Communication Commons^™

The Study Of Crisis Narratives Over Time: Mayfield, Ky In The Aftermath Of The 2021 Tornadoes, Rebecca Freihaut

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

This study was a year-long longitudinal qualitative research project using the case study of Mayfield, KY after the catastrophic tornado event that impacted their community on December 10, 2021. Oral histories were collected from 18 participants who lived in or were closely connected to Mayfield at the six month and 1.5 year marks after the disaster. Later, after the oral histories were archived and made available to the public, the transcripts were used to extract the crisis narratives from the oral histories and the data was thematically analyzed using the existing theory and theoretical framework of Narratives of Crisis: Telling …

Jour 3526: Multimedia Storytelling (Syllabus), Robby Byrd

Journalism and Strategic Media Syllabi Archive

Course Description: Introduction to the basic elements of multimedia journalistic storytelling. Students will produce news-driven multimedia packages for various storytelling platforms, including photography, audio, video, and data visualization.

Jrsm 1750: Media Writing L (Syllabus), Casey Hilder

Journalism and Strategic Media Syllabi Archive

Course Description: Introduction to grammar and writing style for use in journalism and mass communication media; foundations of research and information gathering, media literacy and plagiarism.

Pbrl 4440: Public Relations Campaign (Syllabus), Tori M. Cliff

Journalism and Strategic Media Syllabi Archive

Course Description: Application of theory, research data, and problem-solving techniques in the development of a comprehensive public relations plan book.

Jour 4185: Social Justice Writing/Report (Syllabus), Laura Faith Kebede

Journalism and Strategic Media Syllabi Archive

Course Description: Writing and reporting news and news feature stories on issues concerning social justice.

Jrsm 2121: Media Writing Ll (Syllabus), Joe Hayden

Journalism and Strategic Media Syllabi Archive

Course Description: Basic instruction in journalistic forms and AP style; information gathering and composition of news stories; media literacy.

Jrsm 4930: Media Internship (Syllabus), Michael Robinson

Journalism and Strategic Media Syllabi Archive

Course Description: Work in practical assignments at local media and other communication organizations under supervision of qualified practitioners.

Pbrl 3421: Intro Public Relations Writing (Syllabus), Sheri D. Neely

Journalism and Strategic Media Syllabi Archive

Course Description: Development, scope, and modern role of public relations; emphasis on problem solving, lectures, and application of major public relations tools and practices.

Jrsm 7990: Media Portfolio (Syllabus), Thomas J. Hrach

Journalism and Strategic Media Syllabi Archive

Course Description: Development of digital portfolio of professional and/or academic work and presentation. S/U. (2 hours)

Jrsm 3900: Visual Media (Syllabus), Michael Robinson

Journalism and Strategic Media Syllabi Archive

Course Description: Introduction to and application of principles of visual communication, including typography, color and organization for print and digital media using Adobe Creative Cloud.

National Assessment Program: Ict Literacy 2022: Technical Report, Dominique Hall, Kate O'Malley, Renee Kwong, Emma Camus, Tim Friedman, Kristy Osborne, Zachary Watts, Dulce Lay

ICT - Digital Literacy

This report describes the various technical, operational and administrative procedures of the NAP– ICT Literacy 2022 assessment. It should be read in conjunction with the NAP–ICT Literacy 2022 Public Report, which presents a summary of the cognitive and contextual analysis of the data collected in the 2022 cycle. The assessment instrument used in NAP–ICT Literacy 2022 was based on the design principles established for NAP–ICT Literacy 2005, which continued through the assessment cycles in 2008, 2011, 2014 and 2017. The assessment was computer-based and included a broad range of task formats including multiple-choice, short text response, and simulated and authentic …

Understanding Parents’ Sense-Making Of Their Role In Adolescent Daughters’ Social Media Use Through The Lens Of Relational Dialectics Theory 2.0, Aimee Miller-Ott, Lynne Kelly, Samantha Schultz

