The University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Journalism and Mass Communications announces Charlie Arnot, founder and CEO of Look East and founder of the Center for Food Integrity, as the 2024 Alumni Master. The Alumni Masters program honors UNL alumni who have demonstrated success and leadership in their fields.
A 1986 graduate of the college, Arnot started his career in radio at KLIN radio in Lincoln before moving into video and film, where he worked on documentaries like Michael Moore's “Roger and Me.”
While working in film production, Arnot's interest in public relations grew, and he shifted career paths when he joined the public relations team Premium Standard Farms, a pork producer in Missouri, in 1993. At first, Arnot was confident in his work.
"We spent a lot of time defending our positions, talking about science, talking about our economic impact and attacking those who attacked us," Arnot said.
Over time, he said he realized that their strategy wasn't very effective.
He left Premium Standard Farms in 2004 and then opened Look East, an employee-owned public relations consulting firm in Kansas City, Missouri, focusing on building trust rather than defending a position.
"If you're focused on building trust, you'll engage in very, very different strategies," he said.
In 2007, Arnot helped found the Center for Food Integrity, a group of companies, associations and nongovernmental organizations that have come together to build trust in the food system. He credits the founding as his greatest professional achievement because he is working to shift the paradigm of communicating successfully about agriculture-related issues.
"Historically, we've had the communication equation backward, particularly in agriculture, food and other scientifically validated endeavors. We focused a lot on the data on science, under the belief that if we could give people the right combination of information, they would clearly see the light," he said. "What's really important is finding ways to connect with people as people. Then we're given permission to share more information. We're changing the model, and that has made a great deal of difference."
Today, Arnot has over 25 years of experience working in communications, public relations and issues management within the food system. He is highly regarded as both a writer and a sought-after speaker who engages audiences around the globe.
"Charlie Arnot is the kind of leader I aspire to be," said Shari Veil, Jane T. Olson Dean of the College of Journalism and Mass Communications. "He not only sets the standard for leadership excellence but also generously supports those around him to become the best version of themselves. He’s always pushing, always striving for improvement."
Throughout his career, Arnot was not connected with the college. However, that changed in October 2021 when Chancellor Ronnie Green suggested he learn more about what Veil was working on in the College of Journalism and Mass Communications. Arnot obtained of the college's strategic plan and was impressed with not only the college's vision but also the breadth of stakeholders' participation in the plan's development.
A short time later, Arnot and his wife Susan attended the Huskers vs. Michigan football game. Before the game, Arnot toured the College of Journalism and Mass Communications with Veil, where she showcased the college's new Experience Lab, which launched in August of that year. The student-led program provides students with the opportunity to work for five hours a week for three semesters in one of the college's media outlets.
To support the Experience Lab, the college leased 13,000 square feet of space on the third floor of the Lincoln Children's Museum. The space, now known as The Agency, is home to two Experience Lab programs: Heartland Pulse and Buoy. It also houses Jacht and the college's advertising and public relations competition teams: the National Student Advertising Competition Team and the Public Relations Society of America Bateman Case Study Competition Team.
"It's been fascinating to me to see the College of Journalism evolve over the years, particularly under the leadership of Dean Veil," Arnot said. "I've not really been connected to the college much before her tenure. Her vision and what she's able to get done is impressive."
In 2021, Look East made a five-year pledge on behalf of Arnot to the CoJMC Experiential Learning Lab support fund. The donation established Look East as a sponsor of the CoJMC Experience Lab and helped defray the cost of The Agency's lease.
Arnot has also contributed to the Greatest Needs fund after receiving the college's annual report for the last couple of years.
"I'm a huge fan of the college's ‘Do from Day One’ mantra. I think that makes an enormous difference," Arnot said. "You know, we weren't allowed to touch anything at the school until your junior year, right? I think the current approach keeps people engaged. It keeps them involved. It gets them excited, and I want to be a part of that."
Arnot established the Look East Fund for Student Opportunity in 2023. Beginning in the academic year 2024-2025, the fund will provide scholarships to one or more juniors majoring in advertising and public relations who are active in organizations that promote and celebrate diversity.
"I want to provide opportunities to those who may not have had as many opportunities as I have had," Arnot said. "I want to make sure that talented and ambitious students can make a difference in the world, and I'm confident the CoJMC is a place where they can maximize their potential."
Arnot will visit the UNL campus April 3-5 for Masters Week. Alumni Masters is a program sponsored by the Nebraska Alumni Association, the Student Alumni Association and the UNL Chancellor's Office. Outstanding alumni from each UNL college return to campus to share their experiences and knowledge with students through class speaking engagements, meetings and workshops.
Arnot said he hopes to share his excitement for the field of journalism and mass communications in the age of disruption and rapidly evolving technology with students during his visit.
"This is a fantastic time to be in their position. The technology we have today presents enormous challenges that need to be solved," he said.
He said he also hopes to inspire students to find their purpose and seek ways to make an impact through their work.
"We can all make a living, but how do we make a life? We make a life by having an impact," he said.
Arnot, along with Alumni Masters from each UNL college, will be recognized for their accomplishments and contributions to the university at the annual Medallion Dinner on April 5.
"Charlie is a true champion of students and a supporter of the College of Journalism and Mass Communications," Veil said. "We are incredibly grateful for his ongoing commitment and generosity."
To learn more about the Alumni Masters program, visit https://www.huskeralum.org/s/1620/bp23/interior.aspx?sid=1620&gid=1&pgid=504.
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