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The Ever-Evolving Brand Of The Land-Grant Institution: A Historical Overview, Audrey E. H. King, M. Craig Edwards Dec 2021

The Ever-Evolving Brand Of The Land-Grant Institution: A Historical Overview, Audrey E. H. King, M. Craig Edwards

Journal of Applied Communications

A brand is a multifaceted system of management choices and consumer responses that distinguishes products, goods, services, or ideas and creates awareness and meaning. In a highly competitive environment, the importance of the branding of universities is continually increasing. Land-Grant Institutions (LGIs) have a long and storied history of serving the public, who may have little awareness of the institutions’ overall missions or importance. This inquiry sought to describe the brand and branding of LGIs over time. The Morrill Act of 1862 established LGIs and their brand as schools of higher learning for the common people. The LGI and its …


U.S. Geographic Differences In Media Source Use During Covid-19 Shelter In Place Orders, Allison R. Fortner, Kristin Gibson, Alexa Lamm Dec 2021

U.S. Geographic Differences In Media Source Use During Covid-19 Shelter In Place Orders, Allison R. Fortner, Kristin Gibson, Alexa Lamm

Journal of Applied Communications

United States news access patterns may have influenced distribution of misinformation in the COVID-19 infodemic, emphasizing the necessity of targeted communication to increase health literacy during a crisis. This study used sense-making theory to explore information-seeking behaviors of U.S. residents during COVID-19 shelter in place orders. This purpose of this study was to identify media outlets used by U.S. residents to access COVID-19 information and determine if access differed according to geographic region. A representative survey of U.S. residents aged 18 or older (N = 1,048) revealed the mainstream media outlets used most were domestic government-based sources. Northeastern …


Analyzing Changes In Students’ Media Writing Self-Perceptions During A Writing-Intensive Course, Cara Lawson, Whitney Whitaker, Courtney Meyers Dec 2021

Analyzing Changes In Students’ Media Writing Self-Perceptions During A Writing-Intensive Course, Cara Lawson, Whitney Whitaker, Courtney Meyers

Journal of Applied Communications

Regardless of academic discipline or future career responsibilities, college students are challenged to meet future employers’ demand for strong communication skills. However, becoming an effective, professional writer is a struggle for many college students. Based upon concepts of writing self-efficacy and writing apprehension, the Media Writing Self-Perception (MWSP) scale was administered to undergraduate students in a writing-intensive agricultural communications course to evaluate differences in writing self-perceptions as the semester progressed and to determine any relationships between MWSP scores and scores on assignments. Statistically significant differences were found in writing apprehension, self-efficacy, and elaborative/surface construct scores from the beginning of the …


Fresh, Grown, Made, And Proud: How State Governments Use Stewardship To Collectively Promote Their State’S Food Products, Laura Witzling Dec 2021

Fresh, Grown, Made, And Proud: How State Governments Use Stewardship To Collectively Promote Their State’S Food Products, Laura Witzling

Journal of Applied Communications

Many U.S. state governments have programs that promote the food grown or made within their state. In this study, the websites of 41 such programs were analyzed for indicators of stewardship, a framework concerned with relationship cultivation. Several of the indicators were observed commonly, demonstrating a generally balanced use of stewardship strategies by the programs. The websites also provided a platform to grow relationships between producers and consumers. One recommendation for managers of statewide food promotion programs, or similar umbrella food brand programs, is to examine their own websites to ensure indicators of all stewardship strategies are present. Though most …


Community Stakeholders’ Perspectives Of Craft Breweries In Their Communities In Oklahoma, Cara Jolly, Quisto Settle, Laura Greenhaw, Ruth Inman, Dwayne Cartmell Dec 2021

Community Stakeholders’ Perspectives Of Craft Breweries In Their Communities In Oklahoma, Cara Jolly, Quisto Settle, Laura Greenhaw, Ruth Inman, Dwayne Cartmell

