Research Roundup

College of Information and Communications

Each month, the CIC recognizes faculty and graduate student excellence by compiling a list of all publications, grants, awards and more.

2024

CONFERENCE

SHANNON BOWEN, BRETT ROBERTSON, SABRINA HABIB, PATTY HALL

I organized and led a global conference of top thought leaders for the Global Strategic Communication Consortium. This Conclave included 19 paper presentations of original research - 2 keynotes were offered by Dr. Carl Botan (Emeritus GMU) and Dr. Patrice Buzzanell (USF). Top professionals attended, discussion flowed, and the Handbook of Innovations in Strategic Communication (by Elgar Publishers) will offer chapters by many presenters at the Conclave. The Berger Research Award of $2,500 per year was announced, and participants are planning special journal issues and other output such as webinars and regional GSCC meetings. In 2025, our Conclave meets in May in Sardinia. Participants flew over 59,990 miles to reach the 2024 Conclave from China, Japan, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, the EU, and the US. Link

Twitter: @GlobalStratComm

JOURNAL ARTICLES

LINWAN WU, TAYLOR WEN

Disclosing AI’s Involvement in Advertising to Consumers: A Task-Dependent Perspective

Journal of Advertising

Citation: Wu, L., Dodoo, N. A., & Wen, T. J. (2024). Disclose AI’s involvement in advertising to consumers: A task-dependent perspective. Journal of Advertising. DOI: 10.1080/00913367.2024.2309929

Abstract: The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the advertising industry is widespread, yet there is no consensus on whether consumers should be informed of AI’s involvement in ad placement and ad creation. In light of the importance of digital literacy, we believe that consumers have a right to know about the technology behind the ads they encounter and that scholars should lead the discussion on the issue of AI disclosure. To this end, we conducted three experimental studies to investigate how the disclosure of AI affects consumers’ word-of-mouth (WOM) intent in relation to ads. Our findings suggested that participants were more likely to share an ad placed by AI than an ad created by AI when they believed AI is capable of performing high-complexity tasks. This effect was mediated by the sequence from perceived task objectivity to machine heuristic. Our studies have important implications for both theory development and the practice of AI advertising. Link

DAMION WAYMER

Arts promotion and Black urban displacement: Exploring the paradox of the positive in government public relations and urban renewal discourse.

Published in Public Relations Review.

When public officials make good news, ostensibly for the sake of the community and public interest, some publics are likely to experience bad news as a result. In this essay, we explored this inherent contradiction in arts promotional and urban renewal communication.

Citation: Waymer, D., & Hill, T. E. (2024). Arts promotion and Black urban displacement: Exploring the paradox of the positive in government public relations and urban renewal discourse. Public Relations Review, 50(2),

Abstract: For decades, scholars in the United States have lamented public policies and government actions that seem to affect, intentionally or unintentionally, already marginalized Black populations. Urban renewal policies and initiatives are examples of government actions that receive such criticism. Arts promotion as a strategic public relations tactic, used to attract middle- to -upper class residents and visitors to cities, is one communicative approach cities take to sell their attractiveness and viability. Yet, cities, urban renewal, and urban tourism research has not received much attention from Public Relations researchers. Critical public relations scholars, however, can help to expose key issues such as displacement and marginalization of Black citizens that are associated with city public relations activities such as promotional culture, arts/city marketing, and urban tourism. Using racial neoliberalism as a theoretical, analytical framework, we examine urban renewal in Cincinnati, Ohio USA, to demonstrate the power of boosterish, government-sponsored urban renewal efforts and the ways such paradoxically positive discourse makes it difficult for the often Black, inner-city communities to challenge advancement that might marginalize them further. Link

Twitter: @damionwaymer

AWARDS

KEVIN HULL, MINHEE CHOL (PhD alumna, now at Texas Tech)

This paper is the 1st place winner of the open category of the International Division at the Broadcast Education Association (BEA). The conference is in April in Las Vegas, NV.

The Korean Baseball Organization used a ten-episode documentary to introduce an international audience to its league, players, and the cultural values of South Korea.

Citation: Hull, K., & Choi, M. (2024, April 13-16). A thematic analysis of the Korean Baseball Organization. Documentary Full Count [Paper presentation]. Broadcast Education Association (BEA) 2024. Annual Convention (International Division), Las Vegas, NV, United States.

Abstract: During the 2022 season, a documentary crew followed the teams and players in the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO), resulting in a ten-episode series Full Count that debuted the following year. The series was broadcast initially in South Korea; however, a later international release through a streaming platform allowed for increased worldwide exposure for the league, teams, players, and, perhaps somewhat uniquely, the culture and traditions within the home country. Therefore, even though the focus was baseball, this program provided a unique opportunity for the world to learn about the people and values of South Korea. Using constant comparative methodology, the following themes emerged: (a) emphasizing team over individual, (b) respecting elders, (c) overcoming adversity, and (d) playing with honor.

VALERIE LOOKINGBILL (iSchool Ph.D. Student), KIM LE (Ph.D. student, Arnold School of Public Health)

Our poster, "The TikTok Experience and Content Moderation of Nonsuicidal Self-Injury: A Qualitative Content Analysis," won three awards at the 45th Annual Meeting of the Society of Behavioral Medicine. The poster was awarded a Meritorious Abstract for an excellent student authored submission and a Citation Abstract for an excellent overall abstract submission, as well as chosen for the Violence and Trauma SIG's Outstanding Student Abstract Award.

Citation: Le, K., & Lookingbill, V. (2024, March 13-16). The TikTok experience and content moderation of nonsuicidal self-injury: A qualitative content analysis. Poster to be presented at the 45th Annual Meeting of The Society of Behavioral Medicine, Philadelphia, PA.

JINGYI (CARRIE) XIAO (SJMC Ph.D. Student)

"The Importance of the World's Mangroves," won first place at the University of South Carolina's inaugural Graduate Student Data Visualization Award competition.

In simple terms, my research creatively uses Tableau and Adobe Illustrator to showcase the crucial role mangroves play in coastal ecosystems through engaging visualizations. The implications for potential social media features involve raising awareness and understanding about the significance of preserving mangroves for the broader community.

Abstract: This visualization seeks to illuminate the multifaceted significance of mangroves in mitigating flood risks, particularly in crucial global 'hotspots.' Through visual representation, the objective is to foster awareness of the tangible benefits mangroves offer to both humanity and the environment, emphasizing the intricate interdependence of species reliant on these ecosystems.

