Digital Commons Network^™

Battle Cry To “Do The Research”: Vulnerability To Qanon, Alt Media, And Low News Media Literacy, Kaye D. Sweetser, Kalyca Lynn Becktel

Journal of Media Literacy Education

This survey (N = 579) investigated news media literacy among those likely to believe in the conspiracy theories of QAnon. Vulnerability to belief in QAnon conspiracies was predicted by a media diet of alternative media such as 4chan and SnapChat. Those vulnerable to QAnon conspiracy theories had lower news media literacy scores than those who appeared to be resistant to QAnon theories, and rated themselves with lower need for cognition and higher cynicism. Vulnerability to QAnon was predicted by a belief in other specific conspiracy theories, low value of news media literacy, less understanding of the news business, belief …

Massacre Vs. Shooting: Exploring Cnn And Fox’S Coverage Of The Uvalde Robb Elementary School Attack, Maya Beesley

DU Undergraduate Research Journal Archive

This study dissects FOX News Media (FOX News) and Cable News Network’s (CNN) media coverage differences of the Uvalde, Texas Robb Elementary School terror attack (Uvalde shooting). On March 24, 2022, Salvador Ramos perpetrated a mass shooting, killing 19 children and two teachers and injuring 17 others. This paper showcases that the incident qualifies as terrorism and explores how two major U.S. news outlets framed and covered the incident differently in their headlines, images, captions, sources, and tone. While CNN emphasized police culpability, victim perspectives, and presented a somber tone, FOX News downplayed the severity of the attack, highlighted police …

Framing The Sudanese Refugee Flows To Egypt Across Traditional And Social Media., Ghada Abdullah

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the framing of Sudanese refugees in Egyptian media during the first year of the Sudanese conflict (April 2023–March 2024). Employing a content analysis framework, the research investigates content from three Egyptian newspapers—Al Ahram, Al Masry Al Youm, and Al Wafd—alongside tweets from the social media platform X. The study identifies recurring frames, themes, and narratives, highlighting differences between traditional media and social media platforms in their portrayal of Sudanese refugees. Key findings reveal that neutral tone dominate traditional media, focusing on factual reporting, followed by negative, then positive tones. Conversely, social media predominantly features negative narratives, such …

Women In The Traditional Gender System Through Sexualized And Inappropriate Performances In The Modern Advertisements, Ruoning Xia

Communication ETDs

This study examined the body and gender identity performances and narratives of women in different Chinese advertisements, and deconstructed the motivation and representation of humiliation, sexual harassment, and gender offside toward women in public spaces. The study takes feminism, patriarchal capitalism, and rhetorical criticism to analyze the situation of Chinese women’s identity and gender in the traditional gender system, as well as the status of women’s situations with patriarchy and capitalism discourses. Through the analysis of the advertisements, the study criticized the gender (mis)representation of women’s gender identity and bodies among women's identities, bodies, and patriarchy, and deconstructs the gender …

Mental Health Advocates, Lawmakers Discuss Involuntary Commitment Expansion, Joshua T. Stone

Communication

New York has made it easier to involuntarily hospitalize people with severe mental illness as part of the state budget signed at the Capitol in early May by Gov. Kathy Hochul. State law previously allowed people with severe mental illness to be involuntarily hospitalized if two physicians determined they pose a threat to themselves or others. The updated law sets a standard to include people who are deemed unwilling or unable to support their basic needs, including food, shelter and medical care, due to their mental illness. However, opponents of the updated law say it could be misused to involuntarily …

Epistemic Dysfunction In American Politics: The Impact Of Misinformation On Knowledge Acquisition., Megan Crowley

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

Political misinformation has become an increasingly prominent topic of discussion among scholars across disciplines, particularly in the wake of the 2020 American presidential election. Despite growing scholarly interest in this phenomenon, however, contemporary research has yet to examine misinformation alongside traditional epistemological theory. This thesis aims to remedy this gap by synthesizing classical epistemology, journalism and media research, and political science to investigate the impact of misinformation on political knowledge acquisition. To accomplish this goal, the analysis will focus on the justification condition, conceptualized according to both internalist and externalist perspectives. The internalism section will cast misinformation as a form …

Moving The Goalposts: American Sports Coverage In Newspapers And The Construction Of Gender, Race And Sexuality In The Olympics In 1928, 1932, 1936., Jacob Havers

All Theses

This thesis takes an in-depth look at the media coverage of women in the Olympics in 1928, 1932 and 1936. Specifically following the track athletes Kinue Hitomi, Louise Stokes, Tidye Pickett and Mildred “Babe” Didrikson the thesis explores how by being athletic women they had their identities as feminine figures heavily questioned and scrutinized in newspapers at the global level. The harshest of these critics was often the American media, who held strict standards of race, gender and sexuality in the late 1920s-mid 1930s. They sought to uphold these standards at the global scale, and the American media’s interrogation of …

Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story: A Comparative Analysis Of The Representations Of American Serial Killers In News And True Crime Media, Jenelle Walters

Honors Theses

Serial killers are a subject that have fascinated individuals for centuries in both news and entertainment media. Although research has been done on the representations of serial killers in news media, little research has attempted to connect the representations seen in the news media to those seen in true crime entertainment media. Through the use of four case studies, a comparative analysis was done to compare the framing seen in the original news articles, both local and national, to the framing seen in the later true crime films, documentaries, and series. Although the framing originally seen in the news media …

Gender, Politics, And Power: How Women Presidential Candidates Are Framed By News Narratives, Victoria Hernandez

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The aim of this study was to look at the coverage of the presidential campaigns of Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Kamala Harris in 2024 during the Democratic National Convention, and analyze the differences in regard to gender, race, and political bias. The examination of these news narratives helps explore a question of whether journalists report with bias when covering politics. The researcher analyzed 11 published pieces from five mainstream media outlets. Findings of the study show that bias is unavoidable even when a journalist strives for objectivity which does not exist in newsrooms across the political spectrum. The findings …

Community Media Coalitions: Best Practices To Support Healthy Local News Ecosystems, Stepfanie E. Alfonso

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Local U.S. journalism is in crisis. Communities across the country are suffering from a loss of local outlets, journalists, and a shortage of original coverage that addresses critical information needs. Yet, community media coalitions (CMCs) offer a promising solution. These coalitions bring together media outlets, educational institutions, and civic organizations to collaboratively support local news ecosystems. However, little is known about these coalitions or how to effectively build and operate them from the perspective of their creators.

To address this information gap, a guidebook was created titled A Best Practices Guide for Community Media Coalition Building: How to Wrangle All …

Intersectionality In Tennis (Wta) Sports Media, Emily Stoner

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

This “applied knowledge” project investigates and observes intersectionality in tennis sports media via the women’s professional tour (WTA). Intersectionality in Tennis (WTA) Sports Media analyzes how intersectionality as a concept and social justice lens impacts and is impacted by media. By considering intersectional identities and their implications in sports media narratives and coverage, this piece displays some telling patterns and perpetuations.

At the professional level, tennis certainly does not garner the most profit or attention, but it provides a unique world of intersecting identities, cultures, geography and tradition. This work aims to shed light on the state of sports media, …

On And Off The Court: Who Am I?, Katie Claire Parker

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

From a very young age, athletically gifted individuals are encouraged to pursue their sport. This can lead to a strong maturity in an athletic sense, yet it comes at the expense of other areas of development. The early commitments to sport require the individual to make sacrifices that allow them to gain competency over others, as a result, additional values and identifying characteristics get pushed aside. Further, athletes are known for performing in the spotlight. Every game has an audience and one team ends up a winner, the other a loser. Typically, the athletes experience the highs of victory and …

Ua12/2/2 Talisman: Connection, Wku Student Affairs

WKU Administration Documents

Spring 2025 Talisman:

• Alali, Cecilia & Ragan Harrington. Connection
• Hardesty, Emma. On a Roll – Dungeons & Dragons
• Muscutt, Carson. Grinding Through Life – Molotov Skateshop
• Cox, Kate. Stopwatch
• Harrington, Ragan. 1 Campus, 7 Strangers – Logan Hesse, Nicholas Basile, Spencer Winterbottom, Alliyah Jones, Alex Gehring, Annie McClurg, Rowan Finley
• Vickers, Abigail. Forged in Combat – Mixed Martial Arts
• Wood-Morris, Oli. Survivors to Neighbors – Bosnian Refugees
• Jordan, Shylin. Severed Roots
• Bivens, Emily. Behind the Screen – Social Media
• Dean, Clarissa. Shear Talent – Shake Rag Barbershop
• Sutton, Avery. For the Love of the Old – Thrift Shopping
• Phelps, Maggie. …

Ua12/2/1 College Heights Herald, Vol. 100, No. 3, Wku Student Affairs

WKU Administration Documents

Magazine edition of the College Heights Herald for the period February 17 - April 20, 2025.

• Wilborn, Price. You Matter & You Are Not Alone
• Smith, Kane. Peggy Crowe Reflects on Counseling Center in Face of Staff Shortages
• Stafford, Hallie. Help with Horses – New Beginnings Therapeutic Horse Riding
• Hawkins, Kaylee. How a WKU Professor Helps Improve Student Mental Health – Jay Gabbard, National Alliance on Mental Illness Recovery Support Group
• McMahon, Jake. More Than a Coach – Brent Chumbley, Track & Field
• Simpson, Libby. WKU’s American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Brings Mental Health Into the Light
• Hardesty, Emma. Trans …

The Impact Of Mindfulness-Based Journaling On Psychological Well-Being, Jonah Guthrie

Honors Projects

This study investigated the effects of mindfulness-based journaling compared to free-form journaling on perceived stress, emotion regulation, and mindfulness in undergraduate students. Participants (N = 43) were randomly assigned to either a mindfulness-based journaling group or a free-form journaling group. Both groups journaled daily for two weeks and completed pre- and post-intervention assessments using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS), and Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ).

