Communication Commons^™

Child Labor Advocacy Through The Years, Emma Naggar

Comm-entary

No abstract provided.

The Existence Of Empathy In Photographs

Comm-entary

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Artificial Intelligence On College Sport Communications, Will Barnhart

Masters Theses

As Artificial Intelligence technology (AI) becomes increasingly accessible, the importance of understanding its impact on peoples’ work lives is also increasing. One field that has received very little attention in relation to this subject is college sport communications. Prior research has focused on AI within the closely related fields of journalism and public relations, but no previous studies have been conducted on AI and college sport communicators specifically. To address that knowledge gap, this study surveyed members of the College Sport Communicators (CSC) on their attitudes toward AI and their usage of such technology. The data analysis showed that while …

Small Town Voices And Stories: Rural Older Populations And Health Narratives, Wyatt K. Zumbahlen

Masters Theses

Stories play a vital role in our humanity; they help us understand the world around us. As we age, our experiences, along with those of the people around us, shape our perceptions of health and influence our healthcare choices. For older adults, narratives become an essential resource in making healthcare decisions. In rural communities like Coles County, Illinois, these stories are especially important for older adults who are navigating the limited care and services available in the area. This reliance on narratives impacts their willingness to seek care, highlighting the need to recognize the power of stories in empowering older …

The Influence Of Family-School Communication On Junior High School Students’ Academic Success, Stephen Junior Amoah

Masters Theses

This study examines the influence of family-school communication on students' academic success in the context of Ghana, with a particular focus on Junior High School (JHS) students. While existing research emphasizes the importance of family involvement in educational outcomes, limited studies explore how family-school communication directly affects academic success in Ghana. By using a mixed-methods approach, the study combines quantitative and qualitative data collection. The quantitative component includes an online survey distributed to JHS graduates, assessing the frequency, impact, methods, and barriers of communication between families and schools, as well as their perceived effect on academic performance. The survey includes …

The Martyrdom Of Nadezhda Kurchenko: Soviet Hero Cults And The Spiritual Turn In Late Socialism, Steven E. Harris

History and American Studies Articles

This article argues that the spiritual turn in Soviet atheism under Brezhnev provided a meaningful solution to the problems of producing heroes when self-sacrificing martyrs were losing their appeal. To support this claim, I examine the story of Nadezhda Kurchenko, a nineteen-year-old flight attendant killed by two hijackers on an Aeroflot plane in October 1970. This article traces the heroic and spiritual dynamics of Kurchenko’s martyrdom through her funeral, hagiographies, iconic photograph, and sacred spaces. The spiritual turn enabled the authors of her story to free it from the shadows of wartime youth martyrs and ground it in the conservative …

The Media Framing Of India’S Nuclear Weapons Discourse, Sitakanta Mishra, Hely Desai

International Journal of Nuclear Security

The Indian media has had an immense role in framing public perceptions of nuclear weapons within the Indian subcontinent. Examining the largely nationalistic tone of news coverage helps analyze how the media has shaped India’s idea of its status as a nuclear weapon state. Examining the sociocultural discourse around the bomb, this paper analyzes the major influence that the Indian media has in information distribution and how that influence translates to the formation of the atomic attitudes of the masses. In situating the Indian media’s approach to nuclear weapons at large, this work studied the framing of domestic nuclear weapons …

Ai In Newsrooms: Assessing Perception, Challenges And Possibilities In Bangladesh’S Media Landscape, Nadia Rahman

Theses and Dissertations--Communication

With the relentless progression of technological advancements, artificial intelligence (AI) has become a transformative force across various sectors, and newsrooms are no exception. Developed nations have already integrated AI into journalistic practices, showcasing its versatility in different news functions. However, the developing nations, including Bangladesh, a south Asian nation faces challenges in catching up, marked by technological and economic disparities. As an emerging economic force Bangladesh encounters different obstacles in the adoption of AI in its media landscape. Despite the expansiveness of its media industry, the country grapples with limited technological support and inadequate training opportunities. These challenges bring up …

