Digital Commons Network^™

Deinfluencers As Institutional Actors: Dramaturgical Work And The Embedded Contestation Of Consumerism, Gokcen Coskuner-Balli, Charlene Chu, Niklas Myhr, Cristina Nistor

Business Faculty Articles and Research

"In the sections that follow, we develop theoretical scaffolding for our analysis. We begin by reviewing the literature on institutional work, focusing on how embedded actors engage in purposive actions to disrupt taken-for-granted norms. Next, we examine theoretically how influencers operate, setting the stage for understanding how deinfluencers leverage and subvert these roles. We then review scholarship on anti- consumption and consumer resistance, highlighting how deinfluencers depart from conventional activist modes by adopting culturally embedded, everyday practices. Collectively, these literatures inform our conceptualization of deinfluencing as a dramaturgically enacted form of institutional work. Subsequently, we present our methodology, followed by …

Hayley Williams, New Musical Era With “Ego At A Bachelorette Party”, Isabella Pizzerrato, The Rattler

The Rattler

Vol. 144 Iss. 3

Using The Diary–Interview Method With Time-Constrained Professionals: The Case Of Journalists And Harassment, Ilmari Hiltunen, Reeta Pöyhtäri, Kaarina Nikunen

The Qualitative Report

This article presents a methodological reflection on the diary–interview method’s value and application when used with professionals whose schedules are both demanding and unpredictable, drawing on the authors’ insights from a study examining the harassment and intimidation of journalists. Our experiences demonstrate that combining solicited diary entries with recurring interviews can yield substantial advantages over using either method alone. Diaries are particularly well suited to capturing rich, situated data and individual perspectives, adding distinctive value especially when exploring sensitive or personal issues. Interviews that probe these accounts and revisit incidents in greater depth, in turn, enhance understanding of participants’ emotions, …

The Current - Volume 36 Issue 8, Nova Southeastern University

Student Newspapers

No abstract provided.

Just City And Racialized Media: How A Non-Profit Provokes Policy And Fights Criminal Injustices, Isabella L. Wollfarth

LSU Master's Theses

This study explored the intersection of racialized media narratives, nonprofits, and penal policy through a case study of Just City, a nonprofit criminal justice organization located in Shelby County, Tennessee. Through the lens of Just City, this study explored how nonprofits resist racialized media narratives regarding crime and how in turn this contributes to penal policy reforms. This is accomplished using a thematic analysis to draw larger conclusions from coding Just City’s Instagram and through extensive interviews with Just City staff and local Shelby County and Tennessee politicians. These methods are guided by framing theory, an ideological framework that explains …

Oliver, Sarah Rush

James Madison Undergraduate Research Journal (JMURJ)

In my audio piece, Oliver, I wanted to tell the story of adopting my dog in a way that felt personal but still relatable. Soundwriting is an approach to writing that treats audio as a form of research, storytelling, and communication. It encourages writers to think about how sound shapes narrative, how voice carries meaning, and how small production choices affect the way listeners engage with a piece. This approach let me do something writing alone can’t always achieve: create a more immersive experience, where tone, pacing, and the natural qualities of voice help listeners feel present in the story.

Operation Overload - Matryoshka's Next Layer, Leland Fecher, Patrick Warren, Laura Adams, Bb Fonseca, Kylie Gilbert, Alexa Gubanich, Lexi Katramados, Miles Rockow, Alexander Sharp, Katelyn Smith, Lee White

Media Forensics Hub Creative Inquiry Reports

For this project our team expanded our search for inauthentic actors to new locations, specifically Bluesky. With the help of internet watchdogs Antibot4Navalny and dTeam, we began investigating a network known as “Matryoshka”1, aka “Operation Overload”2, aka “Storm-1679.”3 We discovered the network was stealing the identities of moderately known people of influence ranging from political candidates to university staff members. Because Twitter/X users had not created versions of themselves on Bluesky, due to its relatively new arrival on the social media scene, their identities were ripe for the taking by nefarious actors. During the time we observed this campaign (January …

Being There For Mom: The Strengths Of Daughtering, Allison M. Alford, Kaitlin E. Phillips, Luke V. Stipanovic, Cayd A. Rocha-Barnette, Michelle Miller-Day

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

Objective

Daughters undertake daughtering, or the everyday role portrayal of contributing to a meaningful family relationship with their mothers, but the labor of it is often invisible.

Background

Using a strengths-based approach, we investigated what daughters do well in their relationships with mothers.