CONFERENCE PAPERS

ANLI XIAO, CINDY CHEN (SJMC Ph.D. Student)

Our paper, Corporate Social Advocacy: A Global Perspective, to be presented at the International Public Relations Research conference in Orlando, FL. in March 2024.

Abstract: This study investigates how and why people view corporate social advocacy (CSA) from a global perspective. Through surveys in 5 nations, this study focuses on publics’ perceptions of the roles and their expectations of CSA and explores how culture influences these views. This study yields important theoretical and practical implications.

SHANNON BLAKE-LYNCH

My research examines microaggressions experienced by first-generation students of color in higher education. This study aims to shed light on the challenges these students face and explore potential strategies to create a more inclusive and supportive learning environment. All interviews will be conducted via Zoom and will last approximately one hour.

By focusing on understanding microaggression and exploring ways to make the college experience more inclusive, this research could inform potential social media features by highlighting the experiences of these students, providing resources and support networks, and promoting dialogue and awareness about the importance of inclusivity in higher education.

Abstract: This dissertation investigates the lived experiences of first-generation students of color in higher education, specifically focusing on the pervasive yet often subtle phenomenon of microaggressions. Through a qualitative inquiry, utilizing interviews and thematic analysis, this research delves into the various forms and impacts of microaggressions encountered by these students within the academic environment.

Findings reveal the multifaceted nature of microaggressions, ranging from verbal slights to institutional barriers, and their detrimental effects on the academic performance, mental health, and overall well-being of first-generation students of color. Moreover, this study elucidates how microaggressions contribute to feelings of marginalization and exclusion, ultimately hindering these students' sense of belonging and academic success.

GRANTS

CLAYTON COPELAND, DICK KAWOOYA, ERIC ROBISON

Abstract: Carnegie Whitney Grant, American Library Association

Link

JOURNAL ARTICLES

DAMION WAYMER

Navigating Artificial Intelligence, Public Relations

The public relations field must expertly navigate the intersection of AI and race, because it is our job to provide wise counsel to others in this increasingly diverse and multicultural society. The IRCAI framework can help the PR field understand the racial dynamics of AI, how organizations can avoid the pitfalls of AI bias, and how communicators can navigate a crisis stemming from discriminatory AI. Although we focus on race in this article, the framework can be used to explore AI inequities connected to, and beyond, race such as gender, sexuality, religion and other forms of intersectional marginality. Moreover, the era of non-human stakeholders and digital publics with machine intelligence is here. Many of these artificial agents are already raced and gendered as our case examples demonstrate. The public relations discipline must continue to explore these changes, what they mean for the field, and for society as a whole. If AI is to revolutionize the world in a way that contributes to a more fully functioning society, it is essential that public relations scholars and practitioners take our place at the technology decision-making table sooner rather than later.

Citation: Logan, N., & Waymer, D. (2024) Navigating artificial intelligence, public relations and race, Journal of Public Relations Research, DOI: 10.1080/1062726X.2024.2308868

Abstract: This research responds to calls for more public relations research on the social, cultural and ethical implications of AI as it explores the racial dynamics of AI. We examine three case examples in which AI, race and public relations intersect including: Microsoft’s chatbot Tay, a Facebook recommendation feature, and FN Meka, an AI-powered rap avatar. We introduce a framework we coin Inclusive, Responsible, Communication in Artificial Intelligence (IRCAI) to illuminate the three case examples. We conclude that it is important for the public relations field to navigate the intersection of AI and race, and we reiterate that our IRCAI framework can facilitate such efforts within and beyond the context of race. Link

TARA MORTENSEN, BOB WERTZ (SJMC Ph.D. Student)

Citation: McDermott, B., Mortensen, T. M., & Wertz, R. A. (2024). Measuring the Effect of Presentational Context and Image Authorship on the Credibility Perceptions of Newsworthy Images. Social Media + Society, 10(1). https://doi.org/10.1177/20563051241229656

Abstract: Photojournalists publish images they have created in news publications and on social media, and images captured by ordinary citizens sometimes appear in journalism spaces. This study examines how the professionalism of a photograph’s authorship and presentational context influence the perceived credibility of the image using a two (photographer; staff or amateur) by two (image presentational context; news site or social media) quasi experiment. The small difference in how respondents rate the credibility of the images suggests that, broadly, participants in this study are willing to accept newsworthy images as credible on social media, and social media images as credible in the news. Link

KEVIN HULL

A survey of local television sports broadcasters who had left their positions at a television station for a job outside of broadcasting revealed that they felt overworked and underpaid, and many placed the blame for their problems directly on newsroom management.

This paper was published in Communication and Sport and I will be presenting it at the Broadcast Education Association (BEA) conference in April.

Citation: Hull, K. (2024). Loved It, Miss It, Would Never Go Back: Why U.S. Local Television Sports Broadcasters are Leaving the Industry. Communication & Sport

Abstract: For decades, one of the most recognizable public faces of a local television news station was the sports anchor. However, as newsrooms across the United States struggle with employee burnout, sports departments have not been immune to low job satisfaction and high turnover. The purpose of this study is to examine what factors are causing sportscasters at local television stations to leave the profession. A survey of sports broadcasters who had left their positions at a television station for a job outside of broadcasting revealed that they felt overworked and underpaid, and many placed the blame for their problems directly on newsroom management. Link

LINWAN WU

Instilling warmth in artificial intelligence? Examining publics’ responses to AI-applied corporate ability and corporate social responsibility practices.

Citation: Wu, L., Chen, F. Z., & Tao, W. (2024). Instilling warmth in artificial intelligence? Examining publics’ responses to AI-applied corporate ability and corporate social responsibility practices. Public Relations Review, 50(1), 102426.(IF: 4.2)

Abstract: Through one pilot test and two main studies using experimental design, this research examines publics’ responses to the application of artificial intelligence (AI) in corporate ability (CA) and corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices. Results from Study 1 (N = 113) revealed that the application of AI in CSR practices generated greater word-of-mouth intention and purchase intention than that in CA practices, and perceived warmth of the company mediated this effect. Results from Study 2 (N = 122) replicated the results from Study 1, and further revealed the boundary conditions created by publics’ varying levels of uneasiness with robots. The more positive outcomes generated by the application of AI in CSR (vs. CA) practices were more pronounced among those with high levels of uneasiness with robots, but such an effect was not significant among those with low levels of uneasiness with robots. Findings were discussed based on interdisciplinary theoretical insights from the CA-CSR typology, HAII-TIME model, and Stereotype Content Model. Implications for public relations scholarship and practices were discussed. Link

PANELS/PRESENTATIONS

VANESSA KITZIE, JENNA SPIERING

Presented a 90-minute workshop for the SC State Library called, "Generative AI: What Librarians Need to Know."

