UM Directory

Director and Professor Lee Banville joined the University of Montana faculty in 2009 after 13 years at PBS NewsHour, where he was editor-in-chief of the Online NewsHour.

With a background in political reporting and digital and social media, Lee teaches courses that include covering elections and the First Amendment and journalism law. He also often teaches the introductory Journalism and American Society class and an information literacy class, “Calling Bullsh*t.”

He received his bachelor of arts in English and government from the College of William & Mary and earned his master’s degree in political science from the University of Montana. Before joining the PBS NewsHour, Lee worked briefly in public relations and as a stringer at the Virginian-Pilot. He is the author of "Debating Our Destiny: Presidential Debate Moments that Shaped History," written for MacNeil/Lehrer Productions in 2012 and updated in 2013.  He also authored a two-volume encyclopedia, "Covering American Politics in the 21st Century: An Encyclopedia of News Media Titans, Trends, and Controversies," that was published in January 2017 by ABC-CLIO. He appears often in the press analyzing Montana politics and the media.

He is married to faculty member Jule Banville, and they have two girls. When not pacing nervously in front of a class with a Diet Dr. Pepper, he can usually be found curling or reading the latest Irish crime fiction.

Home Department

School of Journalism 

Area of Expertise

Journalism and New Media; Social Media; Presidential Debates; Politics in the 21st Century; Media Law Issues; First Amendment Issues; Media Access Issues in Montana