Method

We analyzed the responses of 1,444 women to the open-ended question, “What do you do well as a daughter?” to learn more about how women describe their daughtering. Utilizing the artificial intelligence of a large language model for data analysis, we supplied definitions and descriptions of 12 virtues and strengths from existing literature and created a …

What’S Critical In Critical Media Literacy? Barriers And Good Practices In Adult Education, Stefanie Mayer, Stefanie Fridrik, Josef Mühlbauer, Brigitte Temel, Viktoria Eberhardt

Journal of Media Literacy Education Pre-Prints

While there is broad consensus regarding the social and educational need for CML, its actual didactic content and especially the meaning of ‘critical’ are far from clear. The article argues for a turn to educational practices. Findings are based on empirical research on adult education in Vienna (Austria) consisting mainly of interviews with expert-practitioners in the field of adult education and media and/or digital literacy. We confront academic definitions of the critical impetus of CML with an analysis of innovative projects, which were designed for accessibility and addressed learners facing high educational barriers. Our findings encourage a turn towards the …

Lindenwood Digest, March 18, 2026, Lindenwood University

Lindenwood Digest

• Primary Figures: Monica Seiter, Manish Bhatt, Dominick Chase, Sarah Schlafly, Ken Lynch, John Clark, and Michelle Vinson. 

• Key Events: The Spring 2026 Educator, Career, and Internship Fair; Brown Bag Basics retirement planning session; Missouri’s Tax Future speaker event; Business Ethics Panel co-hosted with the Rotary Club of St. Charles. 

• Date/Location: Events occur between March 18 and April 23, 2026, primarily at Evans Commons, Harmon Hall’s Dunseth Auditorium, the LARC, and the Lindenwood Learning Academy. 

• Archival Significance: Documentation of the transition to Workday Performance for staff, faculty, and adjuncts through 2027; internal professional development structures including Promotion …

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Exploring The Influence Of Environmental Motivations On Consumer Attitudes And Purchase Intentions Toward Upcycled Foods, Peng Lu, Jennifer Waldeck, Keith Weber, Hualu Zhou

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

Food loss and waste (FLW) present pressing environmental and economic challenges. Upcycling technologies provide a sustainable pathway by transforming food by-products into value-added products; however, consumer acceptance remains a critical barrier. Guided by Self-Determination Theory (SDT), this study investigates how environmental motivations influence consumers’ attitudes and purchase intentions toward milk enriched with upcycled peanut skins. Data were collected from a nationally representative sample of 1488 U.S. adults. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to test hypothesized relationships among motivational constructs, and cluster analysis was used to identify consumer segments based on motivational profiles. The results show that intrinsic motivation and …

The Migrant As A Pilgrim: Decolonising Identity And Belonging, Susan Nemec

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

This paper responds to pilgrimage scholar George Greenia’s assertion that meaningful intersections exist between pilgrimage and various forms of displacement, such as migration or involuntary exile due to famine, war, or political unrest. Greenia proposes that vulnerable, displaced individuals might find shelter, both conceptually and emotionally, within the framing of pilgrimage. By extending concepts of pilgrimage, it can be understood as a deliberate and intentional journey, simultaneously emphasising the transformative potential inherent in migratory movement. By adopting a working definition of pilgrimage as ‘any form of travel that is intentional, purposeful, or transformative,’ the paper considers how migrancy, particularly within …

From "Come Talk", The Rattler

The Rattler

Vol. 114, Iss. 2

Generation Z'S Rising Interest In "Grandma" Hobbies, Isabella Pizzoferrato, The Rattler

The Rattler

Vol. 114, Iss. 2

History Does Not Repeat Itself, But It Often Rhymes: Comparing The Messaging Of Adolf Hitler And Donald Trump, Elaina Varney

Scholarly Horizons: University of Minnesota, Morris Undergraduate Journal

With the growing divide between the left and right, many on the left have raised alarms that Donald Trump is a fascist. My research paper compares Donald Trump’s messaging to Adolf Hitler’s messaging to find any similarities between the two in order to determine if Trumpism is a precursor to fascism. This study begins by looking at previous scholars’ research into whether or not Trumpism is a precursor to fascism and then I proceed to draw on primary sources such as speeches, Mein Kampf, and Trump’s TruthSocial posts, particularly those related to immigration and minorities, attacks on and suppression …

Do We Think Globally? A New Journal, 75 Years In The Making, Nicholas David Bowman

