Mass Communication Commons^™

Lady Problems: A Study On The Effect Of Perceived Femininity When Evaluating Female Presidential Candidates, Mackenzie O. Marquess

Communication Theses

There is currently an observable gender gap associated with political leadership. Though many have tried, no woman has successfully campaigned for the presidency. Historically, media coverage of female candidates is vastly different from coverage of their male counterparts and it is well established that the media has significant control over public perception of candidates. This study examines media coverage of female candidates in an attempt to understand the rhetoric that consistently positions women as unelectable regardless of their experience or political prowess. This study analyzes post-debate commentary from the first Democratic presidential debate of the 2020 election beginning on June …

Menstruation Regulation: A Feminist Critique Of Menstrual Product Brands On Instagram, Max Faust

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Much research about advertisements for menstrual products reveals the ways in which such advertising perpetuates shame and reinforces unrealistic ideals of femininity and womanhood. This study aims to examine the content of Instagram posts by four different menstrual product brands in hopes of understanding how these functions may or may not be carried out by social media posts by these brands as well. Building on the body of research about menstrual shame and advertising, I specifically ask: How do the Instagram pages for four menstrual product brands dissuade individuality; how do they prescribe femininity; and how do these functions differ …

Media Content Analysis Of Governmental Impact On Terrorist Reporting, Maggie Kaliszak

Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects

When terrorism occurs, the government has to respond to it. The media also has the need to respond to terrorism if it is to report the news. Therefore, if both have a connection to terrorism, how do they work together, how do they impact each other, and is the Agenda Setting Theory useful to them? Using three recent attacks, the Boston Marathon Bombing, the Manchester Arena Attack, and the Orlando Nightclub Shooting, this paper analyzes the kind of wording used by the media reporting on terrorism and how the government influences that wording through press releases. The study hypothesizes that …

A New Theory Of Communication: Privacy Surrender For Security Theory, Abigail Brewer

Senior Honors Theses

This thesis seeks to analyze the viability of a newly proposed theory of communication, Privacy Surrender for Security Theory (PSST), by analyzing a quantitative survey administered by the researcher. Proposed in 2018 by a team of undergraduate students, Privacy Surrender for Security Theory seeks to explain why American citizens are willing to surrender their personal privacy rights for the sake of national security. The original team of researchers prepared a survey to further their study, and the researcher chose to administer a revised version of that survey through Facebook and a group message. Most participants surveyed said knowing that the …

Call For Manuscripts, Brandi N. Frisby

Basic Communication Course Annual

No abstract provided.

Best Practices For Recruiting Students From The Basic Course, Jordan Atkinson, Nicholas T. Tatum

Basic Communication Course Annual

This essay responds to the Basic Course Forum question about best practices for recruiting to and/or from the basic course.

Recruiting And Nurturing A Pipeline Of Future Basic Course Directors, Melissa A. Broeckelman-Post, Cheri J. Simonds

Basic Communication Course Annual

This essay responds to the Basic Course Forum question about best practices for recruiting to and/or from the basic course.

Basic Course Forum: Section Introduction

Basic Communication Course Annual

No abstract provided.

The Importance Of The Basic Communication Course In The First-Year Experience: Implications For Retention, Tim Mckenna-Buchanan, Stevie Munz, Anna Wright, Jeremy Williams

Basic Communication Course Annual

This study examines the basic communication course (BCC) as it relates to students’ first academic year at a university. Specifically, we compared students completing both a first-year experience (FYE) course and BCC against students completing only an FYE course. Data was collected over two cohorts of students and after analytical procedures, we found that there is an association between courses taken (both a FYE course and BCC or just a FYE course) and retention at the university. Additionally, the results revealed that the combination of both a FYE course and BCC during the first-year fostered emotional support and classroom connectedness, …

Can Course Format Drive Learning? Face-To-Face And Lecture-Lab Models Of The Fundamentals Of Communication Course, Melissa A. Broeckelman-Post, Andie Malterud, Anthony Arciero, Katherine E. Hyatt Hawkins

Basic Communication Course Annual

Combining traditional classroom instruction and online instruction, or hybrid/blended learning, has emerged as a popular option to mitigate rising enrollments and non-traditional student needs while maintaining the known advantages to the face-to-face learning format. We evaluated the effectiveness of a Fundamentals of Communication course (also known as the “hybrid” course) taught in the traditional face-to-face format and in the hybrid/blended learning format, which included the equivalent of one credit taught face-to-face and two credits taught online (graded together as one course).

