Digital Commons Network^™

Modeling The Spread Of Competing Narratives In Multimodal Social Media Network, Mayor Inna Gurung

Theses and Dissertations

Social media has fundamentally transformed how narratives are produced, contested, and disseminated, enabling competing interpretations of the same event to spread rapidly across networked populations. Understanding how narratives gain traction over others in these environments is critical for addressing misinformation, supporting informed public discourse, and designing effective counter-messaging strategies. Yet existing research largely treats narrative propagation as a single-process phenomenon and focuses predominantly on textual data, overlooking both the competitive dynamics between opposing narratives and the growing role of visual symbolic communication in shaping how narratives are received. This dissertation addresses these gaps through a multi-platform, multimodal framework applied to …

Lindenwood Digest, June 3, 2026, Lindenwood University

Lindenwood Digest

• Event & Date: The Lindenwood University Employee Digest, dated June 3, 2026, details multiple upcoming events including the Staff and Academic Administrators' Retreat on June 9, 2026; the Advising and Mentoring Fellowship Training on June 10, 2026; and the Benefits and Bites Professional Development Event on June 17, 2026.

• Geographic Grounding: The featured events take place at specific designated venues, including the VIP Room within the Hyland Arena, the AB Leadership Room, and online, all hosted by Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Missouri.

• Key Honorees/Awards: The Information Technology Network and Systems team is recognized in the Q2 Moments section for …

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Viral Visions Of Femininity: A Visual Thematic Analysis Of Trending Tradwife Imagery On Instagram, Phoebe L. Lim

Masters Theses

This study uses visual thematic analysis and a semiotics lens to examine how trending tradwife content on Instagram constructs domestic femininity through recurring signifiers of whiteness, homemaking, motherhood, and hyperfeminine aesthetics. Current rhetorical analysis of the tradwife movement argues that the imagery of sweet, nostalgic traditionalism functions to mask visual and semiotic codes associated with patriarchal hierarchies, anti-feminism, pronatalism, and alt-right ideologies (Proctor, 2022). Drawing on the theoretical models of Saussure, Peirce, and Barthes (1972), this research analyzes how strategically curated visuals of domesticity and femininity function as ideological signifiers within digital culture. Analysis of 100 posts under #tradwife found …

From Fear To Action: The Role Of Media In Scam, Goodness Okhumode

Masters Theses

Scams have existed for a long time and are still prevalent today, with little indication of decline. Understanding how media exposure influences scam perceptions and motivates protective behavior among young adults has become pertinent in communication research. Drawing on Cultivation Theory and Protection Motivation Theory, this thesis examines how self-reported exposure to scam-related media content influences threat perceptions, efficacy beliefs and the adoption of preventive safety measures among young adult social media users. A quantitative online survey was used to collect data from undergraduate students of the CMCN 100 Spring 2026 class at a U.S. university. Seven hypotheses and two …

Tinder Troubles: Testing The Motivation-Based Model Of Online Disinhibition In A Mobile Dating App Context, Zachary Schleter

Masters Theses

As individuals turn to dating apps to find romance, friendships, sex, and more, understanding the factors that shape user behavior on these platforms has become increasingly important. Guided by Wen and Miura’s (2023) motivation-based Model of Online Disinhibition, this study examined how individual factors and motives for using Tinder predict online disinhibition and subsequent disinhibited behaviors. Specifically, using an English translation of Wen & Miura’s Multi-dimensional Measure of Online Disinhibition (2024), the study tested whether gender and five Tinder use motives—sexual experience, entertainment, romance, socializing, and distraction—predicted levels of online disinhibition on Tinder and whether online disinhibition, in turn, predicted …

An Analysis Of Immigration Frames In The News Media Post- Second Trump Administration, Olivia Hartley

Communication Studies

Immigration has been a particularly controversial issue since the 2nd Trump Administration. There has been an increase in Immigration Customs Enforcement activity, including deportations and detainments of immigrants across the United States (Craft & Witherspoon, 2026). Given the uptick in media coverage regarding these events, it is essential to understand how this information is being presented to the public. The framing of news media impacts how the public perceives issues, determining the acceptable treatment of immigrants in our society. In this study, a content analysis was performed to determine the prevalence of generic immigration news frames following the start of …