Abstract: Whether we like it or not, generative AIs like ChatGPT and Bing are being used for a variety of purposes—personal, profession, and academic. In this session, we will dive into a discussion about the affordances, drawbacks, and ethical issues associated with the use of Generative AI. We will discuss different types of tools and their various applications and potential for library work in order to maximize professional productivity, use with patrons/students, and identify/mitigate academic integrity issues. Participants in this session will have the opportunity to try various AI tools for research, writing, art, teaching, and presentations.

SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS

CLAYTON COPELAND

Citation: Copeland, C.A. (2023). Disability Awareness Training for Bloomsbury Publishing. Bringing IDEAS to your organization.

Abstract: Libraries have an opportunity—and a responsibility—to be welcoming, inclusive, and accessible to everyone in their communities. Through principles of universal design and Universal Design for Learning (UDL), libraries can create and enhance access and accessibility for all patrons, including the one in four Americans who are labeled as having disabilities.

In this on-demand webinar, Dr. Clayton Copeland provides a framework to bring IDEAS (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility Solutions) to libraries and to the communities they serve. Learn about the foundations of accessibility and universal design principles in communication, programming, services, and marketing. Link

CLAYTON COPELAND

Citation: Copeland, C.A. (14, February). IDEAS (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility Solutions) in the Library [Webinar]. Public Library Association. Link

BOOKS/BOOK CHAPTERS

JABARI EVANS

An adaptation of my previous article with Nancy Baym is being published in “That’s The Joint: The Hip-Hop Studies Reader, 3rd Edition (Routledge).” This newly expanded and revised third edition brings together the most important and up-to-date hip-hop scholarship in one comprehensive volume. Edited by Mark Anthony Neal, Murray Forman and Regina N. Bradley, this intellectual compilation is composed of 46 readings that are organized into nine sections representing key concepts and themes: the history of hip-hop, authenticity debates, gender, the globalization of hip-hop, identities, disability, politics, hip-hop and academia, and hip-hop and the media. This new edition also includes greater coverage of gender, sexuality, and racial diversity in hip-hop; hip-hop’s global influence; and hip-hop’s role in social movements and political activism. The pedagogical features include detailed critical introductions framing each section and brief chapter introductions to help readers place each piece in context and within a broader scholarly dialogue.

This text is essential reading for anyone seeking deeper understanding of the profound impact of hip-hop as an intellectual, aesthetic, and cultural movement. Specifically, it covers how DIY artists on Chicago’s south side have utilized digital tools and technologies to establish authenticity and community around their identities despite facing algorithmic marginalization on social media.

Citation: Evans, J.M. & Baym, N.K. (2024) The Audacity of Clout(chasing): Digital Strategies of Black Youth in Chicago DIY Hip-Hop In. Bradley, R., Forman, M., & Neal, M. A. (Eds.). That's the joint!: the hip-hop studies reader (3rd Edition). New York, NY: Routledge. Link

CONFERENCE PAPERS

ANLI XIAO, YANFENG XU (College of Social Work), and LINWAN WU

More than 400,000 children are placed in foster care annually in the Unites States (Administration for Children and Families, 2021). Foster parents play a significant role in protecting and taking care of these children and they need instrumental and non-instrumental support from child welfare agencies and peer support organizations and groups. Foster parent associations (FPAs), which are the main non-profit organizations serving foster parents, are an important source for foster parents to network with peers, share information, receive training and support, and advocate for themselves (Child Welfare Information Gateway, n.d.). Foster parents rely on social media to look for information on parenting foster children and seek peer support (Lee et al., 2021), yet little is known about how FPAs use social media to communicate and interact with them. This study aims to uncover the underlying patterns in Foster Parent Associations’ communication on social media by answering the question of what do FPAs communicate on social media.

LINWAN WU and YU (CINDY) CHEN (SJMC Ph.D. student)

Cause-related influencer marketing: Are AI influencers up to this job? Paper accepted to present at the 2024 ICA Annual Conference, Gold Coast, Australia.

Citation: Chen, Y., & Wu, L. (2024). Cause-related influencer marketing: Are AI influencers up to this job? Paper accepted to present at the 2024 ICA Annual Conference, Gold Coast, Australia.

Abstract: Although companies have started to collaborate with AI influencers in diverse cause-related marketing (CRM) campaigns, few studies have explored this new digital advertising strategy. To fill the gap, this study tested how uneasiness with robots influences the effectiveness of CRM endorsed by AI influencers. An online experiment was conducted with a sample of 196 participants. The results indicated that participants with low levels of uneasiness with robots evaluated the company more favorably when an AI influencer conducted a cause-related than a non-cause-related marketing campaign. There was no salient effect detected among participants with high levels of uneasiness with robots. These findings are believed to provide both theoretical and practical implications for cause-related influencer marketing in the age of artificial intelligence.

LINWAN WU and ERTAN AGAOGLU (SJMC Ph.D. student)

AI chatbots for emotional support: Chatbot agency locus and user prior experience. Paper accepted to present at the 2024 ICA Annual Conference, Gold Coast, Australia.

Citation: Wu, L., & Agaoglu., E. (2024). AI chatbots for emotional support: Chatbot agency locus and user prior experience. Paper accepted to present at the 2024 ICA Annual Conference, Gold Coast, Australia.

Abstract: Chatbots powered by artificial intelligence (AI) have been increasingly used for providing emotional support. While most existing research has focused on comparing the emotional support effectiveness of chatbots with that of humans, no existing studies have examined the effect of agency locus of AI chatbots on their emotional support outcomes. Through an online experiment, this study examined the joint effect between chatbot agency locus (machine agency locus vs. human agency locus) and user prior experience with chatbots on participants’ stress reduction. The results indicated that participants who did not have a lot of prior experiences with conversational chatbots reported a greater stress reduction after interacting with an AI chatbot with machine agency locus than with human agency locus. No effect of agency locus was observed on stress reduction among participants with lots of experiences with conversational chatbots. These findings are believed to provide meaningful theoretical and practical implications to the area of human-AI interactions.