Students in the blended format had stronger performances in two areas of their speeches (introduction and overall impression), had …

Where Do You Turn? Student-Identified Resources In The Basic Course Experience, Sources Of Information, Feedback, And Help-Seeking Behaviors, Ashley Jones-Bodie, Lindsey B. Anderson, Jennifer Hall

Basic Communication Course Annual

This study explored the formal and informal resources students enrolled in a basic communication course use to gather information and receive feedback about their course experience, including presentations and work in the class. To do so, an online survey was completed by 393 students at three universities. The data were analyzed thematically using an iterative process facilitated through NVivo coding software. This process not only allowed for a descriptive summary of the students’ responses and the creation of a typology of resources, but also revealed four emergent themes related to student motivations to seek out and use sources of information/feedback: …

Measuring Essential Learning Outcomes For Public Speaking, Melissa A. Broeckelman-Post, Karla M. Hunter, Joshua N. Westwick, Angela Hosek, Kristina Ruiz-Mesa, John Hooker, Lindsey B. Anderson

Basic Communication Course Annual

Basic Course Directors (BCDs) are typically expected to assess course learning outcomes, but few formal guidelines and resources exist for new BCDs. As one part of a larger multi-methodological assessment tool development project, this manuscript maps existing quantitative measures onto the six essential competencies and associated learning outcomes established by the Social Science Research Council Panel on Public Speaking. This manuscript compiles dozens of measurement resources, aligned by outcome, and also identifies areas where future assessment measures development is needed. While there are many measures available for evaluating outcomes related to creating messages, critically analyzing messages, and demonstrating self-efficacy, there …

Research Articles: Section Introduction

Basic Communication Course Annual

No abstract provided.

Editor's Page, Joseph P. Mazer

Basic Communication Course Annual

No abstract provided.

Front Cover, Title Page, Contents, Editorial Board

Basic Communication Course Annual

No abstract provided.

Sorry Is Not Enough: Apology As A Crisis Management Tactic, Amiso M. George

International Crisis and Risk Communication Conference

Public admissions of personal or professional misdeeds, followed by apologies by high profile individuals and organizations are strategies and tactics of image restoration when a reputation is damaged. Although the ritual of an apology is an expected societal norm sometimes, they can make matters worse. Apology is effective depending on the offense, the place, time, language, tone of apology and if the recipient of the apology is willing to accept it. Another important element is the cultural factor. Apology that does not adhere to perceived cultural norms may not be received positively; thereby worsening the crisis situation. In 2018 and …

Crafting The Message: The Complex Process Behind Presidential Communication In Higher Education, Jon Mcnaughtan, Patricia Ryan Pal

Journal of Research on the College President

University presidents engage in formal and informal communicationthrough multiple modes of communication. While scholars have studied the content and motivations behind presidential communication, this study provides insight into the process that university presidents engage in when crafting public statements. Utilizing interviews with presidents (8) and vice-presidents of communication (4) at U.S. flagship universities, we employ the cognitive process writing theory to develop a process model of presidential communication,while highlighting how presidents describe their experiences crafting communication. Results highlight thepresident’sperception of theirroleas instigator of communication, the involvementof other senior leaders (e.g., legal counsel, chief of staff, etc.), andinsight into thecomplex process …

Missing The (Turning) Point: The Erosion Of Democracy At An American University, Anthony Fucci, Theresa Catalano

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

On August 25, 2017, student members of Turning Point USA (TPUSA), a right-wing conservative organization who advocates for smaller government and free market enterprise, recruited on the University of Nebraska–Lincoln (UNL) campus. Members of the UNL community protested nearby. Part of the protest was recorded on video and released to social media leading to harsh public criticism that accused the university of restricting free speech and being an unsafe environment for conservative students. Drawing on cognitive linguistics (e.g. metonymy, framing) and multimodal critical discourse analysis (MCDA), this paper explores how the TPUSA incident at UNL was recontextualized in local and …

Call For Manuscripts

Basic Communication Course Annual

No abstract provided.