Faculty Publications - Communications

With the development of social media, parents must figure out how to guide their children’s use or even whether to allow it. Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews with 30 parents of daughters aged 12–18. Relational dialectics theory 2.0 was used to analyze how parents’ talk revealed their sense-making of their role in adolescent daughters’ social media use. Analysis revealed that parents voiced competing discourses pertaining to “bad” versus “good” parents and monitoring versus trusting daughters. Discourses that take place at the distal level compete with those at the proximal site of the utterance chain, challenging parents to engage in …

Discovery: The Student Journal Of Dale Bumpers College Of Agricultural, Food And Life Sciences - Volume 24 2023, Several Authors

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

No abstract provided.

Professional Staffing Small Business Strategies For Reducing Voluntary Employee, Gwendolyn L. Johnson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Some small business owners need help reducing voluntary employee turnover, often putting the business at risk for performance failure. Grounded in Herzberg’s two-factor theory, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore strategies professional staffing small business owners used to decrease voluntary employee turnover. The participants were five professional staffing small business leaders in the Washington, D.C., area with successful strategies to retain talented employees. Data were collected through semistructured interviews and analyzed using Yin’s five-step process. Three themes emerged: (a) employee recognition, (b) communication, and (c) advancement and training. A key recommendation for small business owners …

Portrayals Of Family Resilience In Webcomics During The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Thematic Analysis, Claire Catherine Heaney

Theses and Dissertations--Family Sciences

Families and couples were challenged with stresses unlike any other as individuals faced adversities from lockdowns, as well as fears derived from the coronavirus. During the pandemic, trends of webcomics became more popular, particularly comics that depicted characters in romantic relationships dealing with “the new normal.” In this project, I suggest that social media webcomics incorporated topics of coping. The purpose of this study was to examine webcomics that documented daily life situations during lockdowns and stress-buffering skills found in couples’ interactions when dealing with concerns. Utilizing Braun and Clarke’s (2006) thematic analysis, 585 romantic relationship webcomics posted from March …

Right Turn At Reality: A Rhetorical Analysis Of Right Wing Negotiations On Race And Masculinity In Online Spaces, Andrew R.J. Hart

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

The effects of right wing politically charged violence are more visible now than at any other point in recent American history. The Internet, and social media more specifically, has become a crucial nexus point in the dissemination of decentralized Alt-Right propaganda. The visual nature of social media has increased the importance of images a means of communication. Through this thesis, I analyze artifacts coming out of these spaces representing a conversation between creators and audiences, and how they work dialogically to introduce and reify symbols of white masculine supremacy within this subgroup. Through this process, I find multiple recurring patterns …

Finding Political Balance In Times Of Political Inconsistency, Patrick R. Johnson

College of Communication Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

To Stay Silent Or Speak Up Against Corporate Racial Discrimination? An Internal Public Segmentation Approach To Employee Voice And Silence Behaviors, Young Kim, Hyunji (Dana) Lim

College of Communication Faculty Research and Publications

This book aims to explore the connection between internal communication and employee engagement in both educational and business settings. Through the collection of chapters contributed by leading public relations, communication, and management scholars as well as seasoned practitioners, readers will gain new insights into current issues in internal communication and employee engagement through a series of real-world case studies analyzing current issues and offering best practices in internal communication and employee engagement in specific industry and organization settings.

