Digital Commons Network^™

Framing Theory Insights: The Co-Existence Of Frame Coupling And Frame Mirroring In Social Media And Online News About A Disaster-Affected Destination, Violetta Wilk, Ashlee Morgan, Greg Willson, Ruth Sibson

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Through the lens of framing theory, this paper explores social media and news media online narratives about a destination affected by a natural disaster. It presents original insights into the co-existence of frame coupling and frame mirroring in online content. Online news media, and local and overseas social media user-generated content (UGC) was examined. The aim of such triangulation of data, was to understand how different online sources framed the destination in the context of the disaster. 24,985 Twitter (now X) posts were sourced using Salesforce Social Studio and 1,248 online news media articles from Factiva. Leximancer-driven thematic analysis via …

Good Arts, Good Mental Health®: The Effectiveness Of An Australian Health Promotion Media Campaign In Promoting Community Mental Wellbeing Via The Arts, Christina R. Davies, Melanie T. Pescud, Rhonda Clifford, Richard Mcgrath, Annie Thomson, Mia Jeffrey, Melissa Stoneham, Terri Pikora, Peter Wright, Sonya Girdler, Loretta Baldassar, Stephen Clift

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Introduction: This study describes and evaluates Good Arts, Good Mental Health^® (GAGMH), a groundbreaking, population-level, arts-mental health promotion media campaign. The objectives of the campaign (Wave 1) were to increase brand awareness, comprehension, and agreement with the tagline Good Arts, Good Mental Health^® and empower the general population to form an intention to engage in the Arts for their mental wellbeing. Methods: The campaign ran from August to September 2024 (4 weeks), cost AUD$198,965 (23% creative and 77% media/advertising distribution), and targeted the Western Australian (WA) general population aged 18–65 years, all genders, in both metropolitan and regional …

The Somatechnics Of Journalism: Applying An Embodied Perspective To Enduring Issues In Journalism Studies, Laura Glitsos, Mark Deuze

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This research applies Somatechnics to the study of journalism and contributes to an emergent epistemological “bodily turn” in the discipline of Journalism Studies. This is a turn toward the body, embodied experience, and the inevitable emotionality of journalism and the journalist as brought forth by Chantal Francoeur and Belinda Middleweek, among others. We invite journalism scholars (and practitioners) to understand journalists’ bodies as sophisticated organic technologies—and to subsequently understand how those bodies are further transmogrified by, and collapsed into, the ever-changing world of news media. We deploy a process of retheorising as a qualitative method in which researchers apply new …

Volume 11, Issue 3, Critical Currents And Pedagogical Shifts In Popular Culture And Pedagogy, Journal Dialogue

Dialogue: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Popular Culture and Pedagogy

Volume 11, Issue 3 of Dialogue: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Popular Culture and Pedagogy: On Confronting Identity and Global Challenges through Popular Culture and Pedagogy.

Building Transferable Skills In An Interdisciplinary Science And Science Fiction Capstone Course, John D. Carrell, Robert G. Weiner, Alexandria Prather

Dialogue: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Popular Culture and Pedagogy

College graduates are entering an ever-competitive workforce. Interdisciplinary course experiences are critical for developing analytical abilities and learning and these courses can provide valuable skills that will aid students beyond the classroom. These transferable skills include communication, teamwork, analytical and critical thinking, and creativity. To provide a unique learning experience and, through it, the development of transferable skills, the Honors College at Texas Tech University created an upper-level Capstone course titled “Superheroes, Super Villains, AI, Time Travel, and Film in Science and Popular Culture.” The class is an interdisciplinary look at science and science fiction taught by an engineering faculty …

“Baking Inclusion Into Everything”: Internal Communication And Black And Latina Women’S Stories Of Intersectionality, Natalie Martell-Concepcion

