Digital Commons Network^™

“What Do You Want?!”: Black Messianic Masculinity In Netflix’S Last Chance U: Basketball, Linsay M. Cramer, Andrew R. Donofrio

Communication, Media, and Culture

Focusing on Netflix’s Last Chance U: Basketball (LCUB) 2021–2022 docuseries, we interrogate how LCUB’s filmmakers frame the East Los Angeles College (ELAC) Huskies men’s basketball team’s performances of Black masculinity. At the intersections of race, gender, and class, we explore how LCUB’s storytelling invites its viewers to take a “good news” missionary orientation toward Black players and coaches and how that orientation contributes to a rhetorical economy of whiteness. The missionary orientation includes plotlines, religious motifs, and character arcs that work to veil the past and present structural inequalities that traumatize Black men in American society; further, the missionary orientation …

A Qualitative Sociopsychological Study Of Expectancy Violation And Uses And Gratifications Theories Pertaining To Phubbing Behavior And Reception In Generation X Women, Sandra Joslyn Tallarico

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The overall aim of this dissertation project was to examine the effects of phone snubbing, called phubbing, on Generation X women born between 1965 and 1980 who reside in the United States. This qualitative dissertation explored the experiences Generation X women have with the reception and action of the act of phubbing others through 18 semi-structured interviews via dyadic face-to-face conversation. The study’s findings indicate that Generation X women dislike being phubbed, negatively impacting conversational, communication, and relational satisfaction. Further indications suggest Generation X women typically try to avoid phubbing others, except for the felt need to check on their …

Quiet Quitting Out Loud: A Qualitative Study Of Digital Communication Through Public Discourse On Youtube Regarding An Evolving Work Behavior Trend, Jessica R. Koch

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation examines the phenomenon of online discourse surrounding quiet quitting, a trending movement that has gone viral on social media. This trend encourages individuals to set work-life boundaries and reject excessive labor demands by contributing only what is required at work. The study aims to explore how news sources and users alike engage with this concept, particularly using YouTube as a platform for advocacy and community-building. A qualitative content analysis was conducted to analyze a sample of news segment videos published on YouTube on the topic of quiet quitting, focusing on emerging themes within those conversations and the role …

Exploring Social Exchange Theory (Set): The Effects Of Internal Communication Between Select Staff And Managers At Yale University, Lalani Perry

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative study explores the impact of internal communication on employee engagement and productivity between a select group of non-academic staff and managers at Yale University, using Social Exchange Theory (SET) as a theoretical framework. SET posits that interpersonal relationships are shaped by the exchange of resources, both tangible and intangible. While SET has been widely applied in organizational studies, there is limited research on its application within higher education, particularly concerning how communication dynamics influence employee engagement and productivity. This study seeks to contribute to the academic literature by examining the communication practices between a select group of non-academic …

Exploring Emotion Classification Of Indonesian Tweets Using Large Scale Transfer Learning Via Indobert, Connor Shaw, Phillip M. Lacasse, Lance E. Champagne

Faculty Publications

Business, political, and other social structures create strong motivation to understand the attitudes, motivations, feelings, and emotions of a population of interest. Social media is a rich source of self-disclosed information by individuals from all walks of life about virtually every domain of the human experience, but the vast quantity of data is impossible to effectively analyze without advanced natural language processing algorithms. This research creates a transfer learning based emotion classification model for Indonesian language Twitter data. Transfer learning consists of two steps: pre-training and fine tuning. Three variations of Indonesian Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers (IndoBERT) are tested …

The Confidence Trap In Pr Academia: Barriers And Solutions For Female Professors, Kailey R. Thompson

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the career barriers female public relations professors face through the lens of Brubaker et al.'s (2025) theoretical model of "The Confidence Trap." While existing research has explored gender disparities in the PR industry, limited scholarship has investigated the challenges faced by women in PR academia. This qualitative study utilizes in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 22 female public relations professors currently on the tenure track or who have earned tenure at R1 and R2 research institutions in the United States. Thematic analysis of interview transcripts revealed that traditional barriers--such as the glass ceiling, sticky floors, maternal walls, and sexism--manifest …

Lindenwood Digest, March 19, 2025, Lindenwood University

Lindenwood Digest

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

“Burned At The Stake”: Unpacking Disinformation In The Story Of A Coach Allegedly “Terminated” For Expressing Anti-Transgender Women Athlete Beliefs, Ellen J. Staurowsky

Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics

On August 29, 2023, a video testimony entitled ‘Burned at the Stake’: One NCAA Coach’s Battle to Protect Women’s Sport was released. The film was part of a “female athlete storytelling series” developed and funded by the Independent Women’s Forum (IWF) designed to support the IWF’s stated agenda to “fight to save women’s sports and counter the radical agenda that seeks to erase women” by allowing transgender girls and women on teams that match their identities. The central figure in the video is Kim Russell, then head women’s lacrosse coach at NCAA Division III Oberlin College, who claimed her right …

“Call It What You Want” Analyzing Taylor Swift’S Communication Strategies During Public Controversies, Isabella Cuello

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examines Taylor Swift’s crisis communication strategies during public controversies, particularly her disputes with Kanye West and Kim Kardashian between 2016 and 2019. Using Situational Crisis Communication Theory (SCCT) and Symbolic Convergence Theory (SCT), this research employs qualitative analysis to assess media framing, symbolic narrative construction, and the role of digital engagement in reputation management. Through a thematic analysis of 72 lifestyle journalism articles (in U.S. based publications from 2016-2019), the findings reveal that Swift strategically navigated public scrutiny by reclaiming negative imagery, such as the snake symbol, and leveraging social media to reframe her public persona. The study …

The Impact Of Visual Brand Identity On Consumer Response In Rebranding: A Case Study Of Burger King, Andressa De Ungaro Dos Santos

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This case study investigates consumer perceptions of rebranding through the lens of visual brand identity (VBI) and brand associations, focusing on Burger King’s recent rebranding. Using the Aaker Model as the theoretical framework, the study analyzes how brand awareness and associations influence consumer responses to visual identity changes. The research involves two focal areas in which comparative study will be applied by: (1) analyzing rebranding awareness by evaluating media coverage of Burger King’s new branding; (2) examining consumer-brand relationships through social media interactions to understand responses to the rebranding and to measure emotional and associative responses to visual elements. Through …

Recovering Palestinian Lives: Qudsiyya Khurshid From Mandate Palestine To Postwar Pennsylvania, Andrea L. Stanton

Religious Studies: Faculty Scholarship

This article works to recover the life story of Qudsiyya Khurshid, a once well-known Mandate Palestinian intellectual and educator, who wrote essays for publication and for broadcasting on the Palestine Broadcasting Service, while working as a principal at girls’ schools in al-Bireh and Jerusalem. One of a number of educated women active in the Mandate public sphere, she disappeared from public consciousness after the Nakba. But in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, where she had moved with her husband, a naturalized U.S. citizen, she became a prominent figure in civic work and as a community speaker on Palestinian and Middle Eastern life …

Gender Dynamics In Newsroom Leadership: The Influence Of Gender Norms On The Career Trajectories Of Women Journalists, Isabella L. Hackett

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Within the field of journalism, women journalists face obstacles impeding their career progression and autonomy. This qualitative study uses field theory, which explores how social spaces are structured and how actors access resources; a key avenue for exploring the power relationships within a field. This theory is put in conversation with interviews with women leaders in journalism from across the United States (n=13). The study examines how women in leadership navigate their career trajectories amid structural barriers, such as gender expectations for leadership, the struggle to balance work and family, and unequal access to mentorship and resources. Despite these challenges, …

Media Literacy Efficacy & The Rise Of Native Advertising In Social Media: A Sequential Mixed-Method Approach To Behavioral Interaction With Deceptive Advertising Content, Elyse F. Dipisa

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Native advertising has grown in advertiser usage and relevance within the advertising space. Branded or sponsored content is in no way a new concept; however, with less consumer participation with traditional advertisements, the industry has shifted to make advertising content look “native” - as if they belong within the format of the platform and among the user-generated content published. Social media presents a continuously progressing digital landscape that is available and accessible for consumers. The environment’s accessibility allows for it to be reachable by consumers from a range of backgrounds. This study engages a two-step explanatory mixed methodology aimed at …

The Current - Volume 35 Issue 10, Nova Southeastern University

Student Newspapers

No abstract provided.

Lindenwood Digest, March 12, 2025, Lindenwood University

Lindenwood Digest

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

La Intensificación En Los Comentarios De Noticias: La Prensa Deportiva Digital, David Sanchez-Jimenez

Publications and Research

Las plataformas digitales de los periódicos permiten una comunicación más fluida y dinámica con y entre la audiencia, que refleja algunos patrones de la comunicación oral (Briz, 1997, 1998; Yus, 2001, 2010; Albelda, 2004; Albelda y Estellés, 2021). Entre ellos, se encuentran los recursos lingüísticos de intensificación que refuerzan la fuerza ilocutiva de los comentarios emitidos, en una clara apuesta por dotar al texto de una mayor interactividad con sus potenciales receptores. El objetivo de esta investigación consiste en conocer cómo se relacionan entre sí los participantes de estas plataformas en la prensa deportiva. En particular, se prestó especial atención …

Do Universities Choose The Right Strategies For X Engagement? The Case Of Six Universities In Thailand, Mathupayas Thongmak

Higher Learning Research Communications

Objective: The purpose of this study is to understand how Thai public universities engage their stakeholders on X (the social media platform previously known as Twitter). This article answers the following research questions: 1) What are the X message strategies of six public universities? 2) Do they choose the most effective strategies to drive X engagement in terms of favorites and reposts?