Journal of Applied Communications

Craft breweries are a growing industry in the United States, including Oklahoma. Craft breweries have unique characteristics that affect their brands. One of those characteristics is craft breweries’ tie to their local communities through place branding and serving as a third space (i.e., not home or work) for community members. Interviews were conducted with community stakeholders in Oklahoma to understand how the stakeholders perceived the brands of breweries in their communities. Results of the interviews indicated that craft breweries were positively received by communities. Participants believed the breweries were valuable to the local community by contributing to existing culture and …


Hemp There It Is: Examining Consumers’ Attitudes Toward The Revitalization Of Hemp As An Agricultural Commodity, Shelli Rampold, Zachary Brym, Michaela S. Kandzer, Lauri M. Baker Dec 2021

Hemp There It Is: Examining Consumers’ Attitudes Toward The Revitalization Of Hemp As An Agricultural Commodity, Shelli Rampold, Zachary Brym, Michaela S. Kandzer, Lauri M. Baker

Journal of Applied Communications

This study was conducted to examine Florida consumers’ stance on legalizing the growing and processing of hemp, recently redefined as an agricultural commodity. Factors were explored that may explain their stance to provide insight into the communication needs in the early stages of the U.S. hemp industry revival. Results indicated that respondents who had more favorable attitudes toward legalizing hemp were also more likely to fall within the category of being overall “for legalizing hemp” when offered a binary choice. Further, attitude toward legalizing hemp was predicted by respondents’ objective knowledge of hemp topics, attitude toward legalizing marijuana, and perceived …


Arguing For Argument’S Sake? Exploring Public Conversations Around Climate Change On Twitter, Kennedy Mayfield-Smith, Alexa Lamm, Fallys Masambuka-Kanchewa, Abigail Borron, Jessica Holt Dec 2021

Arguing For Argument’S Sake? Exploring Public Conversations Around Climate Change On Twitter, Kennedy Mayfield-Smith, Alexa Lamm, Fallys Masambuka-Kanchewa, Abigail Borron, Jessica Holt

Journal of Applied Communications

Audience-facilitated information flow has become the new norm created by a public divergence from traditional media sources. Mobile device advancements and partnerships have changed how audiences view news media and the sources relied upon to obtain information. With these advancements, social media users have become primary information providers and information gatekeepers. Twitter specifically has become a news media platform for some based on its effectiveness in facilitating information flow and triggering reorganization as it provides a platform for collaboration and coordination. Despite widespread acceptance of the threat climate change poses by the scientific community, it is still a topic of …


Agricultural Scientists’ Perceptions Of Working With Reporters, Taylor K. Ruth, Laura E. Young, Joy N. Rumble, Lisa K. Lundy Sep 2021

Agricultural Scientists’ Perceptions Of Working With Reporters, Taylor K. Ruth, Laura E. Young, Joy N. Rumble, Lisa K. Lundy

Journal of Applied Communications

Mass media is the main source of scientific information for most Americans, but inaccuracy of reporting has threatened the public’s understanding of science. Perceived media bias and fake news has also made the public skeptical of the media, and scientists’ perceptions are no different. Because scientists are the most trusted source for scientific information in America, it is important they remain willing to work with the media. This study used the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to explore scientists’ perceptions of working with reporters, including their attitude, subjective norms, behavioral control, and intent to engage with the media in the …


Emotion And Virality Of Food Safety Risk Communication Messages On Social Media, Xiaojing (Romy) Wang, Xiaoli Nan, Samantha J. Stanley, Yuan Wang, Leah Waks, David Broniatowski Sep 2021

Emotion And Virality Of Food Safety Risk Communication Messages On Social Media, Xiaojing (Romy) Wang, Xiaoli Nan, Samantha J. Stanley, Yuan Wang, Leah Waks, David Broniatowski