JOURNAL ARTICLES

VANESSA KITZIE, NICK VERA (iSchool Ph.D. candidate), VAL LOOKINGBILL (iSchool Ph.D. candidate), TRAVIS WAGNER (iSchool Ph.D. alumnus)

Citation: Kitzie, V., Vera, A.N., Lookingbill, V., & Wagner, T.L. (2023). "What Is a Wave But 1000 Drops Working Together?": The Role of Public Libraries in Addressing LGBTQIA+ Health Information Disparities. Journal of Documentation.

Abstract:

Purpose: This paper presents results from a participatory action research study with 46 LGBTQIA+ community leaders and 60 library workers who participated in four community forums at public libraries across the US. The forums identified barriers to LGBTQIA+ communities addressing their health questions and concerns and explored strategies for public libraries to tackle them.

Design/methodology/approach: Forums followed the World Café format to facilitate collaborative knowledge development and promote participant-led change. Data sources included collaborative notes taken by participants and observational researcher notes. Data analysis consisted of emic/etic qualitative coding.

Findings: Results revealed that barriers experienced by LGBTQIA+ communities are structurally and socially entrenched and require systematic changes. Public libraries must expand their strategies beyond collection development and one-off programming to meet these requirements. Suggested strategies include outreach and community engagement and mutual aid initiatives characterized by explicit advocacy for LGBTQIA+ communities and community organizing approaches.

Research limitations/implications: Limitations include the sample's lack of racial diversity and the gap in the data collection period between forums due to COVID-19. Public libraries can readily adopt strategies overviewed in this paper for LGBTQIA+ health promotion.

Originality/value: This research used a unique methodology within the Library and Information Science (LIS) field to engage LGBTQIA+ community leaders and library workers in conversations about how public libraries can contribute to LGBTQIA+ health promotion. Prior research has often captured these perspectives separately. Uniting the groups facilitated understanding of each other's strengths and challenges, identifying strategies more relevant than asking either group alone. Link

SUSAN RATHBUN-GRUBB

Citation: Rathbun-Grubb, S. (2024). Librarians Working with Chronic Conditions During and After the COVID-19 Pandemic, Journal of Library Administration, 64(1).

Abstract: This study follows up with librarians with chronic conditions who completed a survey about their work lives in early 2020, before the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants shared their experiences with health management, remote working, and the return to workplace during and after the pandemic. Results show that remote work generally made managing a chronic condition easier. 44% did not feel safe returning to the physical workplace, however, 57% felt at least somewhat supported by their employer. 71% believed that their employers had modified their views about remote work, an important accommodation request of many with chronic illnesses. Link

DAMION WAYMER

Why was Big Tobacco able to get away with selling deadly products for years with little consequence? In this essay, Waymer and Hill provide a plausible explanation for how corporations can weaponize scientific communication for self-interested gain. This article will be featured in a special issue on Corporate Science Communication in the Journal of Communication Management.

Citation: Waymer, D., & Hill, T. E. (2024). Corporate science communication: A compound ideological and mega-ideological discourse. Journal of Communication Management. Link

Abstract:

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to contribute to science communication literature by further highlighting the underexplored role of organizational and corporate perspectives in science communication.

Design/methodology/approach: The paper takes the form of a conceptual article that uses two illustrative vignettes to highlight the power of corporate science communication.

Findings: The key argument is that corporate science communication is a compound ideology that results from merging the hegemonic corporate voice with the ultimate/god-term science (see the work of Kenneth Burke) to form a mega-ideological construct and discourse. Such communication can be so powerful that vulnerable publics and powerful advocates speaking on their behalf have little to no recourse to effectively challenge such discourse. While critiques of corporate science communication in practice are not new, what the authors offer is a possible explanation as to why such discourse is so powerful and hard to combat.

Originality/value: The value of this paper is in the degree to which it both sets an important applied research agenda for the field and fills a critical void in the science communication literature. This conceptual article, in the form of a critical analysis, fills the void by advocating for the inclusion of organizational perspectives in science communication research because of the great potential that organizations have, via science communication, to shape societal behavior and outcomes both positively and negatively. It also coins the terms “compound ideology” and “mega-ideology” to denote that while all ideologies are powerful, ideologies can operate in concert (compound) to change their meaning and effectiveness. By exposing the hegemonic power of corporate science communication, future researchers and practitioners can use these findings as a foundation to combat misinformation and disinformation campaigns wielded by big corporate science entities and the public relations firms often hired to carry out these campaigns. Link

PANELS/PRESENTATIONS

DARIN FREEBURG and KATIE KLEIN (iSchool Ph.D. student)

We presented a 1-hour Learning Lab at the LibLearnX Conference in Baltimore: "Stuck in a routine: When library routines become barriers." This is research coming out of our IMLS-funded project on public library work.

AUGIE GRANT

Communication technologies are evolving at a rapid pace. This presentation provides an update on the most important developments in mass media, computers, consumer electronics, telephony, social media, and AI.

Presented my annual overview of the latest developments in Communication Technology. This year's presentation included special attention to AI, streaming, and VR. TFI Technology Conference, January 24-26, 2024.

Citation: Grant, A. E. (2024). 2024 Communication Technology Update

Abstract: This presentation provided a broad overview of the latest developments in electronic mass media, computers, consumer electronics, telephony, and social media. The presentation included extensive discussion of generative AI and its impact on the media industries, as well as the changing landscapes of streaming video and VR.

RESEARCH REPORTS

KIM THOMPSON

This is a project report for the Phase 2 survey research for the Institute of Museum & Library Services (IMLS) National Leadership Grant No. #LG-252342-OLS-22 (2022-2025). The qualitative, web-based, self-administered survey was distributed to a limited number of management staff at the University of Colorado Boulder Libraries and the University of South Carolina Libraries, as these two libraries serve as the sites for this pilot study. The survey was conducted in February and March of 2023 using University of Denver-supported Qualtrics software. The survey was distributed to library managers by upper-level administrators by request of project directors.