Student Theses and Dissertations

Internal communications play a major role in creating diverse and inclusive workplace cultures. This study explores the lived experiences of Black and Latina women who work in internal communications, offering unique insights into how their identities intersect with workplace culture and strategic communication. Through a qualitative approach, six intersectional women, three Black and three Latina, were interviewed to examine how gender, racial and ethnic identities influence their work experiences and contributions. The results indicate that while Black and Latina women are treated differently at work compared to other groups, they use their differences to positively contribute to their companies’ internal …

Learning To Be An Autistic Therapist: Personal Steps Towards An Autism-Affirming Psychotherapy, Sasha D. Strong

Ought: The Journal of Autistic Culture

How can Autistic therapists understand and support themselves, and how can this help them support their clients? In this paper, I recount my personal journey of healing and growth as an Autistic psychotherapist, 16 months after self-identification. Here is an overview of conceptual frameworks from #actuallyautistic authors, critical theory, queer theory, and social justice that I have found helpful. I also share some of the therapeutic and wellness approaches that have been important to me, including mindfulness and bodyfulness. Organic knowing has been pivotal for me in discerning between masking and aliveness, and regaining a choice around masking behaviors. This …

Communicative Interventions For Autistic Employees In Academic Workplaces, Michaela De Meyer

Ought: The Journal of Autistic Culture

This essay provides an autoethnographic account of my experiences as an autistic employee in academia. By examining organizational communication literature on autism in the workplace, I identify some key issues that autistic employees face in academic workplaces. With research finding approximately 85% of autistic individuals are unemployed, and of those who are employed, only 6% are competitively employed in jobs that utilize their educational training and/or professional skill level, current cultural discourses around diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in the workplace provide an opportunity to make organizational challenges for autistic employees more visible. By sharing my own experiences in the …

Beyond Fear: Opportunities And Positive Use Of Ict Among Children And Adolescents, Mariana Buenestado-Fernández, Rosa García-Ruiz, Estefanía Jiménez-Iglesias, Rosario Barba-González

Journal of Media Literacy Education

This study aimed to understand the advantages of digital connectivity in children and teenagers up to 18 years. Utilizing the PRISMA protocol, a decade’s worth of literature was reviewed, analyzing 128 articles from WOS and Scopus databases. The research highlighted five key areas where digital connectivity can exert a positive impact on children: 1) Entertainment, information, and communication; 2) Emotional and social development; 3) Healthy lifestyle; 4) Citizen participation; and 5) education. Recent trends show a rise in studies related to education and training, mainly employing qualitative methods, and predominantly focusing on European adolescents (12 to 18). The research’s goal …

Media Literacy, Trust In Government And Vaccine Readiness: A Study Among Vietnam’S Youngsters, Van T. Vu

Journal of Media Literacy Education

This study examines the correlation between youngsters’ media literacy and their trust in government, support for anti-pandemic regulations, and vaccine readiness during the COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam. The findings show a statistically significant positive correlation between youngsters’ media literacy and their trust in government, support for anti-pandemic regulations, and vaccine readiness. The more media literacy youngsters have, the more likely they trust the government, comply with anti-pandemic regulations, and take the COVID-19 vaccines. The findings emphasize the importance of media literacy and media literacy education as the core solution to construct a media-literate society, in which youngsters use media for …

Exploring Critical Thinking Of Smartphone Use From Elementary School Students In Kosovo, Muhamet Jahiri, Gëzim Qerimi, Dren Gërguri

Journal of Media Literacy Education

This study examined smartphone usage behaviours of elementary school students and media literacy. Data were gathered from a survey with a sample of 450 students from different schools in seven main regions of Kosovo, aged 10-15. There is no difference between males and females in smartphone access, while there is a slight difference between them in time spent using smartphones. This research clearly shows that elementary school students’ smartphone use is very high, but on the other side, it is not reflected at all in the school curriculum. There is a low level of getting advice from parents and a …