Learning outcomes and discussion questions for both classroom use and business strategizing round out each chapter, providing a springboard to further inquiry, …

Integrating The Theory Of Planned Behavior And Bonding Social Capital To Examine Chinese Women’S Tampon Use Intentions, Yin Yang, Young Kim

College of Communication Faculty Research and Publications

This study integrates the theory of planned behavior with a structural approach to examining social capital to investigate how bonding social capital affected Chinese women’s tampon use intentions. Bonding social capital was operationalized as network closure, which included two main dimensions: density and hierarchy. Results from an online survey (N = 766) showed that network density was positively associated with attitudes toward, social norms about, and perceived behavior control around tampon usage, while network hierarchy negatively predicted attitudes only. Moreover, the indirect effects of network density on tampon use intentions were mediated by descriptive norms and perceived behavior control. …

From “The Loss Of The Innocents” To “Crisis Actors”: Media Portrayal Of Rampage School Shootings From 1998-2021, Justice E. Greene

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

As rampage school shootings continue to occur in the United States, media coverage of such shootings continues to evolve. Media is a powerful force for how people form their understandings, opinions, and beliefs and, at least in part, the types of media they consume, it is important to understand how rampage school shootings are conveyed to the public. These shootings go through what is known as an “Issue-Attention Cycle” (Downs 1972) as coverage progresses. Using content analysis, this thesis examines New York Times articles covering nine rampage school shootings from 1998-2021 to see both how media coverage changes over the …

Perspectives On Usability Testing With Iot Devices In Technical Communication Courses, David Wright

English and Technical Communication Faculty Research & Creative Works

This Article Offers Perspectives on Adopting Smart Home Technology into Usability Testing for Technical and Professional Communication (TPC) Courses. Usability is a Valued Skill for Technical Communicators. However, Usability Testing Methods Have their Problems as Pedagogical Tools. Internet-Of-Things (IoT) Devices and Smart Home Technology (SHT) May Offer Instructors Tools to overcome Some of Those Problems. This Article Details Advantages and Concerns Associated with using SHT for Curricular Usability Testing.

"We Give Them The Most Important Thing Possible. We Give Their Dreary Lives Excitement”: Toward A Theoretical Model Of Narrative Parasocial Engagement, Dominic Delbert Meyers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Video game narratives and characters are some of the most enjoyable and persuasive components of the video game industry. While narratives and character relationships within video games have been examined separately, there is no working model and little research attempting to bridge the connection between narratives and character relationships. This research combines Narrative Paradigm Theory and Parasocial Relationships to understand how narratives and character relationships influence each other in video game environments. This was done through rhetorical field methods, utilizing a focus group and narrative rhetorical analysis on the transcript of the focus group. Results provide a working model coined …

Development Of A Pronoun Usage Learning Module To Enhance Faculty Education, Evelyn Ashley

A with Honors Projects

Create slideshow presentations about the importance of proper pronoun usage in academia. In the presentations, topics such as the role academia has in educating students on proper pronoun/language usage for both education and industry, how improper pronoun usage hinders transgender students' ability to perform at their maximum capacity, and ways that instructors can foster a safe and welcoming environment in regard to proper pronoun usage will be discussed.

The Guardian The Month Of January 2023, Wright State Student Body

The Guardian Student Newspaper

News articles from The Guardian for the Month of January 2023. The Guardian is the official student-run newspaper for Wright State University. It has been published regularly since March of 1965.

Supply Chain Insights From Social Media Users’ Responses To Panic Buying During Covid-19: The Herd Mentality, Violetta Wilk, Saiyidi Mat Roni, Ferry Jie

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Purpose:

This study applied the herd mentality theory to explore local and global social media users’ responses to panic buying across the USA, UK and Australia during the COVID-19 crisis to understand the implications on operations and supply chains.

Design/methodology/approach:

A total of 208,806 social media user-generated content (UGC) pieces were collected from Twitter in three countries – the USA, UK and Australia. The analysis of this big qualitative data was performed using machine learning–based software – Leximancer.