A series of 2 × 2 mixed-design repeated measures ANOVAs revealed a significant main effect of time for perceived stress, F(1, 7) = 28.38, p = .003, …

Tales About Afghan Women After The U.S. Lost The War In Afghanistan In 2021: A Frame Analysis Of Coverage In The New York Times, Ismat Ara Begum

Communication ETDs

This study investigates how U.S. news media framed Afghan women’s identities and experiences in the context of the Taliban’s return to power after the U.S. military withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan. In this qualitative inquiry, I examined 11 in-depth, human-interest stories in The New York Times, a mainstream news organization known for its influence on coverage of international and global affairs. A frame analysis was applied to identify salient frames and their ideological underpinnings. The findings show two dominant frames in the coverage, women’s rights and victimhood, articulated through three rhetorical strategies—binary oppositions, comparing loss vs. gain, and emphasis on …

The Current - Volume 35 Issue 12, Nova Southeastern University

Student Newspapers

No abstract provided.

The Cowl - V. 88 N. 19 - April 10, 2025

The Cowl

The Cowl - student newspaper of Providence College. Vol. 88 No. 19 - April 10, 2025. 16 pages.

Active Wear Meets Industry Leading Hydration Co In Social Media Connection, Lainey Boulton

Student Research Symposium

ACTA Wear has recently teamed up with HydroJug, creating a powerful partnership that brings together two brands dedicated to promoting a healthy and active lifestyle. Known for its high-quality, performance-driven activewear, ACTA Wear has found an ideal ally in HydroJug, a brand that focuses on hydration and wellness. This collaboration aims to inspire individuals to take better care of their bodies by integrating fitness, hydration, and the right gear into their daily routines. By joining forces, both brands have united their missions of encouraging healthier habits and offering products that help individuals live their best, most active lives.

The Fear Of Replacement: How Ai Panic In Journalism Mirrors Existential Crisis In Industry, James Hutson

Faculty Scholarship

This study systematically examines the portrayal of artificial intelligence (AI) errors, such as hallucinations and deepfakes, in journalistic contexts, evaluating whether these narratives reflect a broader existential anxiety about AI's role in reshaping journalism. Using a systematic literature review combined with a qualitative content analysis of recent AI-focused news reports, this study identifies recurring themes in media coverage to assess the accuracy and context of reported AI errors relative to actual technological limitations and affordances. Findings suggest that while AI errors are comparatively rare, they receive amplified coverage, often fueling public mistrust in AI technologies. Nevertheless, a balanced examination reveals …

The Scowl - V. 88 N. 18 - April 3, 2025

The Cowl

The Cowl - student newspaper of Providence College. Vol. 88 No. 18 - April 3, 2025. 20 pages.

Ua19/16/2 Ahletics Press Releases, Wku Athletic Media Relations

WKU Administration Documents

Press releases regarding general activities of the WKU Athletics Department for spring 2025.

Ua19/16/2 Soccer Press Releases, Wku Athletic Media Relations

WKU Administration Documents

Press releases and game statistics for WKU soccer team in spring 2025.

Ua19/16/2 Baseball Press Releases, Wku Athletic Media Relations

WKU Administration Documents

Press releases and game statistics for WKU baseball team in spring 2025.

Code^Shift Newsletter Spring 2025, Srividya Ramasubramanian, Manaswini Pillai

CODE^SHIFT Research

No abstract provided.

Generative Ai And Journalism: Hype, The Always Already New, Hype, And Directions For Scholarly Imagination, Nik Usher

Communication: Faculty Scholarship

This essay pushes against hype about generative AI in both journalism and journalism scholarship. Emergent questions around the black box nature of AI, concerns about information disorder, and problems with the theft of intellectual property are recontextualized with a new focus – one that demands scholars think outside of the newsroom, center the natural and the cultural elements of journalism, and ultimately, remain critical about the always already new of new technologies and powerful companies looking to devalue human labor. A warning is issued about generative AI and journalism more generally, pushing us to study the importance of remembering unequal …

The Current - Volume 35 Issue 11, Nova Southeastern University

Student Newspapers

No abstract provided.

The Cowl - V. 88 N. 17 - March 27, 2025

The Cowl

The Cowl - student newspaper of Providence College. Vol. 88 No. 17 - March 27, 2025. 16 pages.

The Current - Volume 35 Issue 10, Nova Southeastern University

Student Newspapers

No abstract provided.

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, …