Communication Commons^™

The Trade-Off Between The Fear Of Judgment (Stigma) And The Intention To Engage With Ai-Driven Hiv/Aids Information: Evidence From Bangladesh And Nigeria, Abdullah Mohaimen

Masters Theses

This study explores the relationship between Fear of Judgment (FOJ), understood as perceived stigma, and Intention to Engage (EI) with an AI-driven chatbot providing HIV/AIDS information. Stigma often discourages individuals from seeking information or discussing sensitive health issues, creating barriers to prevention and education. AI chatbots offer a potential solution by enabling anonymous, accessible, and non-judgmental interactions. This study examines whether FOJ reduces users’ willingness to engage with such technology and whether cultural context shapes this relationship. Data were collected from young adults in Bangladesh and Nigeria (N = 56) through an anonymous online survey using a simulated chatbot, Lifeline. …

Voices Of A New Era: A Discursive Psychology Study Of Influencer-Follower Discourse On Tiktok, Andrea Guerrero Hernandez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The present study researched and investigated the discourse of five mega fashion influencers on TikTok, as well as the discourse of 15 followers engaging with fashion influencer content on the same platform. The theory used to guide this study was discursive psychology theory, which provided the groundwork for understanding how both influencers and followers position their identities, justify their actions and decisions, and construct their reality. The primary aim of this research is to deepen understanding of how influencer discourse shapes follower discourse, identifying recurring patterns, contradictions, and the ways in which tensions are negotiated. The findings reveal a range …

"Am I A Man Or A Muppet": A Rhetorical Analysis Of Generative Ai’S Representation Of Gender, Jessica Boaz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines how generative artificial intelligence constructs and performs gender roles through a rhetorical analysis of the fully AI-generated podcast Fairytale Forensics. Drawing on theories of constitutive rhetoric, stereotyping, and McLuhan’s approach to the medium, this thesis investigates how AI-generated hosts interpret classic fairy tales while simultaneously reproducing and negotiating gender norms through the lens of prosopopoeia, metonymy and synecdoche. These performances rely on normative gender stereotypes that align with broader societal expectations, thereby potentially reinforcing existing cultural assumptions about masculinity and femininity. Ultimately, it demonstrates that AI-generated discourse does not merely reflect human biases but actively participates in …

The New Wild West: A Case Study Analysis Of The Communication Methods Surrounding Ai Infrastructure In West Texas, Thomas Sorensen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the past several years, artificial intelligence has taken the world by storm. It has enabled numerous innovations across all sectors, and its usage continues to grow daily. This increase in demand for AI products has led to the development of AI data centers nationwide. Fueled by competition between the public and private sectors, many projects are underway. This study focuses on one such project in West Texas: the Stargate Data Center. This project is being constructed near Abilene, Texas, and has had an instrumental impact on the daily lives of its citizens. This research project seeks to answer the …

Centering Latinx Perspectives And Cultural Identification In Music Listening: Examining Musical Consumption Behaviors And Choices Among Latinx Adults, Javier Alejandro Silerio

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Music is a critical cultural activity and resource for people all over the world, often used for communication, recreation, identity formation, social bonding, and many other aspects of our daily lives. Moreover, this has been reported across many cultures and is not unique to a single group. Despite this, there is currently limited information and research around Latinx American music consumption and this population's overall relationship with music. Because of this, the purpose of this study is to examine music consumption behaviors among Latinx Americans, as well as possible relationships between their Latinx cultural identification and said music consumption behaviors. …

Manufactured Silence And Directed Opinion: An Analytical Study Of Mechanisms Shaping International Public Opinion Toward The War On Gaza (2023–2024) Through The Spiral Of Silence Theory And The Selective Belief System Model (Sbs), Ibrahim Akka, Mujahid Jihad Faraj, Doha Mazid, Yahya Mashaqi

Middle East Journal of Communication Studies

This study aims to provide a critical and in-depth analysis of Western media coverage of the Gaza War (2023–2024) through a comparative content analysis of three major international news channels: BBC, CNN, and Fox News, across three consecutive time phases. The research is grounded in a dual theoretical framework that combines Noelle-Neumann’s Spiral of Silence theory (1974) and the Selective Belief System (SBS) model (Lord et al., 1979), employing a mixed quantitative–qualitative methodology applied to a sample of 240 televised news items covering the period from October 2023 to May 2024.

The findings reveal a clear dominance of …

The Case For Undergraduate Student Organizing, Nina Goldshmid

Journal of Collective Bargaining in the Academy

This paper is a reflection and timeline of my experience organizing a union and negotiating a contract as a student worker at Barnard College. I explored the power dynamics between student workers and college administrations, how to promote unity for progress, and why some undergraduate students are deciding to organize. I discussed the actions of the college that could stifle union organizing and negotiations, the obstacles involved in organizing, and the ways to build solidarity through awareness and coalition. I summarized the main takeaways from my experience and characterize the current student labor movement.

