Communication Commons^™

Understanding Generation Z Polarization: Findings From A Preliminary Replication Study, Liane Weintraub

The Scholarship Without Borders Journal

Amid rising polarization and declining trust in democratic institutions, Generation Z (Gen Z) faces unique challenges in navigating civic discourse. This study presents comparative findings from two survey cohorts (2023, n = 56; 2025, n = 25) examining Gen Z students’ political identity, discourse habits, interpersonal trust, and civic attitudes. Framed by Social Identity Theory (SIT), Cultural Intelligence (CQ), and discourse theory, the study explores how ideological difference and identity signaling shape students’ willingness to engage across divides. Findings indicate continuity in partisan skepticism and discourse openness, but also growing fatigue, reduced trust, and ambivalence toward equity. While affective polarization …

The Detrimental Impact Of Early Childhood Exposure To Pornography, Leica Marie Estomo

The Scholarship Without Borders Journal

As pornography continues to become more easily and readily accessible, children are at higher risk of viewing it. This work aims to investigate the destructive impact of premature exposure to pornography, and the negative perceptions of sex and decision-making towards it as a result. The operational definition used defines “early exposure” as prepubescents (children of elementary-grade school ages) viewing explicit material through involuntary and accidental initial engagement, and “decision-making” as moral agency and choice of response and action. The populations searched focused more on American culture and its lens on sex and pornography, with the incorporation of other cultural frameworks …

A Teacher, Medical Advisor, And Comedian Walk Into A Bar: Table For One, Everything Ai Can Do, Lorelai M. Kline

Student Scholar Symposium

As Generative AI continues to rise in popularity, AI chatbots have emerged as a promising solution for addressing students’ real-world needs. This presentation investigates the development process behind a series of specialized, personality-driven AI assistants—created via the Boodlebox platform—and examines how these chatbots enhance educational experiences and practical applications. The research uses progressive design methodologies, including persona development, natural language processing optimization, and user-centric testing protocols. Examples of personal bots include a historical assistant that interprets contemporary social scenarios through an 18th- to 19th-century perspective and a Spanish-speaking chatbot that leverages playful sarcasm to foster deeper engagement. Preliminary findings show …

Communicating Strategically In The Workplace: A Resource For Engineering And Science Majors, Karishma Chatterjee, Damla A. Ricks, Diane E Waryas Hughey

Mavs Open Press Open Educational Resources - Archive

We created this book to provide a targeted understanding of the process of communication to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) students. We have included specific and concise information in this book catering to technical and professional fields. Students will be able to develop their skills in writing, presenting, and interviewing, and improve their interpersonal relationships in the workplace.

Spatial Conversations: Opportunities To Share Geographic Knowledge, L. Jesse Rouse, Barbara L. Maclennan, Susan J. Bergeron, H. Franklin Lafone

Anthropology and Geography

For more than twenty years geographers have taken advantage of “new media” to share information, make connections, and expand the “spatial conversation.” As blogs opened the door for informal self-publishing and communicating about narrow, focused topic areas, geographers began to use emerging media platforms to present ideas to a broader audience, more quickly and interactively, as new data and technologies became available. Audio podcasts and videos broadened the platforms for dissemination and provide a greater level of immersion through digital media. Between the open publishing and subscription opportunities, and interaction provided through comments and social media engagement, a dialectic was …

A Design Of Our Own: Legal Ramifications Of Progressing Our Own Replacements One Face At A Time, Katlin Thorpe

Student Scholar Symposium

No abstract provided.

Human Moderators Behind The Ai: Unseen Costs And Hidden Consequences, Jacy Stricker

Student Scholar Symposium

This presentation is about AI-driven content moderation and the ethical and legal concerns surrounding the human moderators who oversee it. While AI helps filter content on platforms like TikTok and Instagram, it often fails to catch nuanced violations, exposing human moderators to harmful material with serious mental health consequences.