Media Studies - All Scholarship

In an editorial ending their tenure as editor of Critical Studies in Media Communication, Steiner (2007) warned of the scourge of journal proliferation, invoking a concern that increasingly, these new journals mostly benefit individual careers and publishing house profits. Meanwhile the “just-planted crop [of manuscripts] is generally bringing diminishing returns to the field” (p. 384) because we are publishing far more than we can read, evaluate, ­integrate, and engage. Steiner is hardly alone in her critique. Others call out the invisible labor of editorial stewardship, showing for example how inefficient systems not only exploit scholars (Chalmers & Solomon, …

The Rattler (Volume 114, Issue 1), Rosa M. Deyo, The Rattler

The Rattler

The Rattler

Communication Barriers Experienced By Academicians And International Students During The Education Process And Related Solutions, Ferhat Kaçar, Yusuf Taha Okan

Higher Learning Research Communications

Objective: In this study, we address the communication barriers between academics and international students using a phenomenological approach. The aim of the study is to examine in depth the communication barriers faced by these two groups in the education process and to develop solutions for these barriers.

Method: The qualitative data obtained from semi-structured interviews with 42 academics and 50 international students were analyzed using the MAXQDA 20 package program.

Results: In the study, four themes and sub-codes related to these themes were identified: (1) academics’ communications problems with international students, (2) solution suggestions for academics’ communication problems, (3) international …

Political Mediatization In The Digital Era: The Case Of Walhi West Sumatera’S Environmental Advocacy, Muhammad Thaufan Arifuddin, Ernita Arif, Yuliandre Darwis, Rinaldi Rinaldi, Muhammad Al-Amin Dalmenda

JURNAL KOMUNIKASI INDONESIA

This article examines how political mediatization operates at the local level through environmental civil society activism in post-authoritarian Indonesia. Focusing on the West Sumatra chapter of the Indonesia Forum for Environment (WALHI) as a critical case, the study argues that media logic is not merely imposed by political elites or mainstream media, but is strategically appropriated by local civil society organizations to contest oligarchic power, shape public agendas, and sustain democratic engagement at the subnational level. Using a qualitative case study approach, data were collected through participant observation, in-depth interviews with environmental activists and youth organizers, and an analysis of …

Leveraging Csr To Buffer Brand Challenges During Crises: A Saudi Arabian Perspective, Nouf Alrayes, Abdullah Alhidari

Journal of Marketing and Consumer Behaviour in Emerging Markets

Crises, such as economic downturns or global health pandemics, pose significant business challenges. Engaging in CSR initiatives that contribute to societal well-being can help mitigate the negative consequences of crises, reinforce customer gratitude, and minimize corporate hypocrisy. CSR is critical in shaping a company’s accountability and ethical responsibilities. Consequently, there is an opportunity for the firm to see the role of CSR and how it affects customers’ responses and attitudes during any difficult situation. Drawing upon attribution theory and the customer gratitude reciprocity cycle, a conceptual framework was developed to test the impact of CSR on the variables: corporate hypocrisy, …

A Word From The Writing Team (March 2026), Pam Walter, Mfa, Laura Deloretta, Phd

A Word From the Writing Team (Newsletter)

No abstract provided.

Ari Still: Developing Packaging Design And Branding To Overcome Saturated Market, Andrea De La Vega

Graphic Communication

The alcoholic beverage market in the United States is facing a period of transformation, affecting the success and longevity of new launches and existing brands. Shifting consumer values and behaviors, generational changes, and an increasingly oversaturated landscape emerged after the immediate effects of the pandemic. Understanding these changes, especially as more members of Generation Z enter the legal drinking age, is imperative so retailers and spirit providers learn what the new generation expects and adapt in response. In a highly competitive market, my project aims to address how a brand can establish itself and be competitively unique, on-trend, and long-standing. …

Exploring The Mental Health Impacts Of Dating Experiences For Racial And Ethnic Minorities At A Predominantly White Institution, Maya Sánchez, Mylina Garza, Emma Chung

Communication Studies

The present study examined the mental health implications of racial and ethnic minorities’ dating experiences at a Predominantly White Institution (PWI). The authors conducted retrospective interviews with 20 minority-identifying college students that attend California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Three primary themes emerged from the conducted research. 1) Feeling excluded from racialized beauty standards threatens self-worth, 2) struggling to find romantic belonging limits emotional safety in relationships and navigating cultural differences in dating produces identity hyperawareness. This study also offers interesting theoretical and practical implications. Theoretically, findings display the communication maintenance of identity to how romantic involvement impacts …

The Guardian The Month Of March 2026, Wright State Student Body

The Guardian Student Newspaper

News articles from The Guardian for the Month of March 2026. The Guardian is the official student-run newspaper for Wright State University. It has been published regularly since March of 1965.

