Social Influence and Political Communication Commons^™

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 …

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, …

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 …

Lingering Legacy: The Impact Fan Reactions Had On Media Framing In The Rossi-Marquez Rivalry, Maryann Lozowski

Honors Theses and Capstones

This study examines the influence that fan commentary has on media framing in sports journalism, especially in times of intense rivalry. The rivalry chosen for this specific study was Marc Marquez-Valentino Rossi as seen in the MotoGP championship. This research discusses the cyclical nature between the interaction of fan and media while shaping popular narratives in sport. A qualitative analysis of media headlines and fan comments was conducted comparing those found at the start of the rivalry in 2015, with reporting at its height, to that of the legacy reporting seen in the years that followed. Findings in this study …

Gen Z Voter Turnout: An Analysis Of Barriers To Participation In State And Local Elections, Avery Allen

SPARK Symposium Presentations

This study examines the factors contributing to the generational gap in civic participation, with a focus on smaller-scale elections. Using both quantitative and qualitative data, the research identifies barriers to local and state electoral participation among Generation Z and provides recommendations for civic organizations seeking to increase youth voter turnout.

The Danger Of Deepfakes: Information Pollution And Epistemic Insecurity, Camille Doherty

CMC Senior Theses

This thesis examines the dangers of deepfakes to democratic stability, emphasizing their capacity to pollute our information ecosystem and undermine trust in media. Beyond the immediate political harms from deepfake incidents, deepfakes are troubling for their impact on our collective relationship to media, truth, and one another. As exposure to deepfakes becomes more common, discerning fact from fiction will become increasingly difficult. Over time, this could foster widespread skepticism of all media and, worse, apathy toward truth itself. With eroded trust and shared truths, democracies risk losing epistemic security – the foundation for informed deliberation, decision-making, and accountability in democratic …

Healing Communities With Police Divestment: Seeking Abolition Through Transformative Reform And Community-Government Collaboration, Jessica E. Gillson

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Concerns about the efficacy and sustainability of the U.S. carceral system have persisted throughout the country’s history, recently fueling renewed activism and bipartisan calls for reform. However, proposed solutions remain divisive. This thesis first defines the current status of our prison systems, then explores collaborative alternatives to incarceration and policing that support communities and break cycles of incarceration.

Focusing on partnerships among local governments, community organizations, justice-involved individuals, and law enforcement, this study examines holistic approaches to crime prevention, reentry, and reintegration. Using an interdisciplinary framework incorporating restorative justice, community resilience, and systems theory, it investigates how community-based strategies can …

I Am Not A Dictator; I Am A Defender: The Rhetoric Of Coup D’État In Francophone Africa, Isaac Asare Kwakye

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the rhetorical strategies used by coup leaders in Francophone Africa to authorize their actions and garner public support. Focusing on recent military takeovers in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger since 2020, I investigate how coup leaders construct narratives of legitimacy within the context of contemporary geopolitical dynamics. I utilize Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) to analyze speeches by three key coup leaders: Colonel Assimi Goïta, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, and General Abdourahamane Tchiani. My analysis reveals four interconnected rhetorical frameworks: framing interventions as emergency measures, cultivating savior personas, weaponizing anti-colonial grievances, and deploying anti-corruption narratives. A comparative analysis of …

Echo Chambers On The Left, Echo Chambers On The Right: How Socioideological Identity Emotion Shape Social Interaction Behavior On Social Media, Dean Carl Jackson

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

This dissertation investigates how echo chambers emerge on social media by shifting the lens from aggregate patterns of information exposure to moment-by-moment, individual level interaction decisions between peers. I theorize that selective exposure online is not only about what content people consume or avoid, but also about selective social exposure—accepting, rejecting, or sharing with the sources of that content—guided by sociopolitical identity, ideological distance (ID), and discrete emotions. To test this, I employ two survey experiments using real tweets varying in ideological extremity and measure user’s likelihood to Block, Follow, Retweet, or reply, alongside self-reported emotional reactions and ID between …

#Mmiw On Instagram: Contemporary Representations Of Missing Indigenous Women, Girls, And Two-Spirit People​, Sydney E. Cathcart, Renu Pariyadath

University of South Carolina Upstate Student Research Journal

This research paper overlooks the disproportionate number of missing persons and violence towards Indigenous groups, particularly women. Communication research has pointed to mass media lacking coverage on missing or murdered cases of Indigenous people, contributing to invisibility of the issue and lack of attention to the problem. Individual efforts to increase sources of information have been utilized in social media to make up for where mass media lacks. Social media creators who look to raise awareness, mobilize grassroot actions, and expand community ties. Content analysis was used to analyze content in Instagram under hashtags relevant to #MMIW–Missing and Murdered Indigenous …

Preventing Chemical And Biological Attacks: Enhanced Threats Requiring Enhanced Solutions, Alex Elliot Ottoni-Belval