Revitalizing St. John Nepomuk Church, Elizabeth Fischer, Hannah King, Hunter Rust, Grace Desjardins, Patrick Clover, Kyle Ater

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Our project focuses on the Czech immigrant community of St. John Nepomuk Church in St. Louis, one of the oldest historically Czech parishes in the United States. To promote awareness of the church’s cultural and historical significance, we are creating a dedicated website, informational pamphlet, and social media presence that highlight its history, architecture, and ongoing role in the community. We are also producing a video tour led by a prominent church member to introduce the site, alongside a testimonial video that preserves a personal perspective on the church’s legacy. Through these efforts, we aim to support cultural preservation and …

Ted Cruz, Tucker Carlson, And The 'Terrorists' Of January 6th: Mortification, Groveling, And Political Image Repair Discourse, Matthew Gerber, Kayla Rhidenour

Speaker & Gavel

This article examines the image repair discourse of Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) as it relates to an incident that occurred on the Tucker Carlson Tonight show following the events of January 6th, 2021, at the U.S. Capitol. After referring to the January 6th rioters as “terrorists”, which angered his Republican base, Cruz was compelled to appear on Carlson’s highly watched Fox News program in an attempt to bolster his reputation. The authors argue that Cruz’s strategic approach is best classified as mortification, but also note and investigate the nonverbal, tonal, and extra-message influence of groveling as it played out in …

Surrogate Apologia: Posthumous Image Repair For Mac Miller, Chris Cornell, And Naomi Judd, Kevin Stein, Nicolas Stein, Matthew Barton

Speaker & Gavel

The essay examines the surrogate image repair/apologia offered by the family and friends of deceased musicians Mac Miller, Chris Cornell, and Naomi Judd following their untimely deaths from drug overdose or suicide. Typical image repair cases involve harmful behaviors, such as infidelity, violence, and racism, along with offenders required to speak on their own behalf in order to fend off threats to reputation. In the three cases explored in this analysis, the image threats emerged posthumously as surrogates spoke in defense of the legacies of these great musical artists. In order to fend off attacks from music fans, internet trolls, …

Change Gone Come?: Anti-Blackness And The Exclusion Of Black Judges In Mutual Preference Judging, Shanara Reid-Brinkley

Speaker & Gavel

The Mutual Preference Judging (MPJ) system has faced persistent criticism from coaches and debaters of color who note that MPJ has allowed traditional, plan-based (majority white and non-black) debaters to exclude the vast majority of Black judges from being placed in their debates. This article reviews the placement of Black judges in elimination rounds at national policy debate tournaments from 2013 to 2022. The review supports the argument that plan-based debate teams exclude Black judges from their judge preference sheets, significantly limiting Black representation in the elimination rounds of national tournaments.

Volume 61, Issue 1, 2025 Speaker & Gavel Front Matter

Speaker & Gavel

Front matter and table of contents for Volume 61, Issue 1, 2025 of Speaker & Gavel.

Volume 61, Issue 1, 2025 Speaker & Gavel

Speaker & Gavel

Complete digital issue (Volume 61, issue 1, 2025) of Speaker & Gavel.

Chad Dobson Reflects On The Launch Of The World Bank Reform Campaign, Chad Dobson, Julie Radomski

Perspectives

Chad Dobson is the founder of the Bank Information Center (BIC) and led BIC from 1987 to 1997 and 2007 to 2016. He is widely accredited with developing the global campaign strategies for environmental and social reforms of multilateral development banks (MDB). In this interview, he recounts the early days of BIC and the development of the global campaign.

Lindenwood Digest, December 17, 2025, Lindenwood University

Lindenwood Digest

The December 17, 2025, edition of the Lindenwood University Employee Digest provides essential year-end updates and preparation instructions for the upcoming winter break. Key highlights include:

• Campus Operations: Instructions for winterizing workspaces include setting thermostats to 67 degrees and ensuring all electronics are powered down. Updated winter break hours are provided for campus facilities such as the Evans Rec Center and Library Services.

• Upcoming Programs: The Lindenwood Learning Academy has opened registration for Spring 2026 Teaching Squares and Professional Learning Communities, with a sign-up deadline of January 14, 2026.

• Community News: The Communications team announced a new monthly newsletter for …

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The ‘For Youth’ Page: Analyzing Tiktok Content Feeds For College-Aged Users, Hadiyah Mohamed

Honors College Theses

This study analyzes the content college-aged users encounter on TikTok’s “For You” page to understand the ways platform design and user-generated content shape prolonged engagement. Existing research frames doomscrolling largely as a compulsive behavior driven by algorithmic design, often overlooking the role of content itself and why it resonates with young adults. Through qualitative content analysis, 150 videos were collected across three TikTok accounts: scrolling from a personal account, a neutral new account, and a new account under the #CollegeTok tag. Videos were rigorously coded in a spreadsheet for narrative descriptions, topics, captions, hashtags, and tone to capture the themes …