Journal of Applied Communications

This study investigates how the emotional tone of food safety risk communication messages predicts message virality on social media. Through a professional Internet content tracking service, we gathered news articles written about the 2018 romaine lettuce recall published online between October 30th and November 29th, 2018. We retrieved the number of times each article was shared on Twitter and Pinterest, and the number of engagements (shares, likes, and comments) for each article on Facebook and Reddit. We randomly selected 10% of the articles (n = 377) and characterized the emotional tone of each article using machine learning, …


Generation Z And Crispr: Measuring Information Processing Using Animated Infographics, Maria A. Martinez, Jessica Holt, Alexa Lamm, Abigail Borron Sep 2021

Generation Z And Crispr: Measuring Information Processing Using Animated Infographics, Maria A. Martinez, Jessica Holt, Alexa Lamm, Abigail Borron

Journal of Applied Communications

CRISPR gene-editing technology, as it relates to food, has the potential to revolutionize the agricultural industry. Currently, 40% of global consumers are categorized as Generation Z. Gen Zer’s are digital natives and use Instagram to discover new products; therefore, it is important to understand the most effective communications strategies to engage this segment of consumers with scientific information that will allow for informed decision-making regarding CRISPR technology. Infographics are a form of data visualization that can be used in a static or animated form. Previous studies have shown animated infographics to garner greater attention from respondents. Using the Heuristic-Systematic Processing …


Characterizing Viewpoints Of Scholars In Agricultural Communications As They Relate To Research Themes In The Journal Of Applied Communications: A Q Methodological Study, Jean A. Parrella, Jessica R. Spence, Tobin Redwine, Holli R. Leggette Sep 2021

Characterizing Viewpoints Of Scholars In Agricultural Communications As They Relate To Research Themes In The Journal Of Applied Communications: A Q Methodological Study, Jean A. Parrella, Jessica R. Spence, Tobin Redwine, Holli R. Leggette

Journal of Applied Communications

Research in agricultural communications is not guided by a national research agenda. Therefore, the substantial body of research produced from scholars working in the discipline represents scattered efforts. We conducted a content analysis of journal articles published in the Journal of Applied Communications between 2000 and 2019 to identify the research themes that establish the discipline’s scholarly base. Through an examination of n = 259 journal articles, we identified N = 27 research themes, the most prevalent of which included agriculture and media relations/practices (f = 30; % = 11.58), public perceptions/understanding of agriculture and natural resources (f …


Challenges And Motivations Of Science Communication: An Administrative Perspective At Land-Grant Universities, Ashley Mcleod-Morin, Joy N. Rumble, Ricky W. Telg Sep 2021

Challenges And Motivations Of Science Communication: An Administrative Perspective At Land-Grant Universities, Ashley Mcleod-Morin, Joy N. Rumble, Ricky W. Telg

Journal of Applied Communications

Interdisciplinary agricultural research centers are becoming more common at land-grant universities. These centers often use an interdisciplinary approach to address complex science issues. As these centers address agricultural issues that impact society, effective science communication is a necessary activity. However, these centers may face unique barriers or opportunities. This study utilized a qualitative approach to identify the barriers and motivations of interdisciplinary agricultural center directors when communicating about science. Participants identified common science communication challenges, such as time and lack of funding. Funding was also identified as a motivation, as well as factors related to the tenure and promotion process. …


Untapped Potential Of Local Brewery Brands In Their Communities, Cara Jolly, Quisto Settle, Laura Greenhaw, Ruth Inman, Dwayne Cartmell Sep 2021

Untapped Potential Of Local Brewery Brands In Their Communities, Cara Jolly, Quisto Settle, Laura Greenhaw, Ruth Inman, Dwayne Cartmell

Journal of Applied Communications

The craft brewery industry is growing in the United States. Due to changes in state law over the past 10 years, craft breweries are a relatively new industry in Oklahoma. A unique aspect of craft breweries compared to larger breweries is that craft breweries tend to be grounded in their local communities. The purpose of this research was to understand how craft breweries in Oklahoma establish their brand with respect to their communities. Interviews were conducted with brewery personnel across Oklahoma, including participants from both more established and newer breweries. The breweries in this study were purposefully engaging in their …