Pepperdine Journal Of Communication Research: Volume 14, Issues 1-2, 2026, Kampton Carter

Pepperdine Journal of Communication Research

No abstract provided.

Editor's Note: Light, Kampton Carter

Pepperdine Journal of Communication Research

The fourteenth volume of the Pepperdine Journal of Communication Research brings together a dynamic collection of peer-reviewed undergraduate scholarship that reflects the breadth, depth, and interdisciplinary nature of communication. This student-led journal features exemplary undergraduate student research which unifies diverse topics under the volume's theme “Light.” The Editor's Note reflects on the year's theme and the traditional research papers, speeches, and persuasive essays that have been published.

Eating Trees To Save The World, Belle Breyanna Li

Pepperdine Journal of Communication Research

This essay posits that all climate solutions will require change, an important one being eating more trees. While our current crisis is the result of indifference and inaction, we must consider innovative solutions. Like all the other possibilities, investing in more trees will require the joint efforts of our communities. As we allocate effort, time, and resources to climate solutions, the benefits will return tenfold in numerous ways. By prioritizing trees as a food source, we can empower our communities and increase their resilience. At the same time, we will positively contribute to the global climate by sequestering carbon. This …

How Speaker Gender Shapes Audience Perceptions Of Credibility: Responses To Humor, Reed Wilson

Honors Theses

This study aims to answer the question of whether the speaker’s gender, the participant’s gender, or the interaction between the two has an effect on the audience’s opinions of the message and the credibility of the speaker. Public speaking has been and continues to be a tool used by politicians, both on the campaign trail and as they seek to advance their agendas in the public sphere. Politicians use humor to relate to their audience and enhance their likeability and credibility. Google VEO 3’s generative text-to-video AI capabilities were used to create two videos of political speakers, one male and …

Platforms Of Exemption (For New Relations) Within Suburbia And Other Consolidating Hegemonies, Ayden Pritchard

Honors Theses

Theory is a mode of action that opens up revisionary spaces in the world. By voicing complexity and ambivalence in a situation, disembodied patterns are put in contact with compliant, unclaimed material, and they gain a foothold within the established structures of the present. This paper seeks to sketch the lines of influence that govern association and perception in suburbia, and to speculate the kinds of spaces where new relations between people who are normally segregated can occur. The information presented here hopes to join the reservoir of patterns that structure your everyday theoretical (revisionary) activity, to make changes possible …

Personal Tendencies And Traveler Preferences: A Study On Personality-Driven Travel Marketing, Evelyn Filleman

Honors Theses

This study examines the influence of personality typing (as outlined by the International Personality Item Pool test structure) on travel decision-making as it relates to marketing matrix strategies. Understanding the relationship between personality type and travel is crucial, as individuals will have different need hierarchies and place decision-making factors on different levels of priority. This study uses the theoretical frameworks of Clifford Geertz and Michael Pacanowsky (Cultural Approach to Organizational Communication) and Judee Burgoon (Expectancy Violations Theory) to inform, direct, and explain the results of the completed research. A total of 261 participants were asked to take a survey outlining …

Comment Sections As Counterpublics; Negotiating Public Discourse In Indonesia’S Digital Media Sphere, Leon Woltermann

Wacana, Journal of the Humanities of Indonesia

This article examines the potential of YouTube comment sections as spaces of commoning in Indonesia’s digital media sphere. Drawing on the concept of counterpublics – that is, parallel discursive arenas where marginalized groups circulate counter discourses and voice their interests – it explores how users negotiate access to the digital public sphere and oppose dominant narratives. The article employs a mixed-methods approach, integrating quantitative and qualitative methods into the analysis of the data, to investigate both the structural features (based on comment metadata) and the discursive content of comments. I argue that the comment sections’ dynamic, non-binding structure facilitates open …

The Cowl - V. 89 N. 20 - April 30, 2026

The Cowl

The Cowl - student newspaper of Providence College. Vol. 89 No. 20 - April 30, 2026. 32 pages.

Framing Digital Donation: Innovation And Audience Engagement In Short Video Fundraising On Douyin, Qiuyi Chen

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

Short video platforms are increasingly adopted by nonprofit organizations as tools for charitable communication and fundraising. However, limited research has examined how donation appeals are structured and interpreted within these environments. Existing studies focus on emotional appeal, influencer involvement, and algorithmic visibility, yet donation is often treated as a behavioral outcome rather than as a communicative process.

