Communication Commons^™

Capturing Tradition: The Business, Branding, And Personal Identity Of Senior Portraits In The Modern South, Xenia R. Minton

Honors Theses

The rise of college students starting photography businesses, particularly in graduation portraits, has transformed the creative and entrepreneurial landscape in the South. This thesis explores the senior portrait culture at the University of Mississippi, analyzing its rapid growth through the perspectives of photographers and academic experts in Southern Studies. Grounded in eight years of experience as a photographer, this study examines the evolution of the industry, business strategies, and cultural significance. Through interviews with seasoned senior portrait photographers and Southern Studies professors, this research investigates how regional traditions, social media, and consumer expectations have shaped the profession. By analyzing these …

What You See Is Not What You Get: Food Advertising Amidst The Global Overweight And Obesity Pandemic, Marija Ocokoljic

Journal of Marketing and Consumer Behaviour in Emerging Markets

The tandem issue of obesity and overweight is a serious global issue that has attained pandemic scale. Media, particularly advertising, plays an active role in shaping perceptions and behavioural patterns, influencing both how and what people eat. This paper analyses food advertising in Serbia in 2023 in the context of promoting dietary habits. Content analysis of commercials aired on a selection of television stations during the year showed the overwhelming prevalence of ads for food high in fat, sugar, and salt (HFSS), with confectionary products in lead positions. Commercial narratives centre on framing them as sources or catalysts for joyful, …

The Current - Volume 35 Issue 12, Nova Southeastern University

Student Newspapers

No abstract provided.

Revolting Drag: Filth, Horror, And The Queer Art Of Monstrosity, Claire-Scott A. Lynch

LSU Master's Theses

This thesis examines how The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula, a horror-themed reality drag competition series, uses monstrosity as a tool of queer resistance. In contrast to mainstream drag representations, which often promote assimilationist ideals, Dragula embraces filth, grotesqueries, and failure as strategies of disrupting normative structures. Grounded in queer theory and queer of color critique, this thesis uses thematic analysis to explore how Dragula mobilizes monstrosity to resist normative portrayals of queerness. Through close analysis of the show’s season finales, the study identifies three major themes: grotesque aesthetics, beyond the binary, and identity as resistance. These findings reveal how Dragula positions …

Ua45 Registrar Updates, Wku Registrar

WKU Administration Documents

Newsletter created by and about the WKU Registrar's office.

Ua19/16/2 Women's Basketball Press Releases, Wku Athletic Media Relations

WKU Administration Documents

Press releases and game statistics for WKU women's basketball team in spring 2025.

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 Volleyball Press Relations, Wku Athletic Media Relations

WKU Administration Documents

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

Ua19/16/2 Track & Field Press Releases, Wku Athletic Media Relations

WKU Administration Documents

Press releases and game statistics for WKU track teams in spring 2025.

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

WKU Administration Documents

Press releases and game statistics for WKU football team in 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 Basketball Press Releases, Wku Athletic Media Relations

WKU Administration Documents

Press releases and game statistics for WKU men's basketball team in spring 2025.

Ua35/3 Provost's Message, Wku Provost

WKU Administration Documents

Spring 2025 Provost's Messages issued to faculty & staff via email. Topics include awards, budget cuts, grants, Transdisciplinary Opportunity Program and administrative decisions.

Newsletter, Wku Staff Senate

Staff Council

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

Does Ai Help Or Harm? Why And How Ai Use Influences Workplace Outcomes And Employee Well-Being, Haille Trimboli, Reka Lassu

Education Division Scholarship

Although the recent surge in excitement surrounding artificial intelligence (AI) might suggest it is a new development, AI has been applied in organizations for over forty years (Fanti et al., 2022; Markelius et al., 2024). Indeed, the term "artificial intelligence" itself emerged in the 1950s during a research project at Dartmouth College, where it was used to describe "machines able to simulate human intelligence" (Haenlein & Kaplan, 2019, p. 3). Most recently, in 2022, the landscape of AI use for laypeople greatly changed when OpenAI introduced ChatGPT, a generative AI tool, to the public; ChatGPT is an advanced AI language …

When Online Gambling Was Legalized, Did We As A Society Think About The Long Term Consequences?, Joshua Linnehan

Interdisciplinary Senior Seminar

Legalized online gambling has increased the amount of problematic gamblers, due to companies such as DraftKings and FanDuel advertising their product, and the governments in US and Canada having a liberation point of view when it comes to people’s free will to gamble. This paper covers the rise of sports betting since its legalization, and how it impacts various demographics of people in order to understand the limits of sports betting and to not be persuaded to gamble irresponsibly by outside influences.

Ua3/10 President's Messages - Spring Semester, Wku President's Office - Caboni

WKU Administration Documents

President's Message emails sent by Timothy Caboni to faculty & staff during spring semester, 2025.