Examining How Student Involvement And Identity Shapes Perceptions Of Cal Poly Administrative Communication And Organizational Change, Ellenor Rose Nunes

Communication Studies

This study examined the relationship between student organization involvement, sense of belonging, and perceptions of administration at California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly). Using survey data collected from 176 students, independent samples t-tests and correlation analyses were conducted in SPSS Version 25 to examine whether involvement in student organizations was associated with perceptions of administration and institutional belonging. Results indicated no significant relationship between levels of involvement and perceptions of administration or organizational change communication. However, students involved in student organizations reported significantly greater feelings of mattering and belonging compared to non-involved students. Additionally, students with stronger feelings of belonging …

Report On The Ethical Use Of Ai For Participatory Planning, Sahana Kotha, Blythe Wilson

City and Regional Planning

This report provides an overview of key considerations for using artificial intelligence for community engagement in urban planning. As interest in AI adoption in the public sector increases, an understanding of ethical issues is needed to guide responsible AI implementation. Informed by a literature review and interviews with urban planning practitioners and academics, this report describes and analyzes different AI-supported community engagement methods, explores case studies, and outlines key concerns and opportunities for using AI. We recommend that AI use for community engagement prioritizes transparency, human oversight and accountability, intentional AI implementation, and community involvement.

Kitchen Table Press: A Case Study Of Regression To The Neoliberal Mean, Alaina Disalvo

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This thesis examines the idealistic founding of Kitchen Table: Women of Color Press in 1980 and its slow downfall, culminating in the cession of ownership of the Press to a university in 1992. It traces the ideological development of Kitchen Table Press’s key founders, Barbara Smith and Audre Lorde, and their respective relationships to the ideologies of other renowned feminist figures of the era, specifically June Jordan and Adrienne Rich. It examines the history of the Press through historical, intersectional, affective, and socialist lenses. This thesis argues that neoliberal pressures can bend even the most radical organizations away from their …

Lindenwood Magazine, Spring 2026, Lindenwood University

Lindenwood Magazine (2017- )

This document is the Spring 2026 edition of The Lindenwood, a magazine published by Lindenwood University's Advancement Division for friends, employees, and alumni. It features campus community updates, alumni news, and a central spotlight on the university's new Bachelor of Science in Nursing program.

Building On Rented Land: An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis Of Black Women’S Digital Homeplace-Building On Tiktok, Monica Thompson

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) examined the lived experiences of seven Black women TikTok users, exploring how they describe and make meaning of TikTok as a space of digital expression amid algorithmic constraint and platform precarity. Grounded in Black Cyberfeminism, Critical Race Theory, and hooks’ (1990) homeplace theory, the study asked three questions: how Black women describe their use of TikTok; how they make meaning of the platform as a space of expression; and how they navigate platform instability, political threats, and content restrictions while maintaining authentic expression. Drawing on semi-structured Zoom interviews and analyzed using Smith et al.’s (2009) …

Bridging The Divide: How Political Polarization Shapes Communication Among College Students, Kylie C. Gaynor

Communication Studies

The following study employed Social Identity and Affective Polarization theories to examine how political disagreement influences students’ willingness to engage in open dialogue within higher education during a time of polarization. This study employed a simple survey distributed to a sample of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo students from all colleges. The Qualtrics survey included multiple-choice questions assessing students’ political affiliation and examining how these affiliations influenced their willingness to engage in communication with individuals holding differing views, as well as their openness to developing deeper interpersonal relationships. The survey results were analyzed using SPSS statistical software. The results concluded …

News Media Coverage Of Measure Ula: How The Story Of La’S Big Project To Address Homelessness And Affordable Housing Got Sidetracked By The Story Of Big Real Estate, Christopher R. Martin

Faculty Publications

“Measure ULA,” named after United to House LA, was approved by voters in Los Angeles in 2022 to create a dedicated, long-term funding source for solutions to homelessness in LA, including funding the construction of affordable homes and preventing homelessness by helping tenants stay in their homes. The funding would come from a new tax on the most expensive real estate transactions in L.A. (i.e., mansion tax), and would affect fewer than 4% of all property transactions. At the end of three years of local news coverage about Measure ULA from the Los Angeles Times and LAist, the news audience …