Citation: Dali, K., Thompson, K. M., & Gillespie, C. (2023). Supervising for inclusion: A survey of academic library managers in the context of disability and neurodiversity. Phase 2 of the IMLS-funded project The Practice Model for an Equitable Workplace Transition Program (EWTP): Disability and Neurodiversity. Link

Abstract: Capitalizing on the principles of universal design as applicable to the workplace and learning from the positive experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic that proved to be inclusive of disabled and neurodiverse employees, libraries can improve their job advertisement and application processes; interview processes; day-to-day working environments; and performance evaluations. Link

In addition, here are some iSchool Ph.D. student accomplishments collected in December 2023 outside the Research Roundup Jotform.

Valerie Lookingbill

Got accepted into the CSCW Doctoral Consortium
Got a poster accepted into ASIS&T: Lookingbill, V. (2023, October 27-31). Nonsuicidal self-injury and content moderation on TikTok. Poster to be presented at the 86th Annual Meeting of the Association for Information Science and Technology (ASIS&T), London, England.
Started as a Peer Leader in MLA's Research Training Institute over the summer
Presented at MLA: MacEachern, M., Lessick, S., Batten, J., Conn, B., DeBerg, J., Epstein, H. A., Harnegie, M. P., Justice, E., Kellermeyer, E., Lookingbill, V., Menard, L., Mills, T., Shawcross, M., Stumpff, J., Westrick, J., Varner, D., Lynch, A., & Jankowski, T. A. (2023, May 16-19). Advocating for the value of health sciences librarians. Paper presented at the Medical Library Association (MLA) Annual Conference, Detroit, MI.

Yi Wan

Became an iSchool reviewer
Has a paper in press: Zhao, Y., Wan, Y., & Zhang, H. (2023). The balance and adequacy of libraries’ public cultural services in the new era: Definition, components, and equal access. Library. (Accepted, in Chinese)
Presented a webinar: Wan, Y. (2023, June 19). The price of insights: Cross-national inequity in LIS conferences participation [Webinar]. Scholarly Communication Network. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CJiXmj5h-w

Jesselyn Dreeszen-Bowman

Published a paper: Spiering, J., Santos Green, L., & Dreeszen Bowman, J. (2023). LGBTQIA+ inclusive school library research: A systematic literature review. School Library Review, 26, 1-33.
Has a paper in press: Dreeszen Bowman (2023). Good Intentions and Poor collections: The Attitudes of Southern School Librarians of Transgender Material and Library Holdings (accepted in School Library Review).

Nick Vera

Received CIC funds for doctoral research
Accepted to ASIS&T doctoral colloquium
Presented at LIDA: Pierson, C. M., Tait, E., & Vera, A. N. (2023). Critical perspectives on current professional positioning on themes of digital transformation in the United Kingdom. Paper presented at the Libraries in the Digital Age (LIDA) Annual Conference, Osijek, Croatia, May 24-26, 2023.
Has a poster accepted to ASIS&T: Vera, A. N. (2023). Between Realities: Information Sharing Practices of Deepfake Creators. Poster to be presented at the Association for Information Science and Technology Annual Meeting, London, UK, October 29, 2023.
Published a paper: Vera, A.N., Kitzie, V., Wagner, T.L. (2023). Queer Mediated Practices as a Method to Center and Sustain Critical Health and Media Literacies [Special issue, “Queer(ing) Critical Literacies in Response to Anti-queer Legislation and Policies”]. International Journal of Critical Media Literacy, Eds. S.A. Shelton & R. Schey.

2023

CONFERENCE PAPERS

LINWAN WU and TAYLOR WEN

Citation: Zhang, C., Wu, L., Wen, J. T., Liu, S, & Yang, S. Unveiling emotional reactions to online content: Employing deep learning approach for predicting consumer responses to social media posts. Paper accepted to present to the 2024 Winter Academic Conference of American Marketing Association.

LINWAN WU

“Us vs. them”: An exploration of consumers’ in-group/out-group perception of AI as ad-creator and its impact on brand authenticity and consumer engagement. Paper accepted to present the 2024 AAA Annual Conference.

Citation: Yang, J., Rheu, M., & Wu, L. “Us vs. them”: An exploration of consumers’ in-group/out-group perception of AI as ad-creator and its impact on brand authenticity and consumer engagement. Paper accepted to present the 2024 American Academy of Advertising Annual Conference.

DAVID MOSCOWITZ

Citation: Moscowitz, David. “The Tilt of Trauma: Narrating Practices of Care in Foxtrot.” National Communication Association annual meeting (Rhetorical and Communication Theory Division)

CREATIVE PRODUCTIONS

HANNAH SHIKLE

My video essay, A Desert Journey in Nine Parts, was an Official Selection at the Orlando Film Festival 2023 and the CineWorld Film Festival 2023. Created by splicing together audio and visuals in a supercut-esque style, this video essay explores tropes within desert epic films (Lawrence of Arabia, The Mummy, Indiana Jones, etc.) and how they relate to Orientalist ideas about the Middle East.

JOURNAL ARTICLES

JACOB LONG

This is a journal article entitled "Stability as an Outcome in Communication Research" published in the International Journal of Communication. This piece argues that communication research tends to focus on changing attitudes and behaviors when most of the time, people's attitudes and behaviors are not changing. I discuss how this lack of change might also be caused by our communication habits and give guidance how to design research to test that claim.

Citation: Long, J. A. (2023). Stability as an outcome in communication research. International Journal of Communication, 17, 5954–5971.

Abstract: Since the earliest days of communication research, key findings have often involved the claim that attitudes or behaviors become stable because of communication. Research tends to focus on changes in attitudes or behaviors, however, which can cause confusion when changes are not observed. A lack of theorizing about stability leaves scientists unable to distinguish between null results and attitude stabilization that occurs because of communication. Furthermore, research tends to use the term reinforcement in a way that sometimes means stability, but in others means attitude change. This article argues that stability can be an effect of communication and provides an overview of the research designs needed to perform research of this kind. It concludes by showing how an existing theory, the reinforcing spirals model, can be used to make predictions about how communication leads to stability. Link

BOB WERTZ (SJMC MA student)

My journal article, "Brand new: how visual context shapes initial response to logos and corporate visual identity systems," was published in the Journal of Product and Brand Management. Viewers respond better to new logos when they are presented in context.

Citation: Wertz, R.A. (2023), "Brand new: how visual context shapes initial response to logos and corporate visual identity systems", Journal of Product & Brand Management, Vol. 32 No. 8, pp. 1388-1398.

