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Communication Technology and New Media Commons

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Full-Text Articles in Communication Technology and New Media

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 …


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 …


Animating Science Communication: Measuring U.S. Consumers’ Recall About Genetic Modification With Animated Infographics, Jessica Holt, Alexa J. Lamm, Kristin Gibson, Kevan Lamm, Jason D. Ellis Ph.D., Joy N. Rumble Sep 2020

Animating Science Communication: Measuring U.S. Consumers’ Recall About Genetic Modification With Animated Infographics, Jessica Holt, Alexa J. Lamm, Kristin Gibson, Kevan Lamm, Jason D. Ellis Ph.D., Joy N. Rumble

Journal of Applied Communications

Genetic modification (GM) science is a complex and controversial topic that can instill uncertainty and fear into the minds of the individuals. While science research surrounding GM science in food has indicated no negative impact on the health of humans, consumer perception research has indicated a sense of skepticism and risk surrounding the issue. The Risk Information Seeking and Processing (RISP) model attempts to understand how individuals search for and process information about a subject with some associated level of risk. Infographics are a form of data visualization used to communicate complex ideas. Animation has been shown to garner greater …


Let’S Focus In: A Guide To Eye Tracking Technology In Agricultural Communications Research, Caitlin Anne Stanton, Laura Morgan Fischer May 2020

Let’S Focus In: A Guide To Eye Tracking Technology In Agricultural Communications Research, Caitlin Anne Stanton, Laura Morgan Fischer

Journal of Applied Communications

Communicating with the public about the agricultural industry often presents challenges in learning how to convey messages that are deemed as salient to various types of people. Media is understood through complex cognitive processes that result in varying attitudes throughout interaction with a stimulus, thus requiring methods that go beyond traditional self-report measures. The majority of agricultural communication research has encompassed quantitative and qualitative research, which often does not account for changes throughout media consumption. Eye tracking is an underutilized resource in agricultural communication that can be used to yield further insight into areas of interest that elicit visual attention …


Testing The Impact Of Animating Infographics On Consumer Trust And Attitude When Communicating About Genetic Modification, Alexa J. Lamm, Kristin Gibson, Jessica Holt, Kevan Lamm, Jason D. Ellis Ph.D., Joy N. Rumble May 2020

Testing The Impact Of Animating Infographics On Consumer Trust And Attitude When Communicating About Genetic Modification, Alexa J. Lamm, Kristin Gibson, Jessica Holt, Kevan Lamm, Jason D. Ellis Ph.D., Joy N. Rumble

Journal of Applied Communications

Scientific innovation provides benefits to society but also fosters suspicion and distrust. The unknown of scientific innovations in agriculture has yielded a strained relationship between consumers and farmers, creating little to no public support for solutions to agricultural issues. The relationship between public trust and agricultural innovation is further strained when discussing genetic modification (GM) science and food. Informational graphics are an increasingly popular communication technique that may effectively communicate GM science to consumers. This study examined, through a experimental design using two treatments and a control, if static or animated infographics sharing current societal perceptions of GM science in …


Is It For Generation Me? A Qualitative Study Exploring Marketing And Selling Plants Online To Millennial-Aged Consumers, Lauri M. Baker, Kelsey M. Tully, Deanna R. Sumners, Ernest Francis Jones, Andrés E. León-Reyes, Cheryl Boyer, Hikaru H. Peterson May 2020

Is It For Generation Me? A Qualitative Study Exploring Marketing And Selling Plants Online To Millennial-Aged Consumers, Lauri M. Baker, Kelsey M. Tully, Deanna R. Sumners, Ernest Francis Jones, Andrés E. León-Reyes, Cheryl Boyer, Hikaru H. Peterson

Journal of Applied Communications

As online selling of products like living plants increases, it is increasingly important to understand how millennial-aged consumers perceive the purchasing experience. New-media technologies like social media, e-newsletters, and other forms of digital communication are easily adopted by millennial-aged consumers. One of these tools, 360-degree video, offers novel ways to preview products offered online and look inside local brick-and-mortar stores, which can be visited in person. Sales of horticultural goods online have been slow to be developed by industry veterans, creating ample opportunities available to new ventures. This qualitative study used a series of three focus groups to answer the …


Utilizing Twitter To Communicate Risk After A Natural Disaster, Taylor K. Ruth, Teresa Suits, Ashley Mcleod-Morin, Ricky W. Telg Feb 2020

Utilizing Twitter To Communicate Risk After A Natural Disaster, Taylor K. Ruth, Teresa Suits, Ashley Mcleod-Morin, Ricky W. Telg

Journal of Applied Communications

Hurricane Michael hit the Florida panhandle as a category five hurricane on October 10, 2018. One of the risks after a hurricane is the spread of mosquito-borne disease due to standing floodwaters, which provide perfect breeding grounds for mosquitoes. People often turn to social media during times of crisis to receive up-to-date information. Therefore, there is a need to understand how to use social media to communicate about risks after a natural disaster. The purpose of this study was to explore how Twitter was used to communicate about mosquito control before and after Hurricane Michael and was guided by the …


Informal Science Engagement Via Extension Exhibits: A Pilot Evaluation Of Adult State Fairgoers’ Experiences, Attitudes, And Learning At Raising Nebraska, Jamie Loizzo, Nathan W. Conner, Karen J. Cannon Ph.D., Elizabeth Janning, Jeffrey Rollins Jan 2019

Informal Science Engagement Via Extension Exhibits: A Pilot Evaluation Of Adult State Fairgoers’ Experiences, Attitudes, And Learning At Raising Nebraska, Jamie Loizzo, Nathan W. Conner, Karen J. Cannon Ph.D., Elizabeth Janning, Jeffrey Rollins

Journal of Applied Communications

Science communication and informal science education collide in the context of Extension state fair exhibits for engaging public audiences in critical agricultural and natural resource issues impacting people’s daily lives. A need exists to employ systematic communication and education theory and techniques to effectively deliver scientific information in informal learning spaces. In an effort to apply and expand systematic instructional design thinking and research in informal science learning, this study piloted a touchscreen iPad survey evaluation (n= 93; ages 19-66) of adult state fairgoers’ demographics, experiences, attitudes, and learning during their visit to a 25,000 square-foot facility featuring an Extension …