This study conceptualizes charitable donation as a social situation that must be framed and recognized by audiences in short video contexts. Drawing on Goffman’s frame analysis and employing the Visual–Verbal Video Analysis (VVVA) method, the study analyzes 32 publicly available videos from a …

Feast And Faith: An Ethnographic Study Of Communication And Culture In Noemuti's Fole Mako, Inosensius Enryco Mokos

Paradigma: Jurnal Kajian Budaya

This article investigates Fole Mako, a significant traditional communal feast in Noemuti, North Central Timor, Indonesia. The event is analyzed in the context of its deliberate timing to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish and the consecration of a new church. Using the Ethnography of Communication framework, a detailed analysis is provided of the intricate communication practices, profound cultural meanings, and vital social functions embedded within this elaborate feast. Data for the study were meticulously collected through direct observation and engaged participation. The findings reveal that Fole Mako is much more than a mere …

Interconnectedness And Solidarity Networking; A Case Of New Media Commoning In Indonesian Regional Youtube Series, Ratna Erika M. Suwarno

Wacana, Journal of the Humanities of Indonesia

The 2010s saw a surge in the number of Indonesian regional filmmakers using YouTube to showcase their creative practices and engage in cultural and media commoning activities. This article explores the production practices and community networking of Hajar Pamuji and his eponymous YouTube channel (HP channel). In exploring their media commoning practices, I examine the HP channel’s YouTube series Film Pendek Hajar Pamuji (FPHP), particularly its production strategies as creative negotiations and engagement schemes. Tracing the connections and networking of their YouTube channel, I further examine HP’s positioning within its solidarity networks, alongside its viewership, local collaborators and …

Staging The Commons Through The “Padha Nonton” Song; Youtube, Community Engagement, And Gandrung Cultural Practice, Intan Mustika Sari

Wacana, Journal of the Humanities of Indonesia

This study examines how the Gandrung accompaniment song “Padha nonton” participates in processes of digital cultural sharing when circulated on YouTube. It employs a qualitative interpretive method within a netno‑pragmatic framework to analyse audience engagement as a culturally informed social practice. The findings show that the song’s linguistic features convey cultural scripts of invitation, togetherness, and communal spectatorship, reflecting the role of the Gandrung tradition in shaping shared social relationships and cultural values. Furthermore, the study identifies three interrelated processes: re-medialization, re-experiencing, and re-conception through which the performance extends beyond its original ritual context and becomes a shared …

Is Less More? An Analysis Of Microblogs Vs. Discussion Forums As Tools For Understanding The Public, Marco Castillo

Publications and Research

Social media platforms offer valuable tools for public administrators seeking to assess public sentiment on policy issues, especially in urban areas with diverse stakeholder interests. This study investigates how public administrators can leverage social media by comparing communications on Reddit’s discussion forum platform with X’s microblogging platform. I hypothesize that Reddit fosters more subjective, nuanced discussions, providing richer insights into public sentiment. To test this, sentiment and regression analyses are conducted on communications about urban cycling on both platforms. Results indicate that while Reddit facilitates deeper exploration of public issues, X also effectively assesses public sentiment. The study concludes by …

The Work Of Play: Storytelling Service, And Growth In Nonprofit Organizations, Marisa Leplante

Celebrating Scholarship and Creativity Day (2018-)

This project explores “play” as a creative and meaningful approach to communication in nonprofit work. As a Marketing and Development Intern at Overcomers International Fellowship Dream Center, I share stories of men rebuilding their lives after addiction and hardship, using creativity to bridge struggle and hope. Through storytelling, campaigns, and engagement, I have learned that communication can foster empathy, dignity, and connection. This experience has reshaped my understanding of play as an intentional, faith-driven practice. It reflects my growth as a communicator and my commitment to using creativity in the service of others and supporting transformational change.

Minecraft: A Retrospective, Kylie Salinger

Pepperdine Journal of Communication Research

This speech explores Minecraft as more than a popular sandbox video game, framing it as a creative, narrative-rich, and culturally influential platform that has shaped how players interact with virtual worlds. Beginning with the game’s simple mechanics and origins, the work examines Minecraft’s deeper lore, including its progression through multiple dimensions and the philosophical implications of the End Poem. It also highlights fan-driven theories suggesting a complex, hidden history within the game’s world-building. Finally, the piece analyzes the reasons behind Minecraft’s enduring success, emphasizing its multiplayer connectivity, resurgence during the COVID-19 pandemic, and immersive musical design. Ultimately, the essay argues …

Life Lessons In Goodbye: Exploring Family Communication And End-Of-Life Depictions And Messages In Disney And Pixar Films Through A Content Analysis, Vanessa A. Gordon

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Death is a friend of ours said Francis Bacon, and Hargarten stated that death has an inevitable arrival. This research aimed to explore the depictions and messages of death in Disney and Pixar films. The qualitative content analysis research methodology coded 267 deaths in Disney films (1937–2003) and Disney and Pixar Films (2003–2024). The study centers on replicating the scholarship of three prior works, while extending the research by incorporating more recent films into the analysis. Additionally, this current study applies a new theoretical framework, family communication patterns, to all films, including those previously reviewed solely for depictions of death, …