Reliving 10 Years Old: Descriptive Insights Into Retro Gaming, Nick Ballou, Nick Bowman, T. Hakman, Andrew Przybylski

Media Studies - All Scholarship

As video games and players age, some are drawn to retro titles, operationalized here as games from the 1970s–early 2000s. This trend has sparked growing interest among researchers and the games industry in areas such as consumer behavior, nostalgia, and well-being. However, little is known about naturalistic retro gaming—who plays them, and what time periods players revisit. We analyze 1,099 players’ logged session histories on Nintendo Switch classic consoles (e.g., Nintendo Entertainment System, Nintendo 64), totaling 13,000 hr. We find that retro gaming increases with age until around 40; that people tend to revisit consoles popular when they were 5–13 …

Knowledge Of Lifespan And Healthspan And Interest In Healthy Longevity Medicine Among The General Population In Singapore: The Singapore Healthy Longevity (Helo) Survey, Jonas John Posko Amalaraj, Belinda Wang, Anna Szucs, Louis Island, Laureen Yi-Ting Wang, Liz J. Horberg, Paul A. O'Keefe, Sonny Rosenthal, Yap-Seng Chong, Johannes J. Meij, Andrea B. Maier

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

Given the growing global interest in Healthy Longevity Medicine (HLM), the field lacks understanding about public knowledge and interest, which are crucial for any public health intervention relying on HLM. This study presents findings from the Healthy Longevity (HELO) survey conducted in Singapore, assessing public knowledge regarding lifespan (number of years a person is alive), healthspan (number of years a person spends in good health), and interest in HLM. This nationwide cross-sectional survey, conducted between June and August 2024, involved 3034 participants. Main domains including questions on demographics, living arrangements, medical information, health behaviours, income and financial status were tested …

Using The Misinformation Exposure-Trust Framework For Audience Segmentation: Predicting Covid-19 Vaccine Hesitancy Among U.S., Jing Zeng, Jinxu Li, Nan Yu, Xi Cui, Anli Xiao Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

This study examines whether individuals’ exposure to and trust in COVID-19 vaccine misinformation can be used to segment audiences and explain variations in vaccine hesitancy and health beliefs. Using k-means clustering, a survey of 819 U.S. college students (March–May 2021) identifies four subgroups based on combinations of high or low misinformation exposure and trust: misinformation-shielded (low exposure, low trust), misinformation-vulnerable (low exposure, high trust), misinformation-resistant (high exposure, low trust), and misinformation-accepting (high exposure, high trust). These subgroups differ significantly in political ideology, vaccine hesitancy, and health beliefs. The misinformation-shielded subgroup reports more liberal views, lower hesitancy, and higher perceived efficacy, …

The Current - Volume 36 Issue 7, Nova Southeastern University

Student Newspapers

No abstract provided.

The Role Of Motion Graphics In Enhancing The Effectiveness Of Infographics Design, Hussein Mohammad Al-Omari

Middle East Journal of Communication Studies

An infographic's primary objective is to satisfy the demands and expectations of its audience by presenting information in a logical and intelligible way. Recent developments in graphic design techniques have made several intricate techniques approachable by artists and designers, elevating the design process to a sophisticated profession that transcends media boundaries. Static infographics and animated infographics feature the same material; however, animated infographics have the benefit of displaying information via continuous motion and animated sequences rather than in static components or separate stages, and that’s because of the special features of animation, which attract a wider audience. They are also …

From Waste To Sustainability: Exploring Consumer Purchase Intentions Of Milk Enriched With Upcycled Peanut Skins, Peng Lu, Fan Xu, Jennifer Waldeck, Keith Weber, Hualu Zhou

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

Highlights

• National survey investigated consumer acceptance of milk enriched with upcycled peanut skins.
• Developed a conceptual model based on Technology Acceptance Model.
• Identified that consumer attitudes and emotions are essential in the purchase intentions of upcycled foods.
• Identified social influence as a determinator of consumers' attitudes and purchase intentions.
• Inform and advance research, practice, and policy that promotes upcycled food products.