Abstract: When a new logo is released, it does not have an established meaning in the mind of the viewer. As logos have become more highly scrutinized by consumers and critics, it has become more important to understand viewers’ initial responses to logos. While other studies have researched the impact of aesthetic choices on viewer reaction to logos, this study aims to understand the effect of the surrounding visual identity system when a new logo is introduced. Link

SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS

JUNGMI JUN

I met with the USC student activism group - API Activism Association and presented my work on 'Anti-Asian Racism/Biases and Multidimensional Asian Activism.' Check out what these amazing students do for the social and representation of the AAPI community at USC.

AWARDS/GRANTS

SABRINA HABIB and JEFF WILLIAMS
TRACES: Voices of the Second Generation, a documentary about the children of Holocaust survivors was the recipient of 4 new separate awards at Berlin Film Festival International: Best Documentary, Best Documentary Director, Best Documentary Editing, and Historical Interest Award. In Traces, Voices of the Second Generation we hear directly from children of Holocaust survivors, known as the Second Gen. They tell their parents’ remarkable survival stories and explore what it was like to grow up with parents who survived history’s darkest of evils. Sabrina and Jeff were Associate Producers in this film. Link

VANESSA KITZIE
Our ASIS&T paper, "What is a wave but 1000 drops working together?": The role of public libraries in addressing health information disparities for LGBTQIA+ communities" was awarded Second Place Best Long Paper by the conference organization and also won Best Long Paper from the ASIS&T Health Special Interest Group. I also won Best Paper Meta-Reviewer for the conference.

BOOKS/BOOK CHAPTERS

SHANNON BOWEN
Book chapter resulting from my Arthur W. Page Center Grant. Listening in organizations is not only a component of ethical leadership, but also of strategic efficacy and good stakeholder relations. It is often an under-utilized resource in US organizations.

Citation: Neill, M. & Bowen, S. A. (2023). The state of ethical listening to external stakeholders in U.S. organizations. In K. R. Place (Ed.), Listening in public relations, (pp. 103-120). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

CANDICE EDRINGTON
Published by Routledge, this text draws on a range of theoretical and empirical perspectives. This volume examines the roles strategic communications play in creating social media messaging campaigns designed to engage in digital activism.

As social activism and engagement continue to rise, individuals have an opportunity to use their agency as creators and consumers to explore issues of identity, diversity, justice, and action through digital activism. This edited volume situates activism and social justice historically and draws parallels to the work of activists in today’s social movements such as modern-day feminism, Black Lives Matter, #MeToo, Missing Murdered Indigenous Women, and We Are All Khaled Said. Each chapter adds an additional filter of nuance, building a complete account of mounting issues through social media movements and at the same time scaffolding the complicated nature of digital collective action.

The book will be a useful supplement to courses in public relations, journalism, social media, sociology, political science, diversity, digital activism, and mass communication at both the undergraduate and graduate level.

Citation: Parrish, C., Edrington, C., and Eaddy, L. (2023). Reclaiming Wholeness: The Future & Hope of Digital & Social Activism. In A.Wallace & R. Luttrell (Ed.), Strategic Social Media as Activism: Repression, Resistance, Rebellion, Reform (pp. 281-302). New York. NY: Routledge

Abstract: Clues for the answers of tomorrow's hope & equality can be found in the past. This chapter examines what’s next in digital and social activism including mobile and application-based activism while also examining the influence and progression of activism from historical movements in history. The mission of striving toward wholeness in the use of social and digital media in activism could be closer than we think, as movements today have the great opportunity to command global attention via traction gained on social media. This chapter provides an overview of various historical movements that preceded the internet and discusses how they created a foundation for solidarity that carries over into digital spaces. The chapter flows into discussion about current and future technology and how they are impacting and directing the potential of future digital movements. This body of work rounds out with best practices for the field as we continue to grow into digital spaces and a reflection for readers to examine their own perceptions of wholeness in activism and how they perceive the future of social and digital activism.

JABARI EVANS
This book chapter thinks about the implications of social media practices as an outlet for mental health well-being for Black youth who are involved in affinity spaces for Hip-Hop music outside of their schools. -Argues that contemporary electronically driven popular music has great value for educational, extra-scholastic and therapeutic purposes. -Highlights the unjustified linkage of these musics with social dysfunction, whereby the genre's positive impacts get ignored.

CONFERENCE PAPERS

CLAYTON COPELAND
Citation: Mallary, K.J., Simons, R.N., Copeland, C.A., Nikiema, J., & Dorman, E.J. (2023). Content Analysis of Syllabi Are Library and Information Science Educators Teaching Accessibility? Content Analysis of Syllabi [Juried Paper]. ALISE.

DARIN FREEBURG
I presented a long paper at the Carolina Communication Association's annual meeting. I looked at how public library workers use communication strategies to work around barriers in work routines.

Citation: Freeburg, D. (2023). Interpersonal communication as a workaround for obstacles in public library work routines. Carolinas Communication Association Annual Meeting, Greensboro, NC [Long Paper].

VANESSA KITZIE, NICK VERA (iSchool PhD candidate), VALERIE LOOKINGBILL (iSchool PhD candidate), and TRAVIS WAGNER (iSchool PhD alumnus)
I'm presenting a long paper and participating on a panel for the Association of Information Science and Technology's annual meeting. I'm also serving as a faculty mentor for the Doctoral Student Colloquium.

Citation: Kitzie, V., Vera, A.N., Lookingbill, V., & Wagner, T.L. (2023). "What is a wave but 1000 drops working together?": The role of public libraries in addressing health information disparities for LGBTQIA+ communities. Paper to be presented at the 86th Annual Association for Information Science and Technology Conference 2023, London, UK, October 27 – 31. Bishop, W., Radford, M.L., Montague, K., Costello, L., Kitzie, V., & Wagner, T.L. (2023). Research experiences and lessons learned while investigating in virtual and physical spaces. Workshop to be presented at the 86th Annual Association for Information Science and Technology Conference 2023, London, UK, October 27 – 31.

KIM THOMPSON and NICOLE COOKE
ALISE Conference Juried Paper, Milwaukee, WI, Oct 2-5, 2023.

Citation: Green, L. S., Thompson, K. M., & Cooke, N. A. (2023). Class size determination and decision making in LIS online education. Juried paper presented at the Association for Library and Information Science Education 2023 Conference: Bridge the Gap—Teaching, Learning, Practice, & Competencies 2-5 October 2023, Milwaukee, WI.

