Leadership Studies Commons^™

Ua3/9/7 Budget Matters, Wku President's Office - Ransdell

WKU Administration Documents

Email from WKU president Gary Ransdell to faculty & staff regarding the budget.

Ua3/9/7 Legislative Talking Points, Wku President's Office - Ransdell

WKU Administration Documents

Email from WKU president Gary Ransdell to faculty & staff.

Ua3/9/7 2014 Winter Term Update, Wku President's Office - Ransdell

WKU Administration Documents

Email from WKU president Gary Ransdell to faculty & staff.

Relationship Between Narrative And Engagement, Shelley Janine Svedahl

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

This study examined the use of narrative, specifically storytelling, on the perception of participation in the decision-making process. The changing demographics increased diversity in the workplace, and the need to increase understanding between cultures is particularly important when difference is often perceived as a barrier. A number of studies have been conducted to explore the use of narrative, and it is critical that communicators seek ways to create opportunities for sharing stories. This study utilized an ethnographic focus group and individual interviews involving a sample of eleven First Nations and non-First Nations people employed in a Branch where storytelling is …

How Broadcast Journalists Use Twitter To Present The Message Of The State Of The Union: #Sotu, Jeffrey Hayden Haynes

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

With the social media revolution and the sense of urgency people have, the way people receive their news has altered. Twitter is becoming a more popular platform to receive news because of its ability to spread news faster than any other medium. This study addresses the ability of broadcast journalists to spread their agenda using Twitter. This study is a content analysis and quantitative analysis of the Twitter accounts of broadcast journalists Greta Van Susteren and Chris Matthews during the 2014 State of the Union address. Using the Agenda Setting theory and the Two Step Flow model, this study found …

The Role Of Social Media In Public Relations, Jake Chappelle

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

This thesis provides an assessment of how organizations utilize social media sites in public relations. The study investigates the relationships between social media (SM) and public relations (PR), particularly on the nature and effects of standalone SM functions in communications, or PR divisions of various businesses. By applying the Uses and Gratification Theory, this paper will briefly explore how business leaders use social media for the benefit of their companies, because with social media being a powerful, and global public relations tool, information and communication has become properly managed. Social (networking) media has gained popularity in the business sectors of …

Expressed Best Communication Practices At Television Station X, James Keith

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

American news organizations are evolving as new technologies emerge and alter the way information is reported. The same electronic tools that help connect television news providers with their audiences are being utilized internally between managers and employees. Using an electronic survey, face-to-face interviews, and ethnographic based observations, this study set out to determine best perceived communication practices in a television news environment. The research subjects were all employees at one San Antonio television station that for the sake of anonymity is referred to as Station X. Participants were asked their preferred means of communication for resolving conflict or addressing issues …

Ua3/9/7 Fall 2013 End Of Semester Message, Wku President's Office - Ransdell

WKU Administration Documents

Email from WKU president Gary Ransdell to faculty & staff.

Ua3/9/7 Cancer Study, Wku President's Office - Ransdell

WKU Administration Documents

Email from WKU president Gary Ransdell to faculty & staff regarding cancer research.

Ua77/1 Wku Spirit, Wku Alumni Relations

WKU Administration Documents

WKU's alumni magazine. Contents:

• Ransdell, Gary. President’s Letter
• Record Number of WKU Students, Recent Graduates Earn National Scholarships
• First Cohort Begins WKU’s Doctor of Physical Therapy Program
• Gatton Academy of Mathematics & Science Named America’s Top High School for 2^nd Year in Row
• David Porter Elected Board of Regents Chair
• Regents Approve Budget, Tuition
• WKU Forensics Team Wins National Forensics Association Championship
• Faculty Member Awarded National Academy of Education Fellowship Grant – Jie Zhang
• WKU President Joins Institute for Shipboard Education Board – Gary Ransdell
• WKU Storm Chasers Document EF-4 Tornado, Other Severe Weather Events
• Paul & Ellen Schuhmann …

Ua3/9/7 Opening Faculty & Staff Convocation, Wku President's Office - Ransdell

WKU Administration Documents

Email from WKU president Gary Ransdell to faculty & staff.

Ua12/2/2 2013 Talisman: Form, Wku Student Affairs

WKU Administration Documents

2013 Talisman yearbook.

• West, Natalie. Two Months on Two Wheels – Trip Carpenter, Bike4Alz
• Justice, Maciena & Sara Florence. Kentucky Idol
• Couch, Drew. Finding a Family – Fraternities & Sororities
• Chamberlain, Chris. Sparks of Spirit – Football
• Smith, Mary. Spur of the Moment – Happy Gas
• Smith, Sawyer. A Joint Connection – Aqua Fit
• Osborne, Sam. Tamed the Cat – Football
• Kriz, Lindsay. Nation’s Best – Gatton Academy of Mathematics & Science
• Osborne, Sam. Rising Chords from Home – Starry Nights Music Festival
• West, Natalie. Words with a Pulse – Forensics Team
• Osborne, Sam. Momentum Change – Soccer
• West, Natalie. …

Ua3/9/5 President's Office-Ransdell Speech File, Wku Archives

WKU Archives Collection Inventories

Speeches written and delivered by Gary Ransdell.