Vulnerability Profiles And Educational Demands Of Spanish University Students In The Face Of Fake News, M. Esther Del Moral Pérez, Jonathan Castañeda Fernández, Nerea López-Bouzas, M. Carmen Bellver Moreno

Journal of Media Literacy Education

This study is part of the Surfing the Waves of Fake News (SURFake) project, involving 543 Spanish university students. Its purpose is to understand the variables related to potentially risky practices students engage in on social media and their educational shortcomings. An opinion questionnaire was used to establish levels of vulnerability to fake news. The results show that the most vulnerable are the youngest and those who spend more time exposed to social media, limit themselves to consuming content, read their news superficially, and lack specific education or training. Respondents who are aware of their limitations request training to recognize …

Ela And Social Studies Teachers’ Perspectives On The Importance Of Media Literacy For Student Learning, Hillary Gould, Sam Von Gillern, Matthew Korona, Alicia Haywood

Journal of Media Literacy Education

In this study, researchers aimed to develop an understanding of how English Language Arts and social studies teachers of middle- and high-school students perceive the value of media literacy skills and competencies for their students. The research team reviewed how these teachers rated various media literacy skills utilizing a set of 15 media literacy strategies categorized into three constructs, authors and audiences, messages and meaning, and representations and reality, in a survey demonstrating their perspectives on aspects of media literacy and their importance for student learning. The 860 teachers overwhelmingly recognize the importance of media literacy competencies for their students. …

Computer-Mediated Communication And Artificial Intelligence Strategies In Arts Entrepreneurship, Anna Blake

Journal of Arts Entrepreneurship Education

This study analyzes the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) using computer-mediated communication (CMC) theory to prospect areas for innovation in an emerging field that is rapidly becoming integrated within our everyday lives as well as in the marketplace. In order to demonstrate how arts entrepreneurs can effectively and ethically leverage AI technologies to communicate with their audiences and stakeholders, I examine as case studies the work of individual artists including Grimes. The CMC framework is used to examine art as a form of communication, illustrate how AI changes the nature of art, challenge the extant concepts of identity and intellectual …

Racial Reconciliation In Black And White: A Qualitative Study Of Live Mississippi Blues Music Communication, Christian Patterson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological research effort is to investigate a problem regarding communication between Black and White Mississippians in live Mississippi blues music settings. The central research question for this study is as follows: Can live Mississippi blues music communication be used as a tool to strengthen race relations between Black and White Mississippians? Few studies exist regarding this matter. Understanding this phenomenon is relevant because racial reconciliation is critical to the Magnolia State’s future success, and research has proven that music can unify individuals. To facilitate comprehension, a thorough literature review describes Mississippi’s racial challenges from the …

Exploring The Uses And Gratifications Of Higher Education Online Multimedia Instructional Tools: A Qualitative Study, Shelby Lord

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This research study examined the communication goals that motivate California Community College (CCC) faculty to employ multimedia instructional tools in their online classes. Additionally, this study investigated the positive and negative impacts of multimedia instructional tools on faculty-to-student communication. A qualitative research method was utilized for this research study. Findings were obtained from June 2024 through August 2024 using 25 qualitative semi-structured one-on-one interviews. Participants were faculty who were currently teaching remote classes through the CCC system, faculty who approved the informed consent for the study, and faculty who agreed to participate in a semi-structured interview. A thematic analysis process …

Analysis Of Public Opinion Polls About Covid-19 Vaccines: Theoretical And Policy Implications For Vaccine Communication And Campaigns To Address Vaccine Hesitancy, Muhammad Ittefaq, Hong Tien Vu, Ali Zain, Tayyeb Ramazan, Gary L. Kreps