Online Health Information Seeking Behaviors And Infant Feeding Practices: A Social Cognitive Theory Perspective, Yexinyu Yang, Kathryn Krupsky, Sarah Keim, Rebecca Mcadams, Kristin Roberts, Lara Mckenzie Aug 2021

Online Health Information Seeking Behaviors And Infant Feeding Practices: A Social Cognitive Theory Perspective, Yexinyu Yang, Kathryn Krupsky, Sarah Keim, Rebecca Mcadams, Kristin Roberts, Lara Mckenzie

Health Behavior Research

Breastfeeding benefits infants, but support is often needed to meet breastfeeding goals. Social media may help disseminate infant feeding information to caregivers. The relationship between parents’ health information-seeking behaviors (HISB) on social media and infant feeding practices remains understudied. Based on social cognitive theory (SCT), parents’ self-efficacy and outcome expectations are two potential factors for improving online HISB. We aimed to use SCT to describe associations between outcome expectations, self-efficacy (eHealth literacy), and online HISB across infant feeding groups among a nationally representative sample of U.S. parents. Eligible participants (N = 580) completed a cross-sectional online survey assessing infant …


The Importance Of Interdisciplinary Frameworks In Social Media Mining: An Exploratory Approach Between Computational Informatics And Social Network Analysis (Sna), Danny Valdez, Meg Patterson, Tyler Prochnow Med Aug 2021

The Importance Of Interdisciplinary Frameworks In Social Media Mining: An Exploratory Approach Between Computational Informatics And Social Network Analysis (Sna), Danny Valdez, Meg Patterson, Tyler Prochnow Med

Health Behavior Research

Social media content is one of the most visible sources of big data and is often used in health studies to draw inferences about various behaviors. Though much can be gleaned from social media data and mining, the approaches used to collect and analyze data are generally strengthened when examined through established theoretical frameworks. Health behavior, a theory driven field, encourages interdisciplinary collaboration across fields and theories to help us draw robust conclusions about phenomena. This pilot study uses a combined computer informatics and SNA approach to analyze information spread about mask-wearing as a personal mitigation effort during the COVID-19 …


Using Social Media To Disseminate Injury Prevention Content: Is A Picture Worth A Thousand Words?, Rebecca J. Mcadams, Kristin J. Roberts, Elizabeth G. Klein, Jennifer A. Manganello, Lara B. Mckenzie Aug 2021

Using Social Media To Disseminate Injury Prevention Content: Is A Picture Worth A Thousand Words?, Rebecca J. Mcadams, Kristin J. Roberts, Elizabeth G. Klein, Jennifer A. Manganello, Lara B. Mckenzie

Health Behavior Research

Social media (SM) offers an opportunity for injury professionals to disseminate reliable safety recommendations to parents, yet little is known about the reach and impact of SM messages on parental safety knowledge and safety behavior adoption. It is also unclear whether electronic health (eHealth) literacy level is associated with understanding of messages. Parents of children (< 7 years) were recruited from a nationally representative consumer panel to complete an online survey assessing their Internet and SM usage and eHealth literacy level using the eHealth Literacy Scale (eHEALS). Participants were shown three safety SM posts where images and text matched or did not match. A post-exposure survey captured participant understanding of SM post message. Five-hundred eighty parents completed the survey. A majority of participants were female (58.6%) with high eHealth literacy (84.5%). Compared to low eHealth literate parents, a larger proportion of high eHealth literate parents correctly identified the message in mismatched posts (safe sleep: p = .0081; poison prevention: p = .0052), while similar proportions of parents with high and low eHealth literacy correctly identified a matched post for bike safety (p = .7022). Within each eHealth literacy level, high eHealth literate parents were more often able …


An Observational Analysis Of ‘Me Too’ Narratives From Youtube, Jordan L. Nelon, Mandy N. Spadine, Meg S. Patterson, Sydney E. Brown, Christina L. Bookout, Lauren M. Woods, Sara K. Fehr Aug 2021