Information Overload: The Effects Of Advertising Avoidance On Brand Awareness In An Online Environment, Gregory David Salyer

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

When information overload occurs, an individual consumes information at the expense of other information. Advertising avoidance, or banner blindness, is a protective mechanism that can be triggered when an individual receives too high an informational load. This study uses methods developed from information overload theory, selective attention studies, information entropy and information redundancy to seek the connection between information overload and banner blindness. In aiming to measure the overall effect that these two phenomena have on brand awareness and individual’s ability to recall an ad from a web browsing session, this study relies on prior work in the area of …

Female Pop Singers On Twitter: Use For Branding And Implications For Publicists, Jessica Sincavage

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

A celebrity’s success depends upon building and maintaining their ‘well-knownness.’ The increase in usage of and access to social media platforms like the micro-blogging platform Twitter have led celebrities and their publicity teams to incorporate social media into their branding and communication strategies. The purpose of this thesis is to examine celebrity presence on and usage of Twitter and its implications for the role of celebrity publicists. The study is based in the narrative paradigm, which recognizes and honors each individual’s story telling abilities. A case study including three influential female pop singers was conducted, and the results were analyzed …

Rhetoric And Framing: Influence On Public Opinion In The Martin/Zimmerman Case, Milagros Figueredo Sowers

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

This study seeks to analyze the importance of framing on public opinion. This analysis looks at the characteristics of communication and how they are conveyed. It also seeks to examine underlying themes in cases where public opinion was radically shifted and perceptions changed. This style of qualitative measurement is able to provide suggestions on why a media source would present a specific topic one way and then slant a similar topic in a different manner or format . Mass media is looked at in a critical manner with an attempt to hypothesize as to its purpose in use of framing. …

The Impact Of Media On Teen Sexual Health, Michaela Ciesynski

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

This thesis presents an analysis of research gathered in order to explore the impact of the media on teenage views of sexual health. The chosen research highlights the prevalence of sex in today’s television and how these portrayals can influence teens’ views on “normal” sexual behavior. The research shows that teens receive valuable information on social cues, or normalized behavior, from media outlets like popular television shows. Its impact on societal concepts in teenagers can create different view points on what it means to not only engage in sexual behavior, but what sexual behavior is expected. With this ability to …

What Changes Await Local Tv News?, Stephanie Ann Vigil

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

Over the years, local television news stations across the nation have seen a dramatic decrease in viewership. Much like newspapers, fewer people are relying on television news for several reasons. Two of the biggest culprits are the age of new technology and social media. These two factors alone have reprogrammed people’s daily habits, changing the landscape of television news viewership and resulting in uncertain times at local television news stations. Few studies have been done on the future of local television news. Of the studies that have been conducted, it is clear to see that local news is still relevant …

Social Media In Higher Education: Networked Tools In A Traditional Strategy Organization, Trace M. Eddington

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

This study examined (a) how the traditional organizational communication strategy in place at a university impacts the utilization and effectiveness of social media as a university communication tool, (b) to what extent and how effectively have relational and networked approaches been incorporated into the traditional structure of communication at a university, and (c) how the flow of communication and the social media strategy on campus are impacted by the traditional structure of the university, identifying any potential communication bottlenecks and workarounds. The literature review examined the theoretical underpinnings behind traditional strategy organizations and the communication challenges that can arise in …

News Media Influence On Perceptions Of Veteran Mental Health, Elizabeth Faye Weber

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

This study investigated how news media communications affect public awareness and perceptions of the mental health concerns of post-deployed military of the recent Iraq war. Focus group research included 22 adult participants from the same geographic location with discussions on news media consumption behaviors and their perceptions of the mental health issues of veterans. Results revealed that news media consumption is preferred at a national level versus a local level, and that online news sources are utilized more frequently than television or print news sources. Participants with the least news media exposure admitted to the lowest awareness of veteran mental …

Tragedy And Touchdowns: Media Coverage And The Impact On Disaster Recovery, Christa Clark Bell

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

Media coverage of natural disasters informs audiences, but it also can serve as a catalyst for the formation of rhetorical communities, groups of people who subscribe to the rhetorical vision purveyed in media coverage of events. Existing research literature on communities and on the role of communities in disaster recovery points to the need for community as a basic part of the recovery process. National media coverage of the April 27, 2011, tornadoes that struck Tuscaloosa, Ala., contained fantasy themes that constructed a rhetorical vision of hope and survival. A fantasy theme analysis of three national sports media articles, when …

Tabloidization And The Role Of Agenda Setting, Brooke Brander

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

Tabloidization of the news has received a fare amount of attention in the late twentieth century and early twenty-¬‐first century. The reason and cause for the tabloidization of the news is a subject of debate as well as the possible effects on the public. The news media are a gateway to the world around us. Tabloid-¬‐style news does not inform the public of local, national and/or world event, but rather informs the public of celebrity happenings and gossip, failing to be the voice of democracy and instead being the voice of gossip. Tabloid-¬‐style news may be diverting the public’s attention …

Sharing Intimate Moments On Youtube: Women Who Vlog And Their Sense Of Community, Friendship And Privacy, Julie Smith