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Chemical weapons (CW) and biological weapons (BW) are becoming more dangerous for experts to employ and more accessible to amateurs. Despite CW and BW attacks throughout history that killed and maimed millions of people, the international community has failed to establish meaningful consequences to prevent them. Agreements such as the Chemical Weapons Convention and the Biological Weapons Convention vow to eliminate and reduce the effects of CWs and BWs but lack respected response precedents and capabilities. The limited and inconsistent enforcement has inadvertently allowed CWs and BWs to become plausible weapons, especially to gain asymmetric advantages, while modern developments exasperate …

Debbie Alicen Reclaimed Her Voice And Started The Human Rights Campaign In Lincoln, Nebraska, Morgan Grey, Debbie Alicen, Moni Usasz

Department of English: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

A story about Debbie Alicen's efforts in the early 1980s to have an amendment added to Lincoln, Nebraska's Human Rights Ordinance that would prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual preference.

Meme Wars As Socially Situated Learning: Learning In Online Communities Of Hate, Conspiracy, And Insurgency, Kevin M. Clark

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

Learning is important in a pluralistic democracy, to enable citizens to make informed decisions. However, with the rise of the internet and social media, we need more than ever to understand how learning is shaped by social context and intertwined with issues of identity and belonging. One theoretical framework that addresses these social aspects of learning comes from the work of Jean Lave and Etienne Wenger on socially situated learning in communities of practice. This article focuses on what many would consider to be the darker side of learning—the rise of hate, disinformation/conspiracy, and insurgency in online communities. Specifically, it …

“R-Word” Slurs Triple On X After Donald Trump’S Thanksgiving Post Used The Word, Bond Benton, Daniela Peterka-Benton

College of Communication and Media Scholarship and Creative Works

A joint study from Montclair State University faculty in the Joetta Di Bella and Fred C. Sautter III Center for Strategic Communication in the School of Communication and Media and the Department of Justice Studies shows a dramatic increase in content containing the slur “retard” on X after Donald Trump’s Thanksgiving Day Truth Social post used the word. Findings showed a 225.7% increase in posts containing the r-word on X with 1,129,438 posts in the studied period. The most viewed, liked, and shared content analyzed enthusiastically endorsed use of the r-word. Results appear consistent with the period after other prominent …

Polarization On Campus: How Social Media Shapes College Students' Opinions On The Israel Hamas War, Jonah Lynne

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This study examines the impact of social media on the polarization of opinions regarding the Israel-Hamas war, particularly among U.S. college students. Following the outbreak of the war in October 2023, social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, X, and TikTok have facilitated the spread of highly partisan narratives, fueling ideological divides. The study highlights how social media contributes to the increase in antisemitic and Islamophobic sentiments, exacerbating societal tensions. Through 25 structured qualitative interviews with college students, the research explores how social media algorithms shape perceptions by reinforcing preexisting beliefs through echo chambers and filter bubbles. Taken as a …

Exploring The Shadows: How Taylor Swift's Music Embodies Dark Sound As A Popular Music Artist, Kristyn E. Cole

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

To challenge the conceptual matter of “dark sound”, this major research paper centers around the popular music artist, Taylor Swift to demonstrate an overarching feminist wisdom in an alternative style of music to identify how Taylor Swift presents and embodies qualities of “dark sound”. Research done by D. Ferrett, Theodor Adorno, Roland Barthes and Paul C. Jasen are used to examine her popular music, and its intersections and influence on our culture and society. Using multimodal critical discourse analysis, this research paper discusses three of Swift’s songs; “willow” (evermore, 2020) for her sound, All Too Well: The Short …

Gendered Images In Online Political Advertising Videostyles: A Case Study Of 2024 Taiwan Presidential And Parliamentary Elections, Chia-Heng Chang

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Despite the increasing visibility of female politicians in Taiwan, the resurgence of the #MeToo movement ahead of the 2024 presidential and parliamentary elections underscores the enduring influence of patriarchal norms and gender stereotypes within Taiwanese society. Prior research in political communication has documented how gendered expectations shape voters’ perceptions of politicians’ appearances, behaviors, and perceived competence in addressing political issues. These expectations, in turn, inform how candidates strategically construct their public personas during electoral campaigns. This dissertation contributes to this body of scholarship by analyzing how Taiwanese political candidates perform gender through political advertising. Integrating the videostyle framework, gender schema …

Diaspora Politics And A Rising China: Ambivalent Ties Amid Geopolitical Changes, Jiaqi M. Liu

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Over the past decade, the rise of China on the global stage has witnessed the emergence of members of the Chinese diaspora as new meso-level actors in mediating Sino-Western relations. As part of China’s burgeoning “public diplomacy” around the globe, Chinese migrants organize cultural events to establish grassroots and semi-official exchanges between China and the West. This chapter provides a state-of-the-art examination of so-called “diasporic public diplomacy” whereby the Chinese diaspora plays an increasingly important role in promoting China’s soft power abroad. Based on long-term fieldwork in a prominent emigrant community, I analyse how Chinese national policies envision two specific …