Exploring John Maxwell’S 16 Undeniable Laws Of Communication As A Possible Framework For Public Speaking Success: A Qualitative Content Analysis Of The Top 20 Ted Talks And Their Alignment With The Principles, Kevin C. Mcintyre

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The qualitative content analysis aimed to discover whether Maxwell’s 16 undeniable laws of communication are applied to the top 20 TED Talks of all time based on view count catalogued on the TED website and inform a framework for public speaking success. Through the lens of Fisher’s narrative paradigm of coherence and fidelity, while situated in Craig’s rhetorical tradition, which builds on ethos, pathos, and logos, the study examined the gap in workplace competence moving beyond theory to practical guidance. Additionally, the study was guided by three research questions that were answered in the study. Through an immersive multimodal examination …

The Trust Equation: Users, Companies, And Safety In The Online Dating World, Hayley Solomon

Student Theses and Dissertations

Digital dating platforms have become essential to modern-day relationship formation, yet concerns about user safety, harassment, deception, and accountability have intensified distrust, particularly among women. This study explores (1) how women’s personal experiences of danger shape their perceptions of dating apps’ trustworthiness, (2) how women explain the nature of trust and distrust in these digital environments, and (3) how communication professionals can design messages that promote safety and strengthen trust on dating platforms. Using a qualitative study design, four focus groups with three participants each were conducted with heterosexual cis-gender women aged 18–50 who had used Hinge, Tinder, or Bumble …

Exploring John Maxwell’S 16 Undeniable Laws Of Communication As A Possible Framework For Public Speaking Success: A Qualitative Content Analysis Of The Top 20 Ted Talks And Their Alignment With The Principles, Kevin C. Mcintyre

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The qualitative content analysis aimed to discover whether Maxwell’s 16 undeniable laws of communication are applied to the top 20 TED Talks of all time based on view count catalogued on the TED website and inform a framework for public speaking success. Through the lens of Fisher’s narrative paradigm of coherence and fidelity, while situated in Craig’s rhetorical tradition, which builds on ethos, pathos, and logos, the study examined the gap in workplace competence moving beyond theory to practical guidance. Additionally, the study was guided by three research questions that were answered in the study. Through an immersive multimodal examination …

The Impact Of Instagram Exposure On The Beauty Standards And Body Images Of Young Black American Women, Chiquila Tonelle Arrington

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of the phenomenological study was to explore the impact of Instagram exposure on the beauty standards and body image of young Black American women. Drawing from literature highlighting the negative psychological effects of social media, such as comparison, body surveillance, and negative emotions, the research aimed to capture the experiences of Black women navigating beauty ideals in digital communication spaces. The study focused on Instagram because of the visual nature of the content and its alignment with the visual nature of the construct of beauty. The study explored behaviors, intentions, and habits associated with Instagram use.

The research …

Beheld To Behold: A Rhetorical Theology Of Otherness In Acts, Hannah E. Gross

Masters Theses

The phenomena of otherness foundationally grounds this work. A micro-concept of Martin Buber’s I and Thou Theory, otherness is central to this study particularly as it is rhetorically situated in the work of Acts. The research draws from ideological criticism to produce a rhetorical theology. Findings uncover two primary relational dynamics of otherness: (1) God to the believer to the unbeliever and (2) God to the believer to the believer. These constructions of dialogical engagement in Acts are donned witness and withness, offering keen insight on a rhetorical theology of otherness.

Operation Evil Empire: The Strategic Weaponization Of Rhetoric In Psychological Warfare, Sabrina Marie Smith

Masters Theses

The Cold War redefined warfare around information, ideology, and perception. Victory depended less on territory and more on legitimacy. In 1983, Cold War tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union were extremely high. President Ronald Reagan’s “Evil Empire” speech emerged at a critical juncture, marking a pivotal moment when U.S. foreign policy embraced assertive ideological confrontation. The rhetoric of this speech did more than address the American public; it served as a strategic instrument aimed at weakening Soviet ideological cohesion. It became a turning point in U.S. Cold War rhetoric, targeting both the Soviet leadership and its oppressed …

Infotainment And Youth Political Perceptions In Pakistan: A Qualitative Uses And Gratifications Study, Sara Anwar

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The research presents the problem of infotainment as a media genre and its contribution to the political perceptions, civic behavior, and cultural attitudes of youth in Pakistan. The uses and gratifications theory, situated within the sociopsychological tradition and the transmission model of communication formed the basis of the research where the integration of information and entertainment was viewed as a process that changes the political awareness among the youth. A qualitative exploratory research design was utilized. Twenty-five semi-structured interviews were conducted with students at the university who participated in the study because of purposive selection. NVivo software was used to …

To My Fellow White Women, With Love..., Hailey N. Otis

Feminist Pedagogy

No abstract provided.