Strategic Communication For Population Stabilization: From Narrative To Sbcc Action, Population Council Pakistan

Sexual and Reproductive Health, Rights, and Choices

The Population Council led a landmark national effort to redefine population discourse in Pakistan through the development of a unified, rights-based national narrative—Tawazun (Balance). This narrative, endorsed by the Federal Task Force on Population and adopted at the highest policy forums, reframed population from a fragmented and sensitive issue into a shared national development priority. Tawazun established a clear framework—balancing rights, responsibilities, and resources—positioning family planning within the broader goals of family well-being, human development, and national sustainability. Importantly, the narrative was formally adopted by federal and provincial governments, and integrated into policy frameworks, communication strategies, and development planning processes.

Rewarding Risk: How Political Health Messaging Drives Virality And Controversy On X, Hiba Ali

Quantitative Social Science Undergraduate Senior Theses

No abstract provided.

The Cultivation Of Public Perception: Cultivated Meat Narratives And Misinformation On Tiktok, Anna M. Balkus

Graduate Masters Theses

Cultivated meat is an emerging tissue engineering technology that has the potential to address major issues threatening food systems, including climate change, rapid population growth, and the spread of disease. Among technical challenges, public perception remains a significant barrier for the widespread adoption of cultivated meat. While social media has transformed communication globally, it has simultaneously contributed to corrupt online environments infected with misinformation—unintentional inaccuracies that differ from disinformation, which is spread with the intent to mislead. The way the public receives and digests information regarding new food technologies, like cultivated meat, will be shaped by their social media environment. …

Jihad As Discourse: The Houthi Movement's Official Rhetoric On The 2023–2024 Red Sea Attacks, Moh. Iqbal Bulgini, Imam Khomaeni Hayatullah

Journal of Terrorism Studies

This study examines how Ansar Allah (the Houthi movement) constructs and legitimises a jihad discourse through official speeches and formal statements issued by military spokesperson Yahya Sarea and the movement's official platforms during the 2023–2024 Red Sea attacks. Employing Norman Fairclough's three-dimensional Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) framework—integrating textual analysis, discursive practice, and sociocultural context—the study analyses a purposive corpus of 45 verified institutional texts. Three dominant and mutually reinforcing discursive formations are identified: (1) the Humanitarian-Juridical Discourse, which reconstitutes armed attacks as legally and morally obligatory acts of protection; (2) the Anti-Hegemonic Resistance Discourse, which constructs the movement as a …

Online Shopping Non-Adoption In South Africa: A Distrust-Centric Framework Integrating Social Exchange, Trust Transfer, And Social Presence Theories, Cleopatra Moipone Matli, Jeevarathnam P. Govender

Journal of Marketing and Consumer Behaviour in Emerging Markets

Online shopping non-adoption remains critically underexplored, especially in emerging markets. Addressing this gap, the authors develop and test a distrust-centric framework that applies the inhibitory logic of social exchange, trust transfer, and social presence theories to explain pre-emptive avoidance. Focusing on South Africa, where only 18.16% of the population engage in e-commerce, data was collected from 414 consumers who have never shopped online. Structural equation modelling reveals that perceived lack of reciprocity directly increases the intention of non-adoption. Moreover, distrust in online payment systems transfers to broader channel scepticism, which in turn drives avoidance. Perceived lack of social presence further …

Unveiling The Power Of Credibility: How Virtual Influencers Shape Consumer Attitudes And Purchase Intentions In Fashion, Danita Van Heerden, Jade L. Verbeek

Journal of Marketing and Consumer Behaviour in Emerging Markets

Artificial intelligence (AI) is at the forefront of influencer marketing, particularly in the fashion industry. Consequently, brands are using virtual influencers (VIs) to engage consumers in this space. Yet little is known about VIs’ credibility and their influence on purchase intentions, especially in an emerging market where they are less prevalent. This study examines the influence of VIs’ credibility (i.e., trustworthiness, attractiveness, and expertise) on consumers’ attitudes towards VIs and the subsequent impact on purchase intention for fashion products in South Africa, grounded in the Source Credibility Theory. Data were collected from active social media users using non-probability convenience and …