Administrative Information: Section Introduction

Basic Communication Course Annual

No abstract provided.

The Basic Communication Course And A University-Wide Critical Thinking Pedagogy Program, Brent Kice

Basic Communication Course Annual

This Basic Course Forum highlights authors’ responses to the following topics: What curricular programs present the best opportunity for curricular connections to the basic course? Building upon conversations from the July 2018 Basic Course Institute (hosted by University of Dayton), what administrative successes and challenges do basic course directors face?

Celebrating Community In The Basic Course, Aubrey A. Huber

Basic Communication Course Annual

This Basic Course Forum highlights authors’ responses to the following topics: What curricular programs present the best opportunity for curricular connections to the basic course? Building upon conversations from the July 2018 Basic Course Institute (hosted by University of Dayton), what administrative successes and challenges do basic course directors face?

Basic Course Forum: Section Introduction

Basic Communication Course Annual

No abstract provided.

Online Versus Face-To-Face Public Speaking Outcomes: A Comprehensive Assessment, Melissa A. Broeckelman-Post, Katherine E. Hyatt Hawkins, Anthony R. Arciero, Andie S. Malterud

Basic Communication Course Annual

In an attempt to meet rising student demand and cost-effectively deliver instruction, colleges and universities are offering more online courses. Despite the increasing growth of the online format, there remains a question of the effectiveness of this instructional delivery method. We evaluated the relative effectiveness of a public speaking course in both the online and the traditional face-to-face formats at a large, public university in the mid-Atlantic region. A series of MANOVAs were run to test the differences in performance and other student growth indicators between course formats. While the students in the online courses demonstrated higher behavioral engagement, the …

Examining Students’ Learning And Preparation In A Basic Communication Course, Stevie M. Munz, Janet Colvin

Basic Communication Course Annual

Prior to beginning a basic communication course, students enter with learning expectations and motivations to transfer knowledge outside the classroom. The present study examined 373 qualitative pre and post-test responses from students enrolled in a basic communication course to assess their self-defined learning and speaking preparation expectations. Through our findings, we learn that students articulate their goals in relationship to communication skills (e.g., reduce anxiety, verbal/non-verbal, audience analysis, personal goals, and confidence) and preparation (e.g., writing, outlining, presenting, and past experiences). These findings are explored in greater detail and extend our understanding of students’ goals and expectations when they enter …

Synthesizing The Current State Of The Basic Communication Course Annual: Furthering The Research Of Effective Pedagogy, Jillian Joyce, Alex Kritselis, Samantha Dunn, Cheri J. Simonds, Ben Lynn

Basic Communication Course Annual

In 2005, 16 years after the initial publication of the Basic Communication Course Annual, Hunt, Novak, Semlak, and Meyer (2005) conducted the first synthesis of research published in the Basic Communication Course Annual. Since then, the Annual has used a variety of methods to enhance our understanding of the pedagogy, learning, and assessment of the basic course. Thirteen years later, the second synthesis of the Annual adds new research topics to the conversation, evaluates trends in past content, and looks to the future of the Annual to examine the themes that will drive research over the next several …

Research Articles: Section Introduction

Basic Communication Course Annual

No abstract provided.

Call For Editor

Basic Communication Course Annual

No abstract provided.

Editor's Page, Joseph P. Mazer

Basic Communication Course Annual

No abstract provided.

Front Cover, Title Page, Contents, Editorial Board

Basic Communication Course Annual

No abstract provided.