Man In The Medium: A Historical Examination Of The Life And Work Of Roger Ailes In The American Political Arena, Korey A. Bowles

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Roger Ailes is one of the most prolific figures in American politics and media of the last 60 or so years. Despite his many contributions and achievements, he remains relatively unknown among the public and underrepresented in the field of communication research. This study uses a critical historical approach to examine the life and influence of Ailes on the American political and media landscapes through his work with Presidents Nixon, Reagan, Bush, and numerous other key political figures, as well as the founding of Fox News Channel. In doing so, this study provides insight into Ailes’ perspective on the ecology …

A Qualitative Exploration Of How Advocates Construct And Communicate The Journey Of Male Trafficking Survivors - From Recruitment To Freedom, Donnielle Wilson Kirkland

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative study examined how advocates communicate the experiences of male survivors of human trafficking. Grounded in narrative paradigm, this investigation explored how advocates frame and share survivor stories across the stages of recruitment, retention, and liberation. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 advocates who work in the advocacy space, such as nonprofit organizations, survivor support services, advocacy groups, or general trafficking advocates. The results of the study provided insight into recruitment, retention, and liberation. Revealing trafficking with boys and men often begins with unmet needs and searching for a place of belonging. While retention is sustained due to shame, …

Literacy Nonprofits And Social Media: Advancing An Understanding Of Message Functions And Communication Flows In Online Stakeholder Engagement, Diane M. Goodman

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Countless nonprofit organizations in the United States have worked diligently to increase adequate access to literature and to improve child literacy rates through supplemental programming. Revenue growth in a nonprofit depends largely on the relationships between the organization and the public, yet nonprofits face additional obstacles to achieving strategic organizational goals in comparison with their for-profit counterparts (McGee & Donoghue, 2009). Although the majority of nonprofit organizations have been addressing societal issues at a grassroots level (Carter et al., 2019), most community-based nonprofits have faced challenges expanding to other communities and difficulties in replicating effective stakeholder engagement strategies (Nardini et …

Lindenwood Digest, April 29, 2026, Lindenwood University

Lindenwood Digest

Event & Date: The Lindenwood University Employee Digest, dated April 29, 2026, details several upcoming campus events including the Center’s Block Party on May 1, 2026; the Honors Cord Ceremony on May 1, 2026; the Spring Fashion Show on May 2, 2026; and Late Night Breakfast on May 4, 2026. 

Geographic Grounding: Institutional activities are scheduled at the Pavilion, the Lindenwood Theater at the J. Scheidegger Center for the Arts, and Dunseth Auditorium in Harmon Hall, all located at Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Missouri. 

Key Honorees/Awards: High-achieving students graduating with University Honors will be recognized at the Honors Cord …

Elementary Special Educators’ Intentions Regarding The Utilization Of High-Tech Augmentative And Alternative Communication Devices In The Classroom: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Macall Brown Benton

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the intentions of elementary special educators in the South County School District regarding the utilization of high-tech augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) in their classrooms. The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) served as the overarching theoretical framework for the study, emphasizing that a person's behavior is based on their intentions and attitude toward a particular subject. The central research question asked, how do elementary special educators describe their experiences that influence their intentions to implement high-tech AAC devices with students who have complex communication needs? A transcendental phenomenological research design was used …

Power Of Connection: How Communication Between Leaders And Employees Impacts Job Satisfaction, Keaira G. Turner

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Direct communication in the workplace plays a critical role in shaping employees’ perceptions of leadership and the organization. This study examines the impact of Leader-Member Exchange Theory (LMX) on understanding the relationship between leaders and employees, with particular attention to how effective communication practices influence that relationship. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 27 participants, who were invited to share their workplace experiences with their supervisors. Using a hybrid coding approach, the data were analyzed using thematic analysis to identify recurring patterns and themes across participants' responses. Five key themes emerged, including (1) trust through communication, (2) transparency and …

A Qualitative Content Analysis Of The Rhetorical Situation In Aviation Communication, Paris Ernesto-Jason Brown

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Using qualitative content analysis to organize the thematic elements of Bitzer’s (1968) rhetorical situations, the researcher provides actionable insights into reducing errors and improving aviation communication. The problem lies in the gap between aviation communication and rhetorical situations to determine if this theory impacts pilot errors and affects flight safety. Strategies in this area must be improved to ensure effective communication among pilots and between them, control towers, and other contributors in the aviation industry. This dissertation aims to apply rhetorical situations to enhance communication strategies and improve flight safety by analyzing NTSB reports, while using the software, MAXQDA, to …