Voices Within: How Ncii Survivors Reconstruct Self Concept Through Intrapersonal Communication, Keisha Aurellia Devinia, Aiza Nabilla Arifputri

JURNAL KOMUNIKASI INDONESIA

This study examines Non-Consensual Intimate Image Sharing (NCII) as a form of digital gender-based violence that disrupts women’s self-concept beyond its psychological consequences, particularly among female victims active on social media. It aims to analyze their intrapersonal communication experiences and how they redefine self-concept following the incident. This study employs a qualitative approach, gathering data by performing in-depth interview with five female NCII victims who actively use social media platforms, such as Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Telegram, and X. The study draws on Stuart & Laraia’s (1998) self-concept theory, which includes five analytical dimensions: body image, ideal self, self-esteem, role performance, …

Crisis Severity In Sportswashing: Examining The Effects On Host Nations, Erika J. Schneider, Courtney D. Boman, Mutaz M.. Barnawi, Kenon A. Brown

Media Studies - All Scholarship

This study examines how the men’s 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, marked by allegations of labor abuses, influenced U.S. viewers’ perceptions of the host nation through the lens of “sportswashing.” Utilizing a survey of self-identified U.S. viewers of the World Cup, the analysis examines how viewers’ personal involvement and recognition of human rights concerns influenced their perceptions of the crisis’s severity. Findings show that recognition of the problem, by viewers themselves, significantly increased perceptions of severity, while involvement with the issue of human rights did not have a direct effect on severity perceptions. Higher perceptions of severity, in turn, …

Assessing Youtube Finance Influencers: Guidance Or Hype For Generation Z?, Alyse Alfred

DU Undergraduate Research Journal Archive

This study evaluates the content of YouTube finance influencers (finfluencers) to assess whether they provide overly promotional advice or can help improve the low financial literacy of Generation Z. A total of 407 videos sampled using the nine knowledge areas tested in the TIAA Institute Personal Finance Index (P-Fin Index) were analyzed using Structural Topic Modeling (STM). Eight topics were observed in the videos, ranging from general literacy to emergency planning. Comparing the observed topics to the P-Fin Index categories showed that finfluencers address six of the nine key areas of financial literacy, with gaps in the coverage of long-term …

Generation Z And The Ai Misinformation Paradox: Understanding A New Digital Vulnerability, Cecilia Cooley, Elizabeth Sperber

DU Undergraduate Research Journal Archive

This paper asks: How and why is Generation Z more vulnerable to AI-generated misinformation and disinformation than older generations? Using a comparative review of recent empirical studies, survey data, and meta-analyses from 2019–2025, this paper synthesizes research on Gen Z’s exposure to and interaction with AI-produced content across social media platforms. Although it is commonly assumed that Gen Z ’s technological exposure and fluency make them better equipped to recognize false information, findings show the opposite: Gen Z is consistently outperformed by older cohorts in detecting AI-generated falsehoods. This vulnerability stems from three intersecting factors: (1) the sheer volume of …