Findings:

Positive and negative sentiment towards panic buying during the COVID-19 crisis was observed in the UGC. No significant differences in social …

The Persistence Of Ethnopopulist Support: The Case Of Rodrigo Duterte's Philippines, Dean C. Dulay, Allen Hicken, Ronald Holmes

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

The past few years have seen an emergence of populist leaders around the world, who have not only accrued but also maintained support despite rampant criticism, governance failures, and the ongoing COVID pandemic. The Philippines' Rodrigo Duterte is the best illustration of this trend, with approval ratings rarely dipping below 80 percent. What explains his high levels of robust public support? We argue that Duterte is an ethnopopulist who uses ethnic appeals in combination with insider vs. outsider rhetoric to garner and maintain public support. Moreover, we argue that ethnic affiliation is a main driver of support for Duterte, and …

Normal Redefined: Exploring Decontextualization Of Lorises (Nycticebus & Xanthonycticebus Spp.) On Social Media Platforms, Luke F. Quarles, Kim Feddema, Marco Campera, K. A.I. Nekaris

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Introduction: Decontextualization is a concept from psychology whereby new words are learned outside of the context of the here-and-now. Decontextualized language is used for discussing abstract concepts and is crucial to the development of academic language. When it comes to images, a dearth of context can lead to a lack of clarity, such as the use of ambiguous decontextualized images in environmental communication, leading to the promotion of greenwashing. Here we refer to decontextualization as the removal of wildlife from their wild ecological context. Images and videos of globally threatened species are increasingly popular on social media. Showing such taxa …

Does News Platform Matter? Comparing Online Journalistic Role Performance To Newspaper, Radio, And Television, Claudia Mellado, Nicole Blanchett, Agnieszka Stępińska, Cornelia Mothes, Sophie Lecheler, David Blanco-Herrero, Yi Ning Katherine Chen, Akiba A. Cohen, Sergey Davydov, Mariana De Maio, Filip Dingerkus, Hassam Elhamy, Miguel Garcés-Prettel, Cyriac Gousset, Daniel C. Hallin, María Luisa Humanes, Marju Himma-Kadakas, Claudia Kozman, Misook Lee, Christi I.Hsuan Lin, Mireya Márquez-Ramírez, Jorge Maza-Córdova, Kieran Mcguinness, Karen Mcintyre, Jacques Mick, Ana Milojevic, Cristina Navarro, Dasniel Olivera

All Works

The shifting role of journalism in a digital age has affected long-standing journalistic norms across media platforms. This has reinvigorated discussion on how work in online newsrooms compares to other platforms that differ in media affordances and forms. Still, more studies are needed on whether those differences translate into distinct practices, especially when examining cross-national studies. Based on a content analysis of 148,474 stories produced by 365 media organizations from 37 countries, this article compares the performance of journalistic roles in online newsrooms to three other types of media—TV, radio, and print. The paper analyzes if journalistic roles present themselves …

Cabin Crew Members’ Silence: A Qualitative Study With Cabin Attendants, Seda Ceken, Pinar Unsal

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

Silence among flight crews has been one of the significant causes of aviation incidents and/or accidents. This study aims to explore why flight attendants remain silent during flights and/or do not report errors after the end of the flight. For this purpose, semi-structured online interviews were conducted with 21 flight attendants. The data were analyzed through content analysis using the MAXQDA 22 Qualitative Analysis Program. Themes and coding related to the research question were obtained by analyzing the scripts with creative coding techniques. Nine themes were identified by the content analysis, namely "poor relationship with cabin supervisors/pilots", "the lack of …

Contact-Tracing Apps As Boundary Objects Of Pandemic Governance: The State-By-State Approach To Contain The Spread Of Covid-19 In The United States, Eugene Jang, Jeeyun (Sophia) Baik, Katrin Fischer

Communication: Faculty Scholarship

Digital contact tracing has been claimed as imperative to controlling the spread of COVID19. However, the state-by-state approach in the United States led to divergences in contact tracing. This study analyzed contact-tracing apps as “boundary objects” through which each state worked toward the governance of the pandemic without having a formal consensus. Through media coverage and walkthrough analyses of three digital contacttracing apps in Alabama, California, and New York, we closely investigated both convergences and divergences of the apps. In the process, we located the implications of Google/Apple’s Bluetooth-based exposure notification system for digital contact tracing within and beyond state …