BATON ROUGE  — Baton Rouge journalist and news anchor Elizabeth Vowell Blades is the new director of LSU's Office of Student Media. 

Blades has been in the news industry for more than 15 years, working as an anchor and reporter. 

Blades is no stranger to LSU's Manship School of Mass Communication. She joined the school as an adjunct instructor in 2022. Her new role as shepherd of the student media program starts Aug. 17. 

"In some ways, joining the Office of Student Media feels like a homecoming," Blades said. "My first job in news was at the student media center at the University of Mississippi, and it was what cemented my passion for journalism. I'm excited to return to those roots."

As director of student media, she will oversee LSU's student newspaper, radio station and student-run television station. 

The previous student media director, John Friscia, retired last year after 26 years in the role.