Black Love, Media Portrayals, And Social Identity, Nigel M. Taylor

Theses and Dissertations--Communication

This dissertation explores how media stereotypes about Black relationships influence Black individuals' perceptions, shaping their understanding and expectations of love. Using social identity theory as a foundation, a mixed-methods approach integrates both qualitative and quantitative methods to examine the impact of media portrayals on self-concept and relationship expectations. The quantitative findings investigate connections between media exposure, self-esteem, and partner preferences, revealing how media shapes ideas about ideal relationships and internalized racial dynamics. The qualitative analysis identifies seven themes that define Black Love and seven themes that depict media stereotypes of Black relationships. The study shows that while media often reinforce …

Cybersecurity Training As Risk Communication: A Theory-Informed Model Of Employee Learning And Behavior Change, Daniel Chaney

Theses and Dissertations--Communication

Cybersecurity threats like phishing remain a persistent and costly challenge for organizations. Despite widespread corporate cybersecurity training (CCT) programs, many fail to produce lasting behavior change. This dissertation introduces the Training Knowledge Flow (TKF) Model to assess why such efforts often fall short. Grounded in communication theory, risk messaging, and adult learning principles, the TKF Model conceptualizes cybersecurity training as a staged process of learning, application, and behavioral adaptation. The model includes three phases: (1) Employee as Learner, focusing on message clarity and cognitive engagement; (2) Employee as Practitioner, assessing workplace transfer and training relevance; and (3) Employee …

Going Inside A Church Staff Group: A Qualitative Case Analysis Of Team Characteristics, Decision-Making, And Identity, Hillary Rose Hamilton

Theses and Dissertations--Communication

Many organizations, including churches, rely on leadership groups to coordinate efforts and fulfill their mission. Guided by the characteristics of highly effective teams, the functional theory of group decision-making, and symbolic convergence theory, this study examines how one church staff group engages in decision-making and enacts identity through socioemotional and task-related communication. This group is unique in that its members each lead different areas necessary for the church’s functioning. Data for this qualitative case-study consists of semi-structured interviews with each group members and five meeting observations. Findings provide insight into the group’s dynamics, decision-making process, and identity. However, of most …

Addressing The "Hidden Crisis" In Doctoral Education: Identifying The (De)Motivating Effects Of Memorable Messages From A Self-Determination Theory Perspective, Alexis A. Murphy

Theses and Dissertations--Communication

Although PhD students are academically capable, they paradoxically produce alarmingly high attrition rates. For several years, retention rates in PhD programs have averaged between 40% and 70% (Ames et al., 2018; Bowen & Rudenstine, 1992; Cochran et al., 2014; Gardner & GoPaul, 2012; Lovitts, 2001; Rockinson-Szapkiw & Spaulding, 2012). Scholars have presented several potential reasons that PhD students discontinue their studies, none of which include academic ability (Lovitts, 2001; Tucker, 1964; Sverdlick et al., 2018). Framed by self-determination theory (SDT), this study explores the social and communicative components of the doctoral education system by the psychological impact of memorable messages …

Virtual Speeches, Real Fears: Public Speaking Anxiety In The Online Communication Classroom, Timothy J. Bill

Theses and Dissertations--Communication

While universities have explored online course offerings for decades, the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated this trend. The foundational communication course—a course that continues to traditionally emphasize public speaking—has felt the pandemic influence to increase opportunities for students to learn public speaking via online instruction. While scholars have learned much about the student experience of public speaking anxiety (PSA) in face-to-face settings, less is known about their experience of PSA in online courses. This dissertation explored the fears students experience when presenting online and how they view the online presentation environment.

Using Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory as a guide, this dissertation employed …

"The Lgbtq Community, That's My New Church": An Examination Of Lgbtq+ Former Church Members' Experiences Of Religious Exit, Samantha N. Pfeiffer

Theses and Dissertations--Communication

This study examines the experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals who previously attended Independent Fundamentalist Baptist (IFB) churches, considering their experiences of being in the church, leaving the church, and rebuilding outside of the church. It also examines sermons from IFB churches that addressed topics related to the LGBTQ+ community to examine the teachings these individuals received while in the church. My examination of this topic was based in scholarly literature addressing the rhetoric of church sermons, the process and experience of religious disaffiliation, and Weick’s (1995) theory of organizational sensemaking. I used multiple qualitative methods in this study, including qualitative content …