An Observational Analysis Of ‘Me Too’ Narratives From Youtube, Jordan L. Nelon, Mandy N. Spadine, Meg S. Patterson, Sydney E. Brown, Christina L. Bookout, Lauren M. Woods, Sara K. Fehr

Health Behavior Research

The ‘me too’ movement originated to help survivors of sexual violence by providing resources and building a community of advocates to exemplify the magnitude of sexual violence victimization. This movement gained momentum via Twitter due to the viral hashtag—#metoo. YouTube is often used as a means of expression in younger generations, thus sexual violence survivors began using the platform as a way to disseminate ‘me too’ narratives. Therefore, this study aimed to examine how sexual violence narratives resulting from the ‘me too’ movement are being told on YouTube and understand the components of the narratives related to self-blaming mindsets. Based …


Examining Interdisciplinary Research Collaborations To Inform Agricultural And Environmental Science Communication: A Meta-Synthesis Approach, Kristin E. Gibson, Allison R. Fortner, Alexa J. Lamm, Madison C. Wilson, Allen J. Moore May 2021

Examining Interdisciplinary Research Collaborations To Inform Agricultural And Environmental Science Communication: A Meta-Synthesis Approach, Kristin E. Gibson, Allison R. Fortner, Alexa J. Lamm, Madison C. Wilson, Allen J. Moore

Journal of Applied Communications

Agriculturalists and environmentalists must navigate complex challenges as the global population continues to increase and environmental resources are depleted. Colleges of agricultural and environmental sciences are tasked with addressing the nexus between environmental and agricultural challenges through research, education, and communication. However, the amount of research being conducted with both agriculture and the environment considered is largely unknown and, as a result, their corresponding communication messages may not provide coherent messages from the college. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to identify if research within a college of agricultural and environmental sciences takes a holistic approach so that communication …


A Systematic Literature Review Of The Intersection Between Social Media And Cultural Identity: Implications For Agricultural And Environmental Communication, Catherine E. Dobbins, Fallys Masambuka-Kanchewa, Alexa J. Lamm May 2021

A Systematic Literature Review Of The Intersection Between Social Media And Cultural Identity: Implications For Agricultural And Environmental Communication, Catherine E. Dobbins, Fallys Masambuka-Kanchewa, Alexa J. Lamm

Journal of Applied Communications

Social media has radically changed human communication patterns, impacting how people perceive scientific information. This study sought to explore how cultural identity impacts the use of, and engagement with, social media content related to agriculture and the environment. Informed by Social Representation Theory, a systematic qualitative literature review was conducted to investigate how cultural identity impacted engagement with social media sources of agricultural and environmental information. Several studies indicated differences in social media engagement between people from different cultures. However, different definitions and perspectives on cultural identity emerged with some researchers describing culture in relation to nationality and others in …


Individual Depictions, Causes, And Consequences: Effects Of Media Frames On Perceptions Toward The Rural Opioid Epidemic, Cara Lawson, Courtney Meyers, Amber Mccord, Erica Irlbeck, Amy Boren May 2021

Individual Depictions, Causes, And Consequences: Effects Of Media Frames On Perceptions Toward The Rural Opioid Epidemic, Cara Lawson, Courtney Meyers, Amber Mccord, Erica Irlbeck, Amy Boren

Journal of Applied Communications

Rural America faces challenges unique from other parts of the United States with vulnerabilities leaving its potential resilience at risk. In particular, issues associated with public health leave many in rural communities in lack of needed care and resources to maintain a healthy lifestyle. The rural opioid epidemic has added greater challenges to an already fragile rural health system. The mass media has for many decades served as a vessel for health promotion and health campaigns have been successful at changing levels of knowledge. Given that acceptance or action on an issue can be a result of how the message …


Visualizing Values: A Content Analysis To Conceptualize Value Congruent Video Messages Used In Agricultural Communications, Laura Morgan Fischer, Kelsi Opat, Kayla Jennings, Courtney Meyers May 2021