Method: Data was automatically collected using anX analytic tool, and the potential variables were extracted semi-automatically using tools appropriate to text mining, sentiment analysis, word cloud, and so on. Posts from six universities in Thailand were investigated.

Results: …

تأثير منصات التواصل الاجتماعي على المشاركة السياسية لدى الشباب الجامعي الأردني, عثمان منصور الطاهات, تيسير سلمان فلاحات, عامر خالد أحمد, أمجد عمر صفوري, عبدالله سلطان الجلابنة

Journal of the Association of Arab Universities for Research in Higher Education مجلة اتحاد الجامعات العربية للبحوث في التعليم العالي

سعت الدراسة إلى معرفة تأثير منصتيْ فيسبوك وتويتر على المشاركة السياسية لدى الشباب الجامعي الأردني في ضوء متغيراتهم وسماتهم الشخصية، وبيان العلاقة بين درجة تعرضهم لموضوعات المشاركة السياسية عبر تلك المنصات، ومشاركتهم السياسية في الحياة العامة في الأردن عبر استخدام منهج مسح جمهور وسائل الإعلام بالتطبيق على عينة قوامها (600) مفردة من الشباب الجامعي في الأردن. وتوصلت الدراسة إلى أن الشباب الجامعي الأردني يتعرضون لموضوعات المشاركة السياسية من خلال منصة فيسبوك أكثر من منصة إكس، وتمثلت أكثر الموضوعات متابعةً في "الاحتجاجات والاعتصامات التي تنظم على الصعيد المحلي"، كما تمثلت أبرز أدوار المنصتين في تعزيز المشاركة السياسية في "تزودني بمواعيد الانتخابات …

Transmedia Edutainment For Sustainable Advocacy: How Narrative Engagement And Counterarguments Influence Generation Z’S Response To Sustainable Development Messages, Aya Shata, Michelle Seelig, Nick Carcioppolo

Hank Greenspun School of Journalism and Media Studies Faculty Research

Media convergence has created new forms of storytelling, such as transmedia edutainment (TE-E), which can serve as an innovative communication strategy for promoting pro-environmental attitudes and behaviors. Because of the limited evidence about the persuasive outcomes of narrative TE-E, this research investigates the role of TE-E as a novel communication approach that advocates for sustainable development among Generation Z. Drawing on narrative persuasion theories, we conducted an experiment (N = 441) that examined the narrative mechanisms of TE-E, focusing on narrative engagement and counterargument, and assessed the narrative outcomes of different single formats—including video, game, and comic—compared with TE-E. Findings …

How Insider-Led Processes Lead To Localization: The Case Of Digital Technology And Humanitarian Protection, Oliver Kaplan, Emily Paddon Rhoads

Global and Public Affairs: Faculty Scholarship

The humanitarian sector has been increasingly concerned with localizing its activities—devolving capacity, power, and decision-making authority to the local communities and organizations that are the frequent recipients of its assistance. However, the mere “outsider-led” provision of assistance to local actors is not itself sufficient to empower them. In- stead, we argue that “insider-led,” locally initiated processes can be an effective approach to localization. We identify how such shifts can occur and distinguish three different configurations of “insider-led” processes: Autonomous Adopters, Balanced Partners, and Exporting Entrepreneurs. We examine “insider-led” localization in the context of the use of Information and Communication Technologies …

The Cowl - V. 88 N. 16 - March 6, 2025

The Cowl

The Cowl - student newspaper of Providence College. Vol. 88 No. 16 - March 6, 2025. 16 pages.

Lindenwood Digest, March 5, 2025, Lindenwood University

Lindenwood Digest

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

The Ethical Dilemma Of Social Media, Janet H. Southerland

New Orleans Dental Association News

Social media has transformed dentistry, enhancing communication, education, and patient engagement. However, ethical challenges, including privacy concerns and misinformation, pose risks. This article explores the benefits and challenges of social media in dentistry, emphasizing the need for ethical guidelines to uphold professional standards while leveraging digital advancements for improved care and education.

Following The Mission Leader: The Value Of Imitational Learning In The Training Of Apostolic Church Planting Teams At Memorial Lutheran Church In Katy, Texas, John F. Davis Jr

Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project

Davis, Jr., John F. “Following the Mission Leader: The Value of Imitational Learning in the Training of Apostolic Church Planting Teams at Memorial Lutheran Church in Katy, TX.” Doctor of Ministry. Major Applied Project, Concordia Seminary, 2025. pp. 272

Reaching the unchurched and unbaptized in our communities with the Gospel of Jesus Christ is a huge challenge for most of our churches. In The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, the number of adults being baptized in the churches (a measure of our effectiveness in carrying out the Missio Dei) is less than one per year. To reach people who have no …

Digital Inequalities And U.S. Undergraduate Outcomes Over The First Two Years Of The Covid-19 Pandemic, Vikki Katz, Amy B. Jordan, Katherine Ognyanova

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated major and rapid changes to undergraduate student learning conditions, but the longer-term consequences of those changes have yet to be fully understood. We assess how digital inequality—defined as challenges in accessing or maintaining a broadband internet connection and functional digital devices—affected undergraduates’ advancement toward on-time graduation over the first two years of the pandemic (2020-2022). We utilize survey data from a representative sample of 1,106 undergraduates at Rutgers University-New Brunswick, a public, 4-year university located in New Jersey, USA. Respondents were undergraduates who had been enrolled in full-time student status throughout the first two years …

Newsletter, Wku Staff Senate

Staff Council

Newsletter created by WKU Staff Council to report on work accomplished.

Enhancing University Retention Through Faculty/Staff Mentor-Mentee Relationships: An Interpersonal Communication Approach, Emma Catherine Richardson

Master's Theses

This study investigates the role of interpersonal communication in faculty and staff mentorship and its impact on undergraduate student retention, focusing on struggling students at Louisiana Tech University. With a national retention rate of 68.2% and persistent disparities among underrepresented groups, improving student retention remains a critical issue in higher education. The research addresses a gap in understanding how communication practices, such as active listening, empathy, and constructive feedback, influence mentorship effectiveness. Guided by Interpersonal Communication Theory and Social Support Theory, this qualitative study utilized semi-structured interviews with 12 undergraduate students. Thematic analysis revealed key findings: mentors who demonstrated empathy, …

Ethics In Digital Marketing: A Gen-Z’S Perspective, Suruchi Bhatt

School of Business

Almost 72% of Americans report they have a sense of being tracked online through their cellphones, by their advertisers or companies they follow, around 20% think their activities across their days are tracked, with almost 47% reporting the government tracks their cellphones, behaviors, and everything they do online. (Atske, 2019) It is no secret that when people say privacy is a myth, it is upon the behaviors of the companies to inform the customers of what, where, and why their activity is being tracked. Answering how the activity is tracked and when it will be tracked are key factors that …

Only Skin Deep Ai Lifestyle Accounts Influencing Political Discourse, Leland Fecher, Patrick Warren, Kylie Gilbert, Ella Murray, Miles Rockow, Jonathan Joon-Hyung Yoo

Media Forensics Hub Creative Inquiry Reports

Inauthentic political influence in American politics has been a prominent topic since the 2016 presidential election, and its features have shifted over time in response to platform countermeasures, feature adoption, and technological change. In this report we explore a small network of AI-empowered accounts posing as models, jewelry sellers, and artists that are espousing a particular partisan view, likely in an effort to engage specific online communities. This report includes a detailed description of the network and the topics in which the network regularly engages. We then discuss the possible effects this has on the American zeitgeist in the moments …

Accessibility Disclosure Statements: Best Practices For Documenting Inclusive And Accessible Web-Based Research Design, Alicia Mason, Elizabeth Spencer, Pan Liu, Kristen Livingston, Sakshi Bhati, Angela Ashmore, Tristan A. Spencer, Lauren Shepard

Faculty Submissions

Accessibility disclosure is a core principle of the Project IRIS Best Practice Framework. This instructional resource-- Accessibility Disclosure Statements: Best Practices for Documenting Inclusive Web-Based Research Design-introduces options for reporting accessible web-based research design efforts in scholarly and professional publications. The three forms of accessibility disclosure statements are introduced: summary statements, reports of analysis--both general and specific-, and detailed process descriptions. Each of these strategies including terms, conceptual definitions, and examples are provided. The instructional resource may be of interest to undergraduate and graduate course instructors teaching research methods courses in a variety of social science disciplines.