The Information Practices Of Undergraduates Encountering Material Objects As Information Resources In Classroom Learning Tasks, Christopher A. Miller

Theses and Dissertations--Communication

Undergraduate students sometimes encounter material objects as information resources in small-group classroom learning activities. Examples include art, artifacts, specimens, and anatomical models. This dissertation sought to identify common features of the students’ information practices in such situations, regardless of the activity’s discipline or content, and to explore how making material information central shapes students’ information practices. The conceptual framework combined theorizations of materiality and information practices. Methods involved video recording students doing a variety of simulated classroom activities with objects, video elicitation, qualitative content analysis, and praxiographic interpretation. The praxiographic interpretive descriptions illustrated how all aspects of the site–material, bodily, …

Player 2 Has Entered The Culture War: Discourse, Ideology, And Narrative In Gamergate 2.0, Ashley C. Mccann

Theses and Dissertations--Communication

My thesis addresses the ever-evolving landscape of Gamergate 2.0. Once a reactionary misogynistic harassment movement dedicated to attacking women in video games, the new iteration of Gamergate has evolved into an entirely new community. In its new iteration, Gamergate is even less ostensibly concerned with video games and more with reactionary content, mixing together nerd media, general pop culture, and right-wing politics. To study this community, I approach the Gamergate 2.0 community as an anti-fandom and reactionary affinity space. I argue that GamerGate 2.0 exists as its own powerful reactionary community that creates a worldview consisting of the desired destruction …

Exploring Comparative Media Analysis And Its Application To Ghana, Eric Asiedu

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This paper analyzes how Ghana’s media system (newspapers, radio, TV, and online news)works and compares it to Hallin and Mancini’s 2004 influential model, “Comparing Media Systems”. Their study mainly focused on Western countries like the United States and Europe. This paper tests its applicability to Ghana, located in West Africa. The paper examines four main areas of Ghana’s media: how media industries are set up and run, journalistic professionalism, how closely media outlets are connected to political parties, and how much the government controls or influences the media. The research found that Ghana’s media system has unique characteristics that differs …

Improving Concentration -- Three Techniques, Lauren Martins

A. Listening in Class and in Professional Settings

A one-page infographic based on the work of Clifford G. Schuette and others. The three techniques for improving concentration are especially important for classrooms and professional settings. These techniques are:

Be Here Now

The Spider

Worry Time

Seeing Her, Wanting Her: Postfeminist Desire And Its Contradictions In Zendaya’S Magazine Covers, Sophia Shelley

International Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities

This article examines Zendaya’s modelling evolution as a case study to explore how a postfeminist critique and psychoanalysis can illuminate the contradictory nature of women’s advertising. My analysis compares Zendaya’s covers in Seventeen (2012) and Essence (2020), emphasizing the stark differences in aesthetics, where Seventeen conforms to ideals of (white) femininity, and in opposition, Essence centres around Black femininity and desire. By situating Zendaya as both a gendered and racialized ‘other,’ the intricate dynamics of femininity, race, and age in media portrayals are made visible. I argue that Zendaya’s image is sold through postfeminist ideals of empowerment, choice, and sexuality …

Exploring Television Portrayal Of Gender-Based Violence In Uganda: A Case Of Ntv And Bukedde Tv, Nakagolo Racheal

Master of Arts in Digital Journalism

The study used NTV and Bukedde TV as a case of how television in Uganda portray gender-based violence to address the critical issue of how television framing impacts societal understanding and response to gender-based violence. The research adopted the framing theory as its conceptual lens and employed a mixed-methods approach combining content analysis of television news programs with in-depth interviews with newsroom staff. The findings reveal that Ugandan television predominantly employs victim-centered narratives, focusing on physical and sexual violence while often neglecting psychological violence and systemic contributors such as entrenched patriarchal norms. The human-interest frame emerged as the most utilized, …

Social Media Usage And The Future Of Museum Outreach: A Case Of The Uganda Museum, Patrick Massa Birabi