• Accreditation
• Budget
• Buildings
• Cherry Hall Renovation
• Commencement
• Enrollment / Recruitment
• Legislation
• Semester Kickoff
• Semester Review
• Student Retention
• Summer Review

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

WKU Administration Documents

Press releases and game statistics for WKU golf teams in spring 2025.

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

WKU Administration Documents

Press releases and game statistics for WKU tennis teams in spring 2025.

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

WKU Administration Documents

Press releases and game statistics for WKU softball 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.

A Rhetorical Analysis Of The Emasculation Of Men Through Televised Forums Of Entertainment, Skylar G. Sexton

Senior Honors Theses

What constitutes manliness stands on the brink of collapse. Society wages war on the idea of biological men and women. This simultaneously blurs the lines of the distinctive characteristics that define a man such as initiative, protective instincts, self-control, and leadership. Media forums act as a reflection as well as an influencing medium for a cultural body. Films have fundamentally changed their depiction of men in television since the 1960s and 1970s. Manliness is being redefined through films' depictions of a man, as well as by societal movements such as feminism. Men are being emasculated in society today, which is …

Attitudes Towards Political Censorship In Eastern And Western Germany, Brandon Pionk

Political Science Theses and Capstones

Recently there has been a lot of coverage on political censorship in Germany. Censorship has an important role in Germany due to WWII. In Germany support for freedom of the press has been declining in recent years. Right leaning political parties are emerging which has caused opposition parties to try and ban them. I analyze data in this study from the Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences (GESIS). I analyze different political culture variables in western and eastern Germany for their impact on views on censorship. I incorporate multiple variables including education, gender, age, political affiliation, and living location. Early …

The Guardian The Month Of April 2025, Wright State Student Body

The Guardian Student Newspaper

News articles from The Guardian for the Month of April 2025. The Guardian is the official student-run newspaper for Wright State University. It has been published regularly since March of 1965.

State Of Women In The Media: A Look At Kenya, Tanzania, And Uganda - Policy Brief 2025, Hesbon Owilla, Nancy Achieng' Booker, George Nyabuga, Shitemi Khamadi, Alykhan Peermohamed, Clare Mogere, Pauline Muriuki

Graduate School of Media and Communications

In 2023, Aga Khan University’s Graduate School of Media and Communications (AKU-GSMC) undertook a study examining the representation of women in East African news media organisations with a focus on the coverage and portrayal of women in prominent newspapers, television, and digital news platforms across Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania. The study specifically sought to assess gender representation within the media workforce, the distribution of leadership roles and responsibilities in media companies, and the way women are covered and portrayed in the media. Using content analysis, the study reveals that women are frequently underreported in news stories and disproportionately portrayed in …

It Ends With Us: How Social Media Algorithms Shape Recommendations In Online Reading Communities, Alana Nicole Whitley

Communication & Theatre Arts Theses

My thesis explores social media algorithms and their influence on recommendations of authors for people who engage with reading communities online. During a three-week research period, I examined algorithmic behaviors in online book communities using an alias. Findings revealed that BookTube, BookTok, and Bookstagram facilitate book discovery but offer weak algorithmic recommendations and suggestions. While social media algorithms excel at providing opportunities for creators and authors, they fail to promote trending and diverse books. These insights indicate that algorithms shape literary consumption by limiting readers’ choices. This research contributes to discussions of online reading communities and the role of algorithmic …

The "Green Gals" Podcast And Website, Courtney Perkins

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Professional Projects

This is a series of three podcast episodes under the series name "Green Gals" with a companion website of the same name. Each episode focuses on a different aspect of sustainable living with the goal of providing valuable tools, tips and information that everyday people can use to integrate sustainability into their everyday lives. The episodes ("Reduce, Reuse... Recycle?"; "Food Waste" and "Composting 101") are hosted by myself and a co-host, discussing the topic along with pre-recorded interviews which I conducted with experts in the field. The material is presented in a casual, engaging manner, employing music intros, transitions and …

2nd Place Contest Entry: Aquí Y Ahora: The Role Of Us Spanish-Language Tv News In Financial Vulnerability, Cintya Felix

Kevin and Tam Ross Undergraduate Research Prize

This is Cintya Felix's submission for the 2025 Kevin and Tam Ross Undergraduate Research Prize, which won second place. It contains their essay on using library resources, their bibliography, and a summary of their research project on Spanish-language media’s impact on financial attitudes.

Cintya is a third-year student at Chapman University, majoring in Political Science and Spanish. Their faculty mentor is Dr. Ann Gordon.

1st Place Contest Entry: "The Chip Off The Block": The 21st-Century Legacy Of Schoolhouse Rock!, Megan Lewandowski

Kevin and Tam Ross Undergraduate Research Prize

This is Megan Lewandowski's submission for the 2025 Kevin and Tam Ross Undergraduate Research Prize, which won first place. It contains their essay on using library resources, their bibliography, and a summary of their research project on the legacy of Schoolhouse Rock! in the 21st century.

Megan is a fourth-year student at Chapman University, majoring in Music and Psychology. Their faculty mentor is Dr. Carrie Dike.