Communication Technology and New Media Commons^™

If Nobody Hears Us, Do We Really Make A Sound? Investigating Agriculture Faculty Members’ Engagement In Science Communication, Shelli D. Rampold, Taylor Ruth, Jamie Greig

Journal of Applied Communications

Science communication is a crucial factor for ensuring scientific work in food and agriculture reaches intended end-users. Unfortunately, research faculty may not be willing or able to engage in science communication activities. This study was organized using the Faculty Engagement Framework to evaluate the personal, professional, and institutional factors that influence University of Tennessee faculty members’ engagement in public-facing science communication. Results indicated faculty members in this study were overall not highly engaged in science communication activities. Factors that significantly predicted their degree of engagement included knowledge of and attitudes toward communicating their science to public audiences. While the results …

Lindenwood Digest, May 8, 2024, Lindenwood University

Lindenwood Digest

The Lindenwood Digest has been a digital employee newsletter since 2009.

The Prevalence Of Anti-Feminist Content On Tiktok And Youtube Shorts, Naomi Jones

Student Research Submissions

In today's digital landscape, online platforms serve as hubs of political discourse, akin to modern-day town halls. Among these platforms, TikTok has surged in popularity, emerging as a significant arena for ideological exchange. However, it has also become a breeding ground for anti-feminist rhetoric, a trend not exclusive to TikTok but also observable across competitors like YouTube Shorts. A content analysis conducted on the initial 100 videos suggested by both TikTok and YouTube Shorts for a new account revealed several noteworthy insights. Within this sample, it was found that 5% of TikTok videos contained anti-feminist themes, while only 3% of …

Simulating Information And Communication Applications In Employee Interaction Network Models, Matthew Kanter

Student Research Submissions

Information and communication technology (ICT) use has been identified throughout its development and evolution with the Internet boom as a net positive tool for most employees and organizations in the working world. Only recently have studies regarding employees’ well-being begun to come to the forefront of research regarding these rapidly evolving technologies, however these are important issues to discuss in the context of work-life boundary management, emotional exhaustion, overwhelming stress levels, and moral disengagement among other employee well-being dimensions. To explore how employees’ well being might be influenced by ICT use, this study conducted a quantitative survey and analyzed a …

Media Censorship’S Development In The Information Age: Authoritarian Case Studies In Europe During The 20th And 21st Centuries, Carter R. Linke

Honors Thesis

The Information Age has dramatically changed how people consume information. With the availability of smart devices and the Internet greater than ever before, a population’s ability to receive multiple news reports and instant messaging has continued to prove beneficial to democratic societies. With these same technology improvements, authoritarian governments have been forced to adapt censorship policies to eliminate the Information Age’s push towards the free press. Since the 20^th century, authoritarian countries have introduced policy solutions to the growing connectivity across the globe. From the German Holocaust to Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, censorship has aimed to control their …

Ai And Advocacy: Maximizing Potential, Minimizing Risk, Matthew Salzano, Nicholas Fung, Ada Lin, Sofia Marchetta, Faith Colombo, Kaylah Davis, John Flynn, Carlos Fuentes, Fion Li, Malar Paavi Muthukumaran, Angelica Paramoshin, Chrisanne Pearce, Vianney Ramos, Charles St. Hilaire, Xi Zheng, Wei Zhuang

School of Communication and Journalism Faculty Publications

New Generative AI tools are revolutionizing writing and communication. This report focuses on AI and advocacy, the act of influencing public policy and resource allocation decisions within political, economic, and social systems and institutions. This report identifies three major opportunities and accompanying risks, plus one strong recommendation for advocates considering using AI. We argue that AI can be useful for advocates, but they must be careful to center human judgment and avoid risks that could distract from their important work or even contribute to societal harms.

Lindenwood Digest, May 1, 2024, Lindenwood University

Lindenwood Digest

The Lindenwood Digest has been a digital employee newsletter since 2009.