Master of Arts in Digital Journalism

Despite its cultural significance, the Uganda Museum, the oldest museum in East Africa, faced challenges of declining visitor numbers and limited social media engagement. the Uganda Museum's digital presence on platforms such as X.com and Instagram remains underutilized due to a lack of strategic alignment with its mission. This study evaluated the extent of social media use for outreach, identified associated challenges and opportunities and developed actionable recommendations for enhancing the Uganda Museum’s digital engagement. The study adopted a mixed-methods approach, which combined 381 visitor surveys with in-depth interviews with 15 museum staff members, and evaluated the Uganda Museum's social …

Artificial Intelligence Adoption And Journalistic Practices: A Case Study Of Nation Media Group-Uganda (Daily Monitor), Kyomugisha Eva

Master of Arts in Digital Journalism

Like many other technologies before it, Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the media has presented both opportunities and challenges for the industry. One of the opportunities it presents is that it could make the journalists more efficient and productive in their practices such as gathering stories, editing them and distributing them to the public. However, bias, finances, ignorance have kept the media from completely embracing it and only use it for particular purposes. Nation Media Group-Uganda (NMG-U) is one of the companies that has adopted the use of AI, although not officially. The company has been using AI since 2016 but …

The Work Of An Hour: A Case Study Of Propaganda, Michael F. Russo

Faculty Publications

This research paper discusses the messaging of United States President George W. Bush and his administration regarding the U.S. led invasion of Iraq. Transcripts of presidential communications, national news programs, and public opinion polls from 2001-03 were analyzed to identify patterns in these communications. This review demonstrated techniques similar to those used in historical propaganda campaigns to sway public opinion. The introduction and repetition of key terminology from the government was followed by magnification by television news programs. These messages were broadcast despite lack of evidence of Iraq’s involvement with the 9/11 attacks or their possession of weapons of mass …

Everything Old Is Q Again: An Analysis Of The Resurgent #Pizzagate Myth In Social Media, Bond Benton, Daniela Peterka-Benton

College of Communication and Media Scholarship and Creative Works

On November 28, 2023, X CEO Elon Musk posted a meme suggesting that the #pizzagate conspiracy had been suppressed by powerful forces complicit in the exploitation of children. The #pizzagate conspiracy presumed that elites had organized a ring serving pedophiles in the basement of a pizzeria in Washington D.C. The conspiracy was debunked in major news outlets with social media platforms such as Facebook banning such content, as well (BBC News). These efforts ultimately did not prevent #pizzagate from morphing into the QAnon conspiracy that would galvanize multiple extremist political movements (Bleakley). Specifically, however, #pizzagate as a discrete narrative was …

From Backlash To Brand Loyalty: How Self-Congruity And Generation Shape Consumer Intentions After A Failed Influencer Campaign, Dexter L. Purnell, Kimberly V. Legocki, Steven R. Barnes, Jessica Chapman

Atlantic Marketing Journal

This study examines consumer responses to corporate social advocacy (CSA) surrounding Bud Light’s partnership with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney. We fielded a cross-sectional survey of U.S. beer drinkers (N = 386) measuring actual and ideal self-congruity, generational cohort, and purchase intention. Using PROCESS Model 4 with bootstrap confidence intervals, we tested whether self-congruity mediates the relationship between generation and purchase intention. Self-congruity strongly predicted purchase intention, and indirect effects of generation via both actual and ideal self-congruity were statistically significant. Conditional (contrast-specific) indirect effects were observed only for Gen X, indicating cohort-specific pathways from CSA to purchase intention through identity …

Podcast Advertising And Its Role In Higher Education Marketing, Mark D. Cistulli, Jason L. Snyder

Atlantic Marketing Journal

Podcast advertising has become an important component in marketing campaigns for organizations to reach their target audiences. With the explosion of popularity of podcasts, so too does the opportunity for marketers to promote their products and services. In this study, we are focusing on the impact of a graduate program ad on attitudes and behavioral intentions associated with the university in the ad. Participants were exposed to part of a podcast with the ad embedded mid-roll and then responded to a survey about their evaluation of the ad and subsequent intentions to consider attending graduate school at the university advertised. …

What Year Is It?, Kameron Neal, Movement Lab

Personal Work

No abstract provided.

Surveillance Studies, Kameron Neal, Movement Lab

Personal Work

No abstract provided.

Stereoscope Studies, Kameron Neal, Movement Lab

Personal Work

No abstract provided.

Rheology, Kameron Neal, Movement Lab

Personal Work

No abstract provided.