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

YouTube, a public video-sharing site, is attracting people who crave a sense of community, and is allowing individuals – specifically women – to maintain social relationships through its web-based system. Groups of these women vloggers document their efforts to conceive, their pregnancies and parenting challenges, which some critics argue are very personal experiences that should not be shared publicly with strangers. Using social penetration theory and elements of communication privacy management theory, this thesis analyzes how self-disclosure through computer-mediated communication converts superficial relationships with strangers into close, social connections by examining the extent to which breadth and depth of self-disclosure …

Rhetorical Analysis Of Successful Brands In Social Media Discourse, Maja Stevanovich

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

The expression "content is king" is a sentiment those in the marketing and public relations industries live by. When it comes to social media, still considered a newer form of communication, not all brands are sure of what makes for successful utilization of the medium. This study performed a rhetorical analysis on three brands considered to be social media standouts in their respective industries, Coca-Cola, Southwest Airlines and the U.S. Army and identified patterns on what makes these brands successful in their social media discourse. The study proved that social media discourse has much to do with sound communication principles …

Ua77/1 Wku Spirit, Wku Alumni Relations

WKU Administration Documents

WKU alumni magazine. Contents:

• Ransdell, Gary. President’s Letter
• Hilltoppers Go for the Gold – Olympics, Claire Donahue, Gavin Smellie, Raigo Toompuu
• Instruments that Shaped American History – Kentucky Museum
• WKU Students Shine When It Comes to National Scholarships
• Gatton Academy of Mathematics & Science
• Chuck Clark Named Director of WKU Student Publications
• Health Sciences Complex Will House Nursing, Physical Therapy Programs
• Paul Markham receives National Award for Leadership in Civic Engagement
• Todd Stewart Named WKU Director of Athletics
• All 19 WKU Athletic Teams Exceed NCAA-Required 925 APR Score
• 3 Students Receive Awards in Hearst Program’s National Championships
• WKU, USDA-ARS Open …

Ua77/1 Wku Spirit, Wku Alumni Relations

WKU Administration Documents

WKU's alumni magazine. Contents:

• Ransdell, Gary. President’s Letter
• Your Legacy – Frank Myers
• Gary Ransdell Attends Confucius Institute Conference, Visits Chinese Universities
• Talisman, WKU’s Yearbook, Receives 13^th National Pacemaker Award
• WKU, Elizabethtown Community & Technical College Expand Partnership
• Enrollment at WKU Passes 21,000 Sets Record for 14^th Consecutive Year
• Cheryl Stevens Named Dean of Ogden College of Science & Engineering
• WKYU-PBS Receives Grant for Digital Studio, Control Room Equipment
• WKU Public Relations Program Earns Renewal of International Certificate
• 5 Gatton Academy of Mathematics & Science Students National Semifinalists in Siemens Competition
• Ray Harper Tapped as Full-Time WKU Head …

Combining Social Media & Traditional Media In A Modern Communications Plan, Shannon Mortland

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

This study explored (a) how organizations can determine the best ways to reach consumers as social media and traditional media evolve, therefore changing the way people conduct their lives; and (b) how organizations can combine traditional media and social media to enhance conversations with consumers, given that changes in media have forced organizations to develop relationships and have conversations with consumers. The literature review investigated how traditional media and social media have evolved in recent years, how they currently are being used, and how their combined use differs from previous marketing tactics. This information was filtered through the theoretical belief …

Uw Impact: A Civic Engagement Initiative Case Study, Dana Robinson Slote

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

In 2010 funding for higher education was negatively impacted by Washington’s economic environment. University of Washington executives launched UWImpact to encourage advocacy on behalf of the institution. This case study explores which aspects of UWImpact’s approach created a culture that influenced the State Legislature to allow UW to develop a funding mechanism. Methods used to construct the project include: Evaluation of UWImpact materials and website, plus five news articles, reviewed for recurrences of specific adjectives; data obtained from (Vocus) software, and augmented by participant-observations during informal interviews at three events. The data was gathered from December 2010 through April 2011. …

Ua12/11/1 Downing University Center Board, Wku Archives

WKU Archives Collection Inventories

Records created by and about Downing University Center Board. Includes publications, governing documents, meeting minutes, reports and correspondence.

Ua77/1 Wku Spirit, Wku Alumni Relations

WKU Administration Documents

WKU's alumni magazine. Contents:

• The Spirit of Victory – Claire Donahue
• Ransdell, Gary. President’s Letter
• Your Legacy – Tom Redford
• Governor Steve Beshear Celebrates Gatton Academy of Mathematics & Science
• Animated Work of WKU Professor Part of Secret World of Espionage Exhibit – Keith Sylvester
• Kelly Autism Program Receives 15-Passenger Van from General Motors
• Alex Downing to Leave College Heights Foundation for Franklin Bank & Trust
• 3 WKYU-PBS Producers Honored with Emmy Awards for MainStreet
• Kentucky Folklife Program Moves to New Home at WKU
• WKU, Somerset Community College Sign Joint Admissions Agreement
• Gatton Academy of Mathematics & Science Students Top …