Investigating The Potential Of Augmented Reality In Creating A Sense Of Place On College Campuses, Linda White

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This project examines how designing an augmented reality (AR) campus navigation app can improve college students' sense of place and connection with California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB). To guide the design of the app, I engaged in qualitative research using a curated campus walk protocol that invited students to walk to their favorite place on campus and record their walk while narrating it.

My analysis reveals the larger patterns that students use to select favorite places and favorite routes to those places, as well as how space navigation may lead to the formation of a sense of connection with …

Lindenwood Digest, April 24, 2024, Lindenwood University

Lindenwood Digest

The Lindenwood Digest has been a digital employee newsletter since 2009.

From Pantry To Palate: An International Cookbook Unveiling Cultural Comforts Amidst Food Insecurity On Campus, Victoria M. Main

Master of Arts in Media and Communication Plan II Graduate Projects

Food insecurity among international students in higher education is a pressing issue often overlooked by universities. This project addresses this gap by exploring food insecurity among international students at Bowling Green State University (BGSU) through participant narratives, cultural connections, and recipes collected via interviews. Diverse international students were purposively sampled, reflecting various academic disciplines, nationalities, and cultural backgrounds. Semi-structured interviews facilitated the sharing of personal stories and cherished recipes, which were analyzed to identify recurring themes and cultural commonalities.

The project resulted in the creation of the Falcon Food Pantry International Cookbook, compiling culturally resonant recipes to empower students and …

Beyond The Headlines: Media And Information Literacy (Mil) In Times Of Conflict, Anna Kozlowska-Barrios, Lusine Grigoryan, Michael Hoechsmann, Andzongo Menyeng Blaise Pascal

Journal of Media Literacy Education

The wars of the 21st century are not the first media wars, and many tropes and schema have long histories, particularly propaganda and the othering of a purported enemy. What is new today is that although mass media remains a central and hegemonic source of insight and perspective, citizen journalism, social media, spreadable media, and surveillant, data-driven media have grown in significance at an exponential level, adding a layer of complexity. In this article, we focus on disparity in media coverage and make the point that media and information literacy provide a valuable set of lenses from which to view …

Are They Tools? Anglophone West African Countries’ Students’ Misconception Of Media Literacy And Critical Thinking For Combating Misinformation, Muhammed Jamiu Mustapha, Mutiu I. Lasisi, Victor Vladmirovich Barabash

Journal of Media Literacy Education

This study examines the media literacy and critical thinking levels of students of West African higher educational institutions as tools for combating misinformation in the sub-region. Data analysis using the mediation approach revealed differences in students' understanding of media literacy and critical thinking and partially predicted their efficacy in combating misinformation. This stems largely from a misunderstanding of media literacy and critical thinking concepts as tools, as well as a lack of adequate provision for teaching the concepts and considering them as strategic tools for combating misinformation in the region. The study recommends concrete policy and managerial solutions to the …

The Influence Of Online Distance Learning And Digital Skills On Digital Literacy Among University Students Post Covid-19., Mohammed Fadel Arandas, Ali Salman, Syed Arabi Idid, Yoke Ling Loh, Syaira Nazir, Yuek Li Ker

Journal of Media Literacy Education

Online distance learning policies were formulated and implemented among some Malaysian universities long ago, but their value emerged since COVID- 19. Emanating from the diffusion of innovation theory, this study examined the perception of higher education students on the influence and relationship between six independent variables (compatibility, observability, relative advantage, complexity, trialability, and digital skills) and one dependent variable (digital literacy). A total of 524 respondents were sampled, comprising students from six public and private Malaysian universities. The findings from the correlation analysis show a significant positive relationship between the six independent variables and the dependent variable. Meanwhile, in the …

Integrating Mindfulness In Media Literacy: A Culture-Responsive Training Programme For Older Thai Adults, Nuntiya Doungphummes, Kwanchit Sasiwongsaroj, Theeraphong Boonrugsa, Sirintorn Bhibulbhanuvat, Waraporn Suebwongsuwan

