Faculty Profile for Jillian Lynn Ament

profile photo for Jillian Lynn Ament
Jillian Lynn Ament
Lecturer of Practice — School of Jrnlism & Mass Comm
Trinity Trinity 110
phone: (512) 245-2656
Scholarly/Creative Work
Awards
Service

Biography Section

Biography and Education

 Jill Ament is an award-winning multimedia journalist and educator. She was born and raised in Central Texas. From 2017 to 2022, Jill was a producer and reporter for the Texas Standard at the University of Texas at Austin and their NPR affiliate, KUT 90.5. Her individual reporting with the Texas Standard has garnered her a first place National Headliner Award, a regional Edward R. Murrow Award, a first place Associated Press Broadcasters Award, and first and second place awards with the Public Media Journalists Association. Jill has also been a contributing producer and reporter for radio documentaries that have won a first place regional Edward R. Murrow award and best in the storytelling category with the Texas Headliners Foundation. She was also a National Press Foundation Fellow in the Reporting on the Statehouse in Crisis program in 2021. Jill has also been a political producer for Spectrum News 1 in Austin and San Antonio. She and her team's coverage of the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland was nominated for a Lone Star Emmy award in 2017. Jill started her broadcast career in 2012 in Waco, Texas, producing for KXXV-TV, KCEN-TV, and reporting for the Baylor University NPR affiliate, 103.3 KWBU. She received her master's degree from the University of Texas at Austin's School of Journalism and Media in 2025. She received her bachelor's degree from Texas State University's School of Journalism and Mass Communication in 2012. Jill is currently a Lecturer of Practice with Texas State University's School of Journalism and Mass Communication and a freelance journalist. Her work has been published by National Public Radio (NPR), Here and Now (WBUR), The Takeaway (WNYC), the Texas Standard and KUT 90.5, the Texas Newsroom, the Texas Tribune, Austin Woman Magazine, mysa.com, and Spectrum News 1 Austin/San Antonio.

Teaching Interests

 Writing for broadcast journalism and media
Long-form audio storytelling and podcasting
Audio and video documentary storytelling

Selected Scholarly/Creative Work

  • Ament, J. L. (2023, September). Slideshow: Mermaids Float Through Downtown San Marcos. Reporting Texas. Retrieved from https://www.reportingtexas.com/under-the-sea-mermaids-float-through-downtown-san-marcos/
  • Host and Producer, State's Up. September 2022 - May 2023.
  • Ament, J. L. (Ed.). (2022). Texas GOP’s proposed election reforms would restrict mail-in voting for seniors, early voting. Austin, Texas, United States: KUT News/Texas Standard. Retrieved from https://www.kut.org/texasstandard/2022-07-06/texas-republican-party-convention-election-reform-legislative-priority
  • Ament, J. L. (Ed.). (2022). Texas to start randomly inspecting public schools for weak entry points this fall. Austin, Texas, United States: KUT News. Retrieved from https://www.kut.org/texasstandard/2022-07-05/texas-schools-random-intruder-detection-audits
  • Ament, J. L. (2022). Texas has been facing unusually early hot weather — and there’s more heat ahead. Washington, D.C.: National Public Radio. Retrieved from https://www.npr.org/2022/06/16/1105633382/texas-has-been-facing-unusually-early-hot-weather-and-theres-more-heat-ahead

Selected Awards

  • Award / Honor Recipient: Bess Whitehead Scott Scribes Scholar, The Headliners Foundation. October 2023 - Present
  • Award / Honor Recipient: Ann Arnold Scholarship, Texas Broadcasters Education Fund. 2022 - Present
  • Award / Honor Recipient: Second Place, Use of Sound (Individual Award), Public Media Journalists Association. 2022 - Present
  • Award / Honor Recipient: Showcase Awards - Gold, Storytelling Category (Contributing Producer), Texas Headliners Foundation. 2021 - Present
  • Award / Honor Recipient: First Place, News Feature (Individual Award), Public Media Journalists Association. 2020 - Present

Selected Service Activities

Judge
Texas State Student Media Arts Exhibition
April 2024-April 2024
Organizer
KTSW Alumni Reunion and Awards Ceremony
August 2022-October 2022
Met with University Star students to advise and train them in audio production and podcasting.
The University Star
January 2025-Present
Undergraduate Advisor
College Broadcasters, Inc. - Texas State Chapter
August 2024-Present
Volunteer
Hays County Food Bank
June 2024-Present