School of Communication Studies - Faculty Scholarship

This study analyzed 1432 questions asked in 19 surveys (N = 43,014) on COVID-19 vaccines between January 2020 and August 2022 using dimensions including (1) information sources about COVID-19 vaccine, (2) information about the access, effectiveness, and side effects of COVID-19 vaccine, (3) COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy (i.e. false perception, skepticism, and vaccine refusal), (4) motivations to get the COVID-19 vaccine (i.e. to perform routine activities, convenience, incentives, influences, and travel requirement), (5) false perceptions caused vaccine refusal, and (6) intentions to get vaccinated. Our results show that vaccine refusal was rampant throughout the pandemic and mostly attributed to the …

A Study On The Physical Health Consequences Of Excessive Online Gaming In Ui Vocational Students, Salva Feyza Najwa Zaferina, Auliya Zahra, Haura Shalihah Desti Gunawan, Nayla Nirmala Izzati, Nindya Fairuzi Pradipta, Duray Philip Rompas, Micho Gunawan

Jurnal Sosial Humaniora Terapan

This study investigates the impact of online gaming on the physical health of vocational program students at the University of Indonesia, amidst the growing popularity of this activity in the digital age. Utilizing a survey method, data were collected through questionnaires to assess gaming habits and their associated health effects. Findings reveal that while students report feelings of happiness and satisfaction from gaming, they also acknowledge adverse health outcomes. Notable issues include fatigue from prolonged gaming sessions, poor dietary habits, and sleep disturbances. Although a significant majority (94%) feel in control of their gaming time, a considerable portion (84%) recognizes …

The Sound Of Change: Afrobeats And The Deconstruction Of African Stereotypes, Ibrahim Yusif

Journal of Critical Race and Ethnic Studies

This essay investigates how Afrobeats, a genre rooted in the dynamic cultural traditions of West Africa, serves as a strategic medium to counter the pervasive negative stereotypes about Africa perpetuated in Western media narratives. Often depicted through reductive portrayals of poverty, conflict, and disease, Africa’s representation in Western discourse starkly contrasts with the themes of vitality, resilience, and modernity inherent in Afrobeats music. I analyze the works of artists such as Rema, Davido, Burna Boy, and Tiwa Savage, highlighting how their music celebrates African pride, historical depth, and the empowerment of African women. Additionally, I examine the role of digital …

Intersectionality And The Framing Of News: A Discourse Analysis Of Black Press And Mainstream Coverage About Vice President Kamala Harris, Rockia K. Harris, Shaniece B. Bickham, Jinx C. Broussard

Journal of Critical Race and Ethnic Studies

Vice President Kamala Harris made history in 2020 by becoming the first woman, and first Black and Asian descent to earn this coveted role for any party (Clark & Adams, 2021). During her 2020 campaign, VP Harris showed how significant identity is to her autonomy as a first-generation American who openly supports historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), as a Howard University alumna and sorority member under the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) (Zeleny et al., 2020). Thus, Harris' identity and storyline became a personified view of inclusivity, further emphasizing her culturally and historically significant election. As the 2024 U.S. presidential …

How Can Faith Based Nonprofits Acquire And Retain New Donors From Generation Z?, Mariana Combariza

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Faith-based nonprofits, such as World Vision or Compassion International, are aware that their primary donor demographic is aging. As such, they face pressure to engage younger generations who will likely become their future financial supporters in order for their nonprofit work to be sustained. Although multiple qualitative studies have demonstrated the interest and desire that Generation Z has to donate to causes they believe in, further research is needed to understand their donation behavior and how it correlates to nonprofits’ marketing strategies. In this study, we use quantitative and qualitative data from over 243 randomly selected Gen Z college students …

The Burden Mothers Bear: Using The Health Belief Model To Understand How U.S. Mothers’ Intersectional Identities Shape Health Decision-Making During Covid-19, Sydney O'Shay, Kaitlin E. Phillips, Marissa J. Sáez

Publications

The disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on people of color and the burden placed on mothers created a need to better understand how mothers of color made health decisions for their families and communicated these decisions with others during the pandemic. This study investigated how this populations’ intersectional identities played a role in their health decision-making processes and overall experiences during COVID-19. Using the health belief model as a sensitizing concept, we conducted qualitative in-depth interviews with mothers of color across the United States about their lived experiences during the pandemic. Our findings suggest a need for health communicators to address …