Journal of Media Literacy Education

Media literacy is a much-needed competency in the digitalised world, but it is still an unknown knowledge base for older Thai adults. This design-based research set out as an initiative to promote media literacy through an agefriendly and culture-responsive training programme. The design process involved focus groups with key stakeholders and older adult ‘learners’ as well as field observations. This type of research work, in the Thai context, revealed the primacy of integrating media literacy learning with the Buddhist practice of mindfulness. It also highlighted the importance of incorporating certain cultural values and practices - collectivism, a sense of enjoyment, …

Mapping The Media Education Approaches In Instructional Materials Development: Conjunctions And Disjunctions, John N. Ponsaran

Journal of Media Literacy Education

This qualitative inquiry centered on the critical exploration of media education approaches that guided the praxis of student assessment reform, particularly textbook task design. Correspondingly, this instructional media research is predicated on the fundamental premise that textbooks and the student tasks contained therein are informed and shaped by the academic authors’ positionalities, paradigms, and pedagogies. By focusing on the purposiveness of designing textbook tasks as a social practice, this research was able to identify and unpack the conjunctions as well as disjunctions of what the academic authors as media producers intend the students to learn, answer, perform, tackle, and act …

Can I Trust This Information? Using Adolescent Narratives To Uncover Online Information Seeking Processes, Rachel Besharat-Mann

Journal of Media Literacy Education

Adolescent internet usage is incredibly prevalent, marking a need for educational support as they navigate online texts. As online texts are prone to bias and misinformation, it is important to fully understand how young people conceptualize this information and where they need support. These texts may also contain harmful messages, particularly for typically marginalized groups. Higher levels of literacies related to online media consumption have been shown to mitigate these negative effects, and may help to limit bias and increase criticality. Researchers have illuminated underlying processes surrounding online text comprehension, though research is limited on these processes in authentic spaces. …

Addressing Conspiracy Theories Through Media And Data Literacy Education. An Exploratory Case Study, Francesco Fabbro, Elena Gabbi

Journal of Media Literacy Education

Lately conspiracy theories (CT) are increasingly hovering over Education Studies, mostly as problems in search of a solution. This paper problematizes this educational solutionist discourse by reflecting critically on different framing of CT (i.e. epistemological and ethico-political) and some related educational responses, ranging from pre/debunking strategies to democratic discussion. In addition, Media Data Literacy Education (MDLE) is presented as a viable educational approach to address CT circulating onlife. The approach is empirically explored through an online workshop with a small group of social workers attending a course for socio-pedagogical educators at the University of Florence. A qualitative mixed methodology is …

Opportunities, Current Situation, And Improvement Path Of International Communication Of Chinese Think Tanks In Social Media Era, Zhiqiang Zhang, Xiujuan Chen, Ye Han

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

As a strategic and policy research and decision-making consulting institution, the international influence of think tanks is an important manifestation of a country’s soft power and an important component of its comprehensive national strength in the era of globalization. Enhancing international communication power of think tanks is a key measure for shaping their international influence and an important strategy for a country’s external communication. In today’s era, international social media, as an important channel for think tanks to spread abroad, strengthening the communication power of Chinese think tanks in international social media is the main direction to enhance their international …

Communication Branches Out: Developing Interpersonal Skills Through Genealogical Research, Julian Costa, Gary Snyder

Proceedings of the New York State Communication Association

Communication students of the twenty-first century must not only be able to interact in multiple formats but be able to express their ideas across varied platforms. A common deterrent faced by students conducting research is the lack of applicability of the subject matter to their lives. The integration of genealogical research can address this issue because it allows students to learn about, and celebrate, their family history. While engaged in such a pursuit, students will develop core communication skills, such as speaking and listening, online research, and message design.

Lindenwood Digest, April 17, 2024, Lindenwood University

Lindenwood Digest

The Lindenwood Digest has been a digital employee newsletter since 2009.