School of Journalism

John Sparks began his television career while pursuing his undergraduate degree at The University of Texas at Austin. He started out by working as an intern for “The Joan Rivers Show” and “The Maury Povich Show”. He later worked as a news intern at WNBC Television in New York and WFAA Television, both in the station’s Austin bureau and in Dallas.  After graduating from college, John worked as a News Producer at KGBT Television in Harlingen, Texas; an Associate Producer at KPRC Television in Houston; a News Producer at KOCO Television in Oklahoma City; an Overnight News Anchor & Associate Producer at KFOR Television in Oklahoma City; and then a News Producer at KTUL Television in Tulsa, WFTV Television in Orlando and WFTS Television in Tampa.  John’s current concentration is in the area of online journalism. He’s a nationally recognized Social Media Specialist and has one of the largest Twitter followings in the state of Texas. He is the owner and CEO of his own social media consulting company, called Online ImageWorks (OnlineImageWorks.com). He has worked with everyone from journalists, celebrities, and business owners on how to grow their digital presence and become more visible on social media. Prior to joining the University of North Texas, John worked as an adjunct professor teaching new media strategies and media planning at Northwood University. John earned his Master’s in Business Administration with a specialization in Management from the University of Miami and his Bachelor’s in Science in Radio-Television-Film from The University of Texas at Austin.