Visualizing Values: A Content Analysis To Conceptualize Value Congruent Video Messages Used In Agricultural Communications, Laura Morgan Fischer, Kelsi Opat, Kayla Jennings, Courtney Meyers

Journal of Applied Communications

Visual messaging is becoming the new avenue to connect with consumers. The majority of the American public is not connected with agriculture and often questions procedures, practices, and tactics within the industry. Practitioners and researchers have suggested value congruent messages, a type of emotional appeal, may increase attention to agricultural messages. However, limited research has been conducted to define and investigate value congruent messages in agricultural communications. The purpose of this study was to describe the presented messages in videos used in one agricultural advocacy effort, CommonGround’s “Nothing to Fear Here” campaign. This content analysis described the video’s message content …


A Moment-To-Moment Analysis Of Trust In Agricultural Messages, Lauren Elizabeth Lagrande, Courtney Meyers, R. Glenn Cummins, Matt Baker May 2021

A Moment-To-Moment Analysis Of Trust In Agricultural Messages, Lauren Elizabeth Lagrande, Courtney Meyers, R. Glenn Cummins, Matt Baker

Journal of Applied Communications

Consumers have varying levels of trust in agricultural production practices, which can influence attitudes, shift opinions, and change behaviors. The purpose of this study was to determine what agricultural messages are considered the most trustworthy among consumers and what differences exist among five dimensions of trustworthiness. With a pro-agriculture video as the stimulus, this study used continuous response measurement (CRM) to collect data from 151 post-secondary students who were randomly assigned to evaluate one of five trustworthiness dimensions (trust, honest, sincere, dependable, reliable). Participants used handheld dials to continuously rate their evaluation of the messages in the video then completed …


Talking Plants: Examining The Role Of Podcasts In Communicating Plant Pathology Knowledge, Melissa Lim, Rebecca Swenson May 2021

Talking Plants: Examining The Role Of Podcasts In Communicating Plant Pathology Knowledge, Melissa Lim, Rebecca Swenson

Journal of Applied Communications

Extension programs must constantly evaluate communication plans and platforms to determine if they are worth the investment of time, money, and resources. Podcasts are growing in popularity as a communication platform for education and entertainment. With the VARK model of learning styles and core plant pathology concepts as a guide, researchers evaluated the prevalence and type of plant pathology information in podcasts to better understand how podcasts could benefit Extension plant pathology programs. Using keywords related to plant pathology, researchers searched popular mobile podcast listening applications and evaluated relevant podcast episodes using content analysis methods. Results indicated few podcast shows …


Navigating Transparent Pork Production: Analyzing Visual Attention Of The Maschhoffs Website, Nellie Hill, Maggie Elliot, Courtney Meyers Feb 2021

Navigating Transparent Pork Production: Analyzing Visual Attention Of The Maschhoffs Website, Nellie Hill, Maggie Elliot, Courtney Meyers

Journal of Applied Communications

When it comes to food, consumers are increasingly concerned with the welfare of the livestock used to produce it. To display transparency and build trust with patrons, businesses such as The Maschhoffs, a pork production company, have created online tools to answer questions about production processes. This study implemented eye tracking and survey methodologies to attain insight regarding the visual attention of website visitors. While results revealed no discernable pattern of navigation among respondents, the findings illustrated a sector of the pork industry consumers expressed interest in was the breed-to-wean section of the farm. Researchers encourage agricultural communicators to develop …


Perceptions Of Social Media Use Among U.S. Women Farmers, Kerry Daigle, Sarah Noel Heiss Feb 2021

Perceptions Of Social Media Use Among U.S. Women Farmers, Kerry Daigle, Sarah Noel Heiss

Journal of Applied Communications

Communication networks and knowledge sharing are important for the persistence of small farms that operate outside of industrial agriculture. In past years, internet platforms have been promoted as a tool for farm businesses to connect with customers and other farmers. Social media in particular has gained attention as a user friendly and accessible tool for small business viability. Drawing on Uses and Gratifications Theory, this study uses examines interviews with women farmers' in the United States to explore how they view the role of social media for their agricultural practice. Results demonstrate that women farmers report using social media to …


