Reel was her biggest cheerleader.
“At the end of my freshman year, I had applied for the Sports Editor position at the school paper, The Johnsonian,” Murray said. “Within a day of applying “Incoming Call from Guy Reel” appeared on my screen. I remember the call so clearly, when he told me that I should apply for the News Editor position, and that I should challenge myself to take on a larger position. I was shocked he saw so much in me so early in my college career and from then on he continued to empower me not to sell myself short and hide from big opportunities.”
Reel did not merely extend his support of his students through pleasant compliments. He was a blunt and honest critic of his students’ work when he needed to be, something Bassett, now a journalist for WIS-News 10, said was one of best qualities as a teacher.
“I only had one class with Reel, it was writing for mass comm,” Bassett said. “I thought he was a hardass but his teachings provided the foundation for my journalistic career and are something I carry with me today as a journalist.”
Reel also didn’t stop paying attention to his pupils’ writings when they graduated or performed journalism outside of Winthrop.
Bryn Eddy, now editor-in-chief of The Lexington County Chronicle, graduated from Winthrop University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English having only taken a handful of mass communication classes along with two years of experience on The Johnsonian.
Despite graduating from a different program with only a handful of experience in the mass communication program, she said Reel supported her work as a reporter during and after college.
“Dr. Reel advocated for me like no other professor had, and I really mean that,” Eddy said. “For my reporting during and after college, he was often my first reader and most meaningful feedback provider. Sending him my work became a habit after I graduated, and even since his death, my muscle memory hasn’t left—I still come close to texting him links to my stories I think he’d enjoy, only to remember he’s gone, leading to that bad feeling of disbelief once again.”
Murray also said Reel continued to read and give feedback on her reporting as an intern for The Island Packet, a Hilton Head newspaper, after he successfully nominated her for the annual South Carolina Press Association Internship in 2015.
“Once again I was honored he considered me,” Murray said. “That summer, while I completed that internship at The Island Packet, he would read every single article and would send me emails with kudos (and plenty of feedback of course). To think that he spent his summer truly interested in my work and cared that much, still boggles my mind 10 years later.”
Amanda Harris, who is a journalist for Auto Finance News and another former student of Reel’s, said she continues to remember and appreciate his genuine support for her pursuit of journalism as her career.
“He was always willing to answer my many questions and dole out advice whenever I needed it,” Harris said. “He was a huge part of why I was successful as a college reporter and why I am now coming up on more than a decade as a journalist. He taught us to be real reporters – to ask the tough questions, go after the hard stories as well as the heart-warming and informative, and to be persistent.”
William Schulte, Winthrop professor of mass communication, said his late colleague and friend always advocated for his students and their needs.
“He was uncompromising in that area,” Schulte said. “A lot of people will remember Guy for his humor, and that is totally understandable – he was funny. But the ways he used his wit to put you at ease, point at an absurdity or make sure you were not taking yourself too seriously opened people up around him.”
Retired mass communication professor Mark Nortz said Reel’s affability and attention to detail were a boon not just to the students, but the entire mass communication department.
“As a department chair, Guy was very approachable,” Nortz said. “He made sure faculty had what they needed to be effective teachers. He continued to look for ways to improve the curriculum, keep faculty current on our ever changing industry, update our facilities and, as always, make sure the students were getting what they needed.”
Schulte said Reel was a journalist at heart who was always keenly aware of politics and social dynamics, and how good reporting could affect the direction of society.
“As a leader, he led from the front; he was the first to try something new in the classroom, the first to shake up the status quo, and the first to acknowledge if something was working or not,” Schulte said. “I personally always felt valued, respected, and understood by Guy. We bonded over journalism and student publications. If I was excited or mad about a story or needed to vent or share an idea, I always knew where to go.”
Nortz also said he enjoyed and fondly remembers his late colleague’s dry sense of humor.
“He also used to kid me about being a ‘broadcast journalist,’” Nortz said. “Whenever we would discuss various current events and critique writing styles the discussion would usually end with: ‘not bad insights for a broadcaster.’”
Before coming to Winthrop as an associate professor in 2002, Reel was a reporter and editor for the daily Memphis newspaper The Commercial Appeal.
He was a published author who penned historically focused journalistic works like “The National Police Gazette and the Making of the Modern American Man, 1879-1906” and “Unequal Justice,” according to GoodReads.com.
Even after Reel’s passing, specific recollections of him continue to linger in his colleagues’ and pupils’ remembrance of him.
“When I first came to Winthrop as a new faculty member and new dad, I was a bit frazzled,” Schulte said. “Adjusting to academia is a real process. Guy ordered my books for me and gave me his syllabi and all of his in-class exercises. He taught me how to set up a lab-style class and helped me become my authentic self as a teacher. When he came into my office, the weight came off my shoulders. The mentorship he gave me was priceless, and I believe he is a huge reason I’ve been so happy doing this job. His memory and impact will always be felt in me. Most of all, [I] really miss my friend.”
“Knowing Reel was such a privilege and I wish I could talk to him and get more advice and encouragement, especially since graduating in May and just starting journalism full-time,” Bassett said. “… I am lucky to have known and to have been mentored by such a wonderful person.”
Reel passed away on May 3, 2025 in Lancaster, South Carolina after being hospitalized after experiencing sudden issues with his health, according to reporting by The Commercial Appeal. He was 66 years old.
Winthrop’s mass communication department will hold a celebration of Reel’s life on Nov. 15, 2025 at the Old Stone House from 11 AM to 1 PM. Colleagues, friends, family and students are invited to attend and pay their respects.
