About Al

email: tompkins@poynter.org

727.821.9494 (o)

Twitter: @atompkins

Al Tompkins is one of America’s most requested journalism and multi-media instructors.

After nearly 30 years working as a reporter, photojournalist, producer, investigative reporter, head of special investigations and News Director, Tompkins joined the Poynter Institute where he is Senior Faculty for Broadcast and Online.

He is the author of “Aim for the Heart” a textbook about multimedia storytelling that has been adopted by more than 90 universities worldwide.

He has taught in 47 states, Canada, Egypt, Denmark, South Africa, Iceland and Cayman Islands.

Tompkins is the recipient of some of journalism’s highest awards including The National Emmy, the Japan Prize, The American Bar Association’s Silver Gavel, The Peabody, 7 National Headliner Awards, The Robert F Kennedy Award and The Iris Award. He was inducted into the Kentucky Journalism Hall of Fame and honored with The Governor’s Award from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

Tompkins helped to author the national codes of ethics for both the National Press Photographers Association and the Radio and Television Digital News Association.

He has taught workshops for hundreds of clients in the last dozen years including NBC, Telemundo, Univision, Entravision, CNN, Fox, ABC, KHOU, WFAA, KARE, KTUU, National Public Radio, Bay News 9, News 8 Austin, WTHR and many many more. He has also taught at college campuses including Harvard, Boston University, Western Kentucky University, Belmont University, Indiana State, Ball State,  Middle Tennessee State and many others.