Examining Diversity Messaging Practices Of Division I Athletic College Sports Communicators, David Cassilo

Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics

In recent years, college athletic communication departments have been tasked with more messaging related to race and diversity. This research used semi-structured interviews to understand the message creation practices of Division I athletic communication departments when generating diversity and social justice messaging. The research was examined within the context of the theory of racialized organizations. Interviews were conducted with 11 athletic communication staff members at Division I universities. Five themes were constructed related to diversity and social justice messaging of athletic communication departments at Division I universities. These are (a) a White world, (b) need to represent collegiate athletes, (c) …

Sticker Or No Sticker, That Is The Question: A Test Of Two Competing Hypotheses, Dongdong Yang, Yi Luo, Marylou Naumoff

College of Communication and Media Scholarship and Creative Works

Stickers, as an important nonverbal communication affordance on social media, have been understudied in Western contexts. This study employed an online survey (N = 300) to test two competing hypotheses—the social compensation and withdrawal hypotheses—to examine how personality traits influenced sticker use for emotional expression and self-presentation among U.S. college students. Results demonstrated that when communicating with a new friend on their mobile messenger, participants used stickers more frequently for self-presentation than emotional expression. Moreover, loneliness was positively related to neuroticism and negatively related to agreeableness and extraversion. Neuroticism was negatively related to sticker use for both emotional expression and …

The Impact Of Social Media On Social Inclusion: A Case Study On Gun Violence, Ruolin Xu

Honors Scholar Theses

As TikTok increasingly becomes a primary platform for everyday communication and even an important venue for political communication, concerns have emerged about the potential negative effects of its algorithmic design. Prior research suggests the effect of echo chamber that social media may reinforce users' pre-existing attitudes by repeatedly exposing them to belief-consistent contents and limiting opportunities to encounter diverse viewpoints. Such selective exposure can undermine social inclusion by reducing individuals' openness toward people who hold different backgrounds or political beliefs. Meanwhile, gun control, as one of the most polarizing sociopolitical issues in the US, provides a particularly relevant context for …

Assessing Leadership In Business: A Critical Investigation Of Lorne Michaels, Emily Laput

Honors Scholar Theses

This thesis critically investigates the leadership effectiveness of Lorne Michaels, the executive producer behind the comedic institution Saturday Night Live (SNL). For nearly half a century, Michaels has cultivated a unique and high-pressure environment credited with launching the careers of numerous comedic actors. Drawing upon Kouzes & Posner's Five Principles of Exemplary Leadership framework and peer-reviewed research, this analysis examines the balance Michaels strikes between fostering innovation and exercising strict control. Ultimately, this thesis aims to provide a nuanced understanding of Lorne Michaels' leadership, assessing its effectiveness within the dynamic and often volatile environment of live television production and …

“I Can Gossip With Anybody, I Can’T Chisme With Everybody”: Chisme, Gossip, And Identity In Latina-Americans, Alexa B. Romero

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

As individuals adjust to their belonging to two distinct cultures, there are various ways of adapting to their navigation of the two cultures (Berry, 1980). The way(s) an individual chooses to adjust to their two cultures can have varying effects on identity. When directly translated, chisme (Spanish) means gossip. Although the two include overlap in function and uses, chisme offers unique purposes for the Latinx community and further, Latina-Americans (González Ybarra & Player 2024; Gutierrez, 2017; Uribe, 2025). By using the communication theory of identity (Hecht, 1993) the purpose of this thesis was to investigate the role of chisme and …

How To Talk To A Seahorse: Communication In Transmasculine Gestational Experiences As Told Through Narrative, Emerson Armstrong

Communication ETDs

Transmasculine experiences before, during, and after pregnancy were evaluated using focus groups and autoethnographic research. As transgender people are more likely to experience inequality in healthcare encounters, this project aims to shed light on, and counter sensationalized accounts of male pregnancy, as transmasculine gestational individuals sought normalization in their experiences of pregnancy. Seven focus groups consisted of 90 minute sessions, with a total of 15 participants. Transcripts were analyzed using a trans narrative approach to find a greater understanding about identity construction, challenges, and changes around trans pregnancy. Asking about communities and healthcare experiences worked to create a complete picture …