Du Undergraduate Showcase Abstracts: Research, Scholarship, And Creative Works, Sophia Wismar, Henry Staats, Allison Metzler, Chloe Puckett, Rachel Levine, Christa Kilpatrick, Scott Wolf, Joe Walsh, Grace Doolittle, John Engebreston, Zoe Lopez, Christopher Aaby, Audrey Duff, Timothy Sisk, Katelyn Lamberton, Angela Narayan, Gilkah Argueta, Habiba Samir, Girena Tesfazghi, Genet Kenore, Sinit Tesfamariam, Effley Brooks, Abi Newell, Megan Doherty, Natalie Baer, Lexi Blood, Talya Riciputi, Jessica Jimenez, Devin Hernandez, Lynn Clark, Taj Kumar, Sunil Kumar, Allen Rutman, Mira Pronobis, Tess Carson, Anna Sher, Frankie Stroud, Tamra Pearson D'Estree, Alyssa Wilson, Emily Melnick, Jenalee Doom, Yihang Gao, Gwendolyn Geiger, Noah Gettle, Scott Nichols, Clare Ayoub, Cara Dienno, Sunny Walker, Zoe Hansen, Maya Wheeler, Addison Rice, Patrick Martin, Sanjana Acharya, Daniel Mcintosh, Amanda Mckellips, Calli Cain, Justin Blake, Peter Sokol-Hessner, Natalie Miller, Max Weisbuch, Sophia Dellota, John Macikas, Charlotte Snow, Mark Siemens, Zoe Lynch, Alex Huffman, Prachi Shah, Jason Roney, Halcyon Levi, Nicole Herzog, Andrea Koly, Daniel Linseman, Annie London, Xi Yang, Avery Zwisler, Jane Smith, Chaz Contag, Michael Kerwin, Lucy Rand, Grace Schroeder, Michelle Rozenman, Nissa Tapper, Guiming Zhang, Mateo Mazariego-Halpern, Keith Meyer, Julie Do, Dakota Park-Ozee, Travis Herink, Kara Neu, Jonathan Plomin, Eve-Odine Duchaufour, Debbie Gale Mitchell, Tennyson Anderson-Stricklin, Lily Treitz, Samantha Rosenberger, Sierra Griffith, Finley Joseph, Daniel Sampson, Emmy Davis, Skyler Kasnoff, Evon Lopez, Vivian Nguyen, Cassy Young, Franklin Sellner, Martin Tobon, Ila Graham, Zach Billings, Holden Hedit, Decatur Boland, Paul Kosempel, Cory Chandler, Jay Mahoney, Sam Dragan, Susan Dagget, Yarrow Ator, Heidi Vuletich, Owen Weber, Andrew Kloeppel, Petersen Gray, Mandi Schaeffer-Fry, Razleen Bassra, Bryanna Rodriguez, Christina Blue, Taubie Sanders, Rachel Epstein, Luke Milburn, Camryn Evans, Ezra Martinez, Mary Westwood, Gabri Notov, Robin Tinghitella, Lilou Cabrol, Eli Barbour, Juliet Mendik, Selma Myers, Zac Wise, Noah Fahlin, Michelle Knowles, Abigail Hopper, Michael Greenberger, Romi Laclair, Sarah Watamura, Sabrina Efroymson, Casey Barker, Sydney Seltzer, Bryn Yehle, Jennifer Hoffman, Sara Garcia, Ryuka Nagamine, Trevor Briggs, Remy Le Boeuf, Elena Krone, Eileen Farrell, Regan O'Rourke, Elena Roel, Greg Mortimer, Ali Ayoub, Stefani Langehennig, Caitlin Turk, Logan Scmid, Stefan Chavez-Norgaard, Karen Kim, Tatiana Peccedi, Courtney Cassidy, John Sebesta, Rhianna Lewis, Janice Bening-Lacek, Vivian Lawless, Mckenna Hanson, Jeffrey Amidon, Riya Joshi, Ram Ambre, Brady Worrell, Perrin Schneider, Ali Azadani, Brooke Agulnek, Lyndsie Salvagio, Elise Siemanowki, Yan Qin, Andre Allen, Melodie Nguyen, Megan Livengood, Abby Reams, Saffron Hartreeve, Bri Wylie, Sarah Brookman, Mariah Loiacono, Green Russo, Abhia Lodhi, Gabrielle Welsh, Nika Spehar, Shahked Levin, Evrim Baykal, Kimberly Chiew, Jocelyn Torres, Kailey Hicks, Mykaela Tanino-Springsteen, Audrey Bellows, Akam Chahal, Madeline Tepper, Shannon Murphy, Alexa Fonseca, Deborah Han, Cassandra Perez, Oluwatoyin Alaba, Julia Roncoroni, Vy Nguyen, Nana Burn, Sarah Sasse, Rubin Tuder, Anthony Gerber, Nancy Lorenzon, Christine Vohwinkel, Camryn Gunter, Tristan Weber, Sam Rommel, Brian Michel, Muskan Fatima, Alannah Oleson, Kira Frey, Edward Garrido, Beckett Morris, Kerstin Haring, Drew Middleton, Abigail Walpert, Liam Dee, Gabby Ishaw, Cole Carnes, Maddie Weiser, Claire Fox, Valeriia Vlasenko, Kateri Mcrae, Riley Smith, Abigail Templin, Kushani Rajapaksha

DU Undergraduate Research Journal Archive

Abstracts from the DU Undergraduate Research Showcase.