To Post Or Not To Post? Factors Influencing State Ffa Officers’ Social Media Behaviors, Tiffany Rogers-Randolph, Lisa K. Lundy, Ricky W. Telg, Joy N. Rumble, Brian Myers, Angela B. Lindsey Feb 2021

To Post Or Not To Post? Factors Influencing State Ffa Officers’ Social Media Behaviors, Tiffany Rogers-Randolph, Lisa K. Lundy, Ricky W. Telg, Joy N. Rumble, Brian Myers, Angela B. Lindsey

Journal of Applied Communications

The demand for agriculture, food, and natural resource (AFNR) messages to be conveyed via channels of social media provides a natural inclination to seek out digital natives, such as state FFA officers, to fill the present gap of agriculturalists in online environments. The purpose of this study was to examine the factors that influence state FFA officers’ behaviors of communicating about AFNR issues on social networking sites. The theoretical framework that guided this study of communication behaviors was the theory of planned behavior. A census of the accessible population of 276 state officers was attempted, and 97 usable responses were …


See You On Tv: A Phenomenology Of Careers On Extension Television In Oklahoma, Austin R. Moore, Erica Irlbeck Feb 2021

See You On Tv: A Phenomenology Of Careers On Extension Television In Oklahoma, Austin R. Moore, Erica Irlbeck

Journal of Applied Communications

Extension specialists are under increasing pressure to interact with audiences through emerging digital media including video. In an effort to understand how such interactions affect the careers of engaged specialists, this study seeks to explore the career effects on Extension subject-matter specialists that resulted from long-term, regular participation in an Extension television effort. Using Cultivation theory and source credibility as a lens, a qualitative phenomenology was conducted by interviewing individuals who have contributed to one such program on a weekly or bi-weekly program for multiple decades. Participants reported improved career effectiveness via increased credibility in face to face communications as …


Building Engagement In Facebook: A Case Study With Utah State University Extension Sustainability, Kenna R. Kesler, Kelsey Hall, Debra Spielmaker, Roslynn G. H. Brain Mccann Feb 2021

Building Engagement In Facebook: A Case Study With Utah State University Extension Sustainability, Kenna R. Kesler, Kelsey Hall, Debra Spielmaker, Roslynn G. H. Brain Mccann

Journal of Applied Communications

In order to stay relevant in an online world, Extension must properly use social networking platforms to effectively reach diverse audiences regarding agricultural and natural resource issues. However, few studies have focused on how Extension uses Facebook to effectively accomplish its goal. This study’s purpose was to explore how Utah State University Extension Sustainability uses Facebook to engage followers. The researchers conducted a quantitative content analysis of 504 messages posted to the USU Extension Sustainability Facebook page. Graphics and links were the most common post characteristics used by the organization. Text-only posts and posts containing videos were utilized the least. …


No Science In Politics: A Qualitative Content Analysis Of Industrial Hemp Production In Florida Newspapers, Kevin W. Kent, Jarred A. Shellhouse, Angela B. Lindsey, Lisa K. Lundy Feb 2021

No Science In Politics: A Qualitative Content Analysis Of Industrial Hemp Production In Florida Newspapers, Kevin W. Kent, Jarred A. Shellhouse, Angela B. Lindsey, Lisa K. Lundy

Journal of Applied Communications

This study examined how Florida newspapers framed the topic of industrial hemp production before and after the 2019 state legislative session. A total of 34 articles from the state’s largest newspapers were reviewed using qualitative content analysis to discover what frames were used, what scientific sources were cited, and what opinion leaders were quoted in the discussion of industrial hemp production. The analysis revealed the most frequently used frames within the study’s timeframe focused on politics or economic potential. Only one article cited science-based information. A majority of quotes were from political leaders and policy makers. Future research should be …