Conceptual Curiosity: Sense(Un)Making, Rebekah L. Cowell

Proceedings from the Document Academy

Across disciplines, sensemaking is a theoretical and methodological research program, over forty years in development, that has been treated as a framework for understanding how humans behaviorally respond to external information sources and interpret to construct and actualize actionable outcomes; however, sensemaking is an interlinking process that does not operate in singularity–behaviorally or actionably–it is neurobiological (autonomous drive), cognitive (perceptual and predictive), and psychological (congruency in meaning).

This paper enlarges the conceptual framework for studying sensemaking and redefines it by addressing what sensemaking is, does, and needs. At the core of this conversation is addressing the absence of knowledge and …

The Cowl - V. 88 N. 10 - December 12, 2024

The Cowl

The Cowl - student newspaper of Providence College. Vol. 88 No. 10 - December 12, 2024. 20 pages.

The Leadership Identity Presented On Linkedin, Carl L. Tolbert

The Journal of Values-Based Leadership

LinkedIn has evolved in a way similar to other social media platforms but is unique in that it focuses on professional networking and careers. Many professionals seek to showcase their leadership skills and philosophies as part of a publicly showcased online persona. This paper aimed to examine the posts specific to leadership and thematically investigate presentation strategies, motivation, and purposes behind the posts. The paper begins with a historical review from the inception of LinkedIn through pivotal milestones in the history of the company. Key concepts from the literature are then reviewed specific to social media use and motivations behind …

Volume 60, Issue 1, 2024 Speaker & Gavel

Speaker & Gavel

Complete digital issue (Volume 60, issue 1, 2024) of Speaker & Gavel.

Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene: Image And Kategoria, Apologia, Antapologia, William L. Benoit, Kevin A. Stein

Speaker & Gavel

Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene was elected as the U.S. Representative from Georgia in November, 2020; her term of office began on January 3, 2021. On that day, Democratic Representative Jahana Hayes denounced Greene for “espousing hateful rhetoric and conspiracy theories about the legitimacy of mass school shootings,” expressing this sentiment in a letter to the Republican leadership in the House which was posted on Twitter. Hayes argued that Greene should not be appointed to the House Committee on Education and Labor. The next day, Representative Greene responded with an apologia on the House floor. This defense in turn prompted Democratic …

Democracy In Crisis: Persuasive Attack On President Donald Trump In The January 6 Select Committee's Final Report, William L. Benoit

Speaker & Gavel

Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump in the 2020 American presidential election. However, President Trump refused to accept his loss and he created and implemented multiple schemes to overthrow the election so he could stay in office. The House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol conducted televised hearings into the insurrection and published its report on December 22, 2022. This study employs the Theory of Persuasive Attack to investigate strategies employed to attack Trump in its Report. He was attacked both for action (attempting to overturn the election) and inaction (refusing requests to ask …

Volume 60, Issue 1, 2024 Speaker & Gavel Front Matter

Speaker & Gavel

Front matter and table of contents for Volume 60, Issue 1, 2024 of Speaker & Gavel.

A Qualitative Analysis Applying Uses And Gratifications Theory To Explore The Types Of Spaces Within Facebook Post Comments Regarding Mental Illness And Suicide, Melissa Rice

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The current study investigated spaces created within Facebook comments on posts related to mental illness and suicide. The uses and gratification theory and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs served as the framework for this qualitative study utilizing content analysis to analyze 14,186 comments from 175 Facebook posts. This study highlights how user comments on specific posts create engagement spaces that turn positive or negative based on Facebook users' need for fulfillment. The findings also suggest that users engage with posts to meet various needs, such as seeking validation and attention, fulfilling a desire to feel valued, connecting with others through shared …