Bridging The Justice Gap: A Comparative Study Of Legal Aid Marketing In Canada, Australia, And The United States, Farah O. Haq

Student Theses and Dissertations

Access to justice remains a central challenge across legal systems, particularly for immigrants and refugees, Indigenous communities, and survivors of domestic violence. While legal aid organizations play a critical role in bridging this gap, their effectiveness increasingly depends on how clearly and compassionately they communicate legal information online to their target audience. This thesis conducts a comparative content analysis of nine nonprofit legal aid organizations in the United States, Canada, and Australia, three countries united by a common law tradition but divided by the communication barriers their communities face, examining 180 social media posts and nine websites through the lens …

From Double Absence To Double Presence: Video-Selfie As Empowerment In A Multicultural Italian Classroom, Maria Ranieri, Ilaria Bucciarelli, Giulia Cuozzo

Journal of Media Literacy Education Pre-Prints

This paper examines the video-selfie as a tool for empowerment in multicultural secondary school classrooms. We draw on data from the European ICME project, focusing on a vocational secondary school in Italy, where 17 of 18 first-year students – approximately half of whom had migration backgrounds – produced short videos presenting themselves through personally meaningful objects. Students then participated in a structured reflection activity after watching each other's videos in class. We combine three theoretical frameworks: critical media literacy, identity and self-representation studies, and Mezirow's transformative learning theory. Our argument is that the video selfie empowers in multiple ways: it …

Did The Year 2025 Force African Journalism To Confront Its Future? A Review Of Scholarship And Practice, Gregory Gondwe

Communication Studies Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Role Of Social Media Platforms In Combating Health Misinformation Among The Jordanian Public From The Perspective Of Jordanian Pharmacists, Hani Ahmad Fayez Al-Badri

Middle East Journal of Communication Studies

The proliferation of health-related misinformation constitutes a serious threat to public health security. Pharmacists, as healthcare professionals, play a crucial role in addressing this phenomenon by increasing public awareness and dispelling misconceptions. The present study seeks to examine the role of social media platforms in mitigating health misinformation among the Jordanian public from the perspective of practicing pharmacists in Jordan. Adopting a descriptive survey methodology, the study employed a structured questionnaire distributed to a random sample of 480 pharmacists. The findings indicated that platforms such as WhatsApp (mean score = 4.43) and Facebook (mean score = 3.92) were the most …

The Role Of Media In Enhancing The Awareness Of Jordanian University Students About The Risks Of Energy Drinks, Rasha Salameh, R. Abuhasirah

Middle East Journal of Communication Studies

This article aimed to explore the role of media in enhancing the awareness of Jordanian university students regarding the health risks associated with energy drink consumption. The article employed a media audience survey method, applied to a Quota sample of 300 students from diverse academic disciplines (humanities, health sciences, and natural sciences) at Yarmouk University (public) and Middle East University (private). Data were collected between March 10 and April 15, 2025. The results indicated that energy drink consumption was higher among Middle East University students (55.4%) compared to Yarmouk University students (44.6%). Furthermore, students in the humanities reported higher consumption …

The Role Of Artificial Intelligence In Developing Science Journalism Strategies And Enhancing Political Awareness, Enad Akif Al-Jallad

Middle East Journal of Communication Studies

This study aimed to analyze the role of artificial intelligence in developing science journalism strategies and enhancing its capacity to raise political awareness. The study adopted a descriptive-analytical methodology through a review of relevant literature and an analysis of scientific content related to artificial intelligence technologies and their media applications. It also relied on a set of applied experiences in science journalism, including The Guardian’s coverage of climate issues and Al Jazeera Net’s reporting on the COVID-19 pandemic and its connection to health policies.

The findings revealed that science journalism serves as a fundamental tool for transferring knowledge to the …