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to develop a national landscape of the decisions made by LIS programs regarding online course enrollment caps. Online education expands learning opportunities for all students and is particularly attractive to nontraditional students who are more likely to have employment and family obligations that make attending traditional face-to-face classes difficult. At the same time, online learning can exacerbate existing opportunity gaps between certain student groups, depending on how well-prepared students are for online learning. This survey methodology study investigated course enrollment caps and the reasons behind the limits placed by Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) programs nationwide, in an effort to identify ways online education structures at the University of South Carolina iSchool could be transformed to ensure a resilient future of diverse library and information science (LIS) professionals. Link

JOURNAL ARTICLES

TARA MORTENSEN, COLIN PIACENTINE (SJMC PhD candidate), TAYLOR WEN, NORA BOST (SJMC alumna), and BRIAN MCDERMOTT (Umass Amherst)
An article entitled "True or false? Viewer perceptions of emotional staff and stock photos in the news" will appear in an upcoming edition of the Journal of Media Ethics. This piece is the result of research conducted in the CIC Biometrics and User Experience Lab.

Abstract: The phenomenon of multi-used stock photography in the news contradicts the photojournalism professional values of truthful and emotional depictions. This reality echoes other false images increasingly appearing in the media, including deepfakes and artificial intelligence. In the present study, a two (stock and staff photo) by two (positive and negative valence) quasi-experiment is conducted. The dependent variables include : 1) credibility; 2) self-reported arousal level, 3) emotional valence perceptions, 4) fixation duration, and 5) fixation count. Participants viewed staff photos as more credible in both positive and negative valences. Negative photos were perceived as slightly less credible. Stock and staff photos were similarly arousing, received similar valence perceptions, and had similar gaze fixations and durations.

PANELS/PRESENTATIONS

JABARI EVANS
Dr. Jabari Evans joined leaders and change agents for the Center for Scholars & Storytellers’ annual TEENS AND SCREENS SUMMIT at UCLA. This invitation-only event brings together storytellers, entertainment professionals, youth leaders, academics and community advocates to collaborate on solutions to address the challenges that today’s adolescents face. The Center for Scholars & Storytellers (CSS) is the only youth-centered organization that bridges the gap between social science research and media creation to help storytellers better reflect the lived experiences of adolescents. The invitation-only event brings together storytellers, entertainment professionals, youth leaders, academics and community advocates to collaborate on solutions to address the challenges that today’s adolescents face. Panels and sessions will focus on creating content from a research-informed perspective to support the health and well-being of Gen Z (ages 10-25).

Los Angeles, CA Date: October 26, 2023, from 9-4pm PT Location: UCLA, Luskin Center Format: In person Topic: Meeting Adolescents Where They Are Creating content from a research-informed perspective, emphasizing authentically inclusive representation (AIR) and meeting teens and young adults where they are …on screens. Panels bridge thought leaders and creatives across disciplines and media around a unifying topic.

Citation: Evans, J.M. (2023). Moment4Life: Music and Mental Health. Invited Panel Moderator for the CSS Teens and Screens Summit University of California at Los Angeles Center for Scholars and Storytellers. Sponsored by UCLA Center for Scholars and Storytellers . Los Angeles, CA. October 26.

DARIN FREEBURG and LYDA FONTES MCCARTIN
We held an interactive panel session about the future of library education at the South Carolina Library Association meeting. We engaged attendees in discussions about what it takes to be a librarian and what this means for curriculum.

Citation: Freeburg, D., McCartin, L., King, T., Dineen, R., & Epling, J. (2023). Bridging the practice divide in LIS curricula. South Carolina Library Association Annual Conference, Columbia, SC.

DARIN FREEBURG and KATIE KLEIN (iSchool PhD student)
We presented a poster at the American Association of School Libraries Conference. While much of our work in the Public Library Routines Project focuses on public libraries, we used this poster to expand the research to include school librarians (another library population under attack).

DARIN FREEBURG and KATIE KLEIN (iSchool PhD student)
We presented some of the research coming out of the Public Library Routines Project at the Georgia libraries conference. While work revolves around routines, these routines can be really hard for some workers. And as the routine is repeated, these barriers are normalized and standardized in some really unhealthy ways.

DARIN FREEBURG and KATIE KLEIN (iSchool PhD student)
We presented another angle of research coming out of the Public Library Routines Project at the South Carolina Library Association conference. We presented some of our research but focused on getting feedback from current library staff about the nature of routine work and the challenges they face.

DARIN FREEBURG
We presented another angle of our Public Library Routines Project research at the North Carolina libraries conference. Routine work comes with sheet music that guides its performance. And while the sheet music suggests what workers should do, we also wanted to know what the sheet music says about who workers should be as they do it.

JUNGMI JUN, MINJI KIM (Arnold School of Public Health), JAMES THRASHER (Arnold School of Public Health), ALI ZAIN (SJMC PhD student), JOONKYOUNG KIM (SJMC PhD alumni), and KHALID ALHARBI (SJMC PhD alumni)
Our collaborative work was presented at the NIH Tobacco Regulatory Science meeting in November 2023.

Citation: Kim, M., Jun, J., Zain, A., Kim, J., Alharbi, K., & Thrasher, J. (2023). Young adults’ responses to Philip Morris International’s messages promoting “smoke-free” products. Presented at the NIH Tobacco Regulatory Science meeting. Bethesda, MD.

Abstract: Feel free to contact Jun or Ali if would like to know more about the research finding.

DICK KAWOOYA, CLAYTON COPELAND, ERIC ROBINSON, and BRANDY FOX (iSchool MLIS candidate)
Citation: Kawooya, D., Robinson, E.P., Copeland, C.A.., & Fox, B.N. (2023, October 4). Equitable access for blind, visually impaired, and print-disabled (BVIPD) students in online learning: How students, faculty, disability services, and academic libraries can work together to bridge the gap. [Panel Presentation]. ALISE.

Abstract: The panel will present a research project funded by an internal grant at the University of South Carolina (USC) investigating equity of access to information by Blind, Visually Impaired, and Print-Disabled (BVIPD) students enrolled in online courses. BVIPD students often experience inequitable access to information, including but not limited to a time gap in receiving course content that is otherwise more readily available to non-BVIPD students (Scott and Aquino, 2020). This is a social justice and human rights issue. With this grant-funded project, the researchers will specifically explore ways in which university Disability Service Offices (DSOs) can work with university libraries to maximize access to accessible content to BVIPD students. The BVIPD population is historically underserved by libraries (Bonnici et al., 2015; Epp, 2006; Copeland, 2011; Copeland, 2012; Copeland, 2023; Kawooya, 2023). Most published literature is not available to the BVIPD students, with only 5% of published works available in formats accessible to BVIPD learners (National Federation for the Blind, 2019). The study is designed to develop a Campus Accessibility Partnership model between DSOs and academic libraries. The overarching research question is: How might DSOs and academic libraries better coordinate to effectively and efficiently serve BVIPD students in online learning environments?

The presenters will share outcomes of the first phase of the study, including a detailed review of literature, research design and preliminary findings. Because it is essential to understand the perspectives and potential contributions of all stakeholders in developing a framework for improving equity of access and accessibility for BVIPD students, the researchers are also seeking faculty perspectives. Faculty includes all those who teach semester-long courses, regardless of tenure or rank. In this panel, the research team will introduce its University of South Carolina funded project, including the literature review, the methodological approach, and preliminary results. The session will continue with an interactive discussion with conference attendees, who will be invited to reflect on key concepts, including the questions below:

What, if any, problems have students at your institution(s) experienced with receiving course content in accessible formats? In working with DSOs to ensure BVIPD students receive materials in accessible formats in a timely manner, what, if any, barriers do you experience? What role(s) do you play to facilitate greater equity of access for BVIPD students? What is your knowledge and awareness of your students' experiences with your campus DSO? What formats of accessible course content does your campus provide as accommodations to BVIPD students? If DSOs coordinated with academic libraries to adopt practices for saving accessible format materials for future use, what impact do you think this would have?

The theoretical framework used in this project is Jaeger and Burnett’s (2010) multi-level information worlds theory, which builds predominantly upon theories of the late Dr. Elfreda Chatman and philosopher Jurgen Habermas, as well as theory and research from a wide range of other fields. In this framework, information worlds have structural and behavioral implications, in that social constructs (such as the value ascribed to disability and accessibility) and societal structures or infrastructures (such as law) directly and reciprocally inform one another. Information worlds “provides a framework by which to simultaneously examine information behavior at both the immediate and the broader social levels'' (Jaeger and Burnett, 2010, p. 1). The proposed study will analyze five interconnected concepts of information worlds theory: social norms; social types; information value; information behavior; and boundaries, to address the research questions.

The study employs a mixed method design using both qualitative methods (interviews with DSO staff, academic librarians, and BVIPD students) and a quantitative method (survey-questionnaire with instructors). Prior to the design and execution of the questionnaires, the research team will do extensive literature review and preliminary analysis of the relevant trends using the University of South Carolina’s Social Media Insight Lab. Any news insights gleaned from both sources may lead to changes to the instructor questionnaire. The presenters will share the research design and preliminary results from the literature review and Social Media Insight Lab data.

Participants at the conference will be divided into small groups to reflect upon the questions above. Depending upon the size of audience, the presenters may adopt a whole group approach. Understanding the lived experiences of faculty working with BVIPD populations will help begin to bridge the gap experienced by these marginalized students by identifying strengths and failures of current policies and procedures between DSOs, academic libraries and librarians, and faculty. Discussions among library and information science (LIS)faculty will contribute significantly to developing a partnership model that serves the needs of all stakeholders in ensuring equity of access and accessibility for BVIPD students.

Faculty input and feedback garnered from the conference panel discussions will steer future efforts to reduce the inequalities experienced by BVIPD students as campuses nationwide continue to move to hybrid and fully online learning environments. More than anyone, faculty interact with students of all abilities on a more regular basis. Faculty can offer their insights from working with BVIPD students, DSO staff, and academic librarians. The primary goal of the proposed panel will be to raise awareness for the issues of accessibility faced by BVIPD students, and facilitate a dialogue amongst educators. The latter will enable LIS faculty to play an integral role in informing the development of a proposed Campus Accessibility Partnership model. Ultimately, bridging gaps in understanding the needs of BVIPD students and the roles faculty, DSOs, and academic librarians can and should play in fulfilling these needs can impact equitable access to education. Equitable access to education impacts BVIPD students’ likelihood of academic success, subsequent employment, income earning potential, and ability to enjoy a full life experience.

SUSAN RATHBUN-GRUBB
Citation: Rathbun-Grubb, S. (2023). Post-COVID Work Experiences of Librarians with Chronic Health Conditions (Disability and Inclusion SIG). Presented at the annual conference of the Association for Library and Information Science Education, Milwaukee, WI, October 1-3, 2023.

Abstract: Presentation on the results of a 2022 survey of librarians with chronic health conditions. Participants in the survey had previously responded to a January 2020 survey on chronic illnesses and conditions in the library workplace, prior to the outbreak of COVID-19. The goals of the follow-up survey were to gauge how these respondents fared in the management of their conditions during the upheaval brought about by lockdowns and library closures, remote work, and the return to the workplace after restrictions were lifted.

SUSAN RATHBUN-GRUBB
Citation: Rathbun-Grubb, S. (2023). Innovative course development to foster management skills in technical services (Technical Services SIG). Presented at the annual conference of the Association for Library and Information Science Education, Milwaukee, WI, October 1-3, 2023.

Abstract: Presentation on the development of a new online course entitled “Seminar in Technical Services,” supported by a University of South Carolina Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE) Innovative Pedagogy Grant. The course will cover challenges in library technical services from the manager’s perspective in the following categories: collection assessment, acquisition of physical and virtual materials, collection management, cataloging, metadata, and discovery services, preservation of physical and virtual library collections, and staff supervision. Students will take the lead in identifying critical technical services problems of interest and in researching potential solutions collaboratively.

LAURA SMITH
Presented research comparing assessment results in traditional face-to-face versus online/asynchronous, and 16- versus 8-week courses in the SJMC.

Citation: Presenter/Panel producer (2023, October 20). Assessment & Modality Modulation: Examining student learning outcomes in changing academic environments. Broadcast Education Association On Location Conference, Columbia, SC.

Abstract: During the peak of the Covid crisis, academic programs across the country quickly pivoted from face-to-face to online instruction to serve our students. The global pandemic’s lingering effects have not been all bad, as institutions quickly realized that much of the content we teach can be delivