Background

Shelby Shoup is a civic media strategist and justice advocate working at the intersection of storytelling, marketing, and public engagement. A graduate of Oakland University with a degree in Film and Media, Shelby began her career in broadcast with KDN Videoworks, the main camera pool for CourtTV. She then deepened her understanding of audience dynamics through marketing and frontline roles at Emagine Theaters and MotorCity Casino Hotel. There, she gained hands-on de-escalation training and developed the interpersonal instincts critical to building trust in high-stakes environments.

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Shelby’s shift into justice-focused media began through her apprenticeship with award-winning investigative reporter Bill Proctor. Under his mentorship, she has honed her investigative skills, particularly in the use of social media as a tool for both marketing and investigative research, and now co-leads Seeking Justice, a civic media and advocacy organization dedicated to overturning wrongful convictions and exposing systemic failures.

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As part of the investigation and media advocacy team that worked to free Ray Gray, one of the longest-incarcerated innocent people in the United States, Shelby helped shape public messaging and campaign strategy to raise awareness and drive support.

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Through her work, Shelby remains committed to using media not just to inform—but to transform—supporting movements rooted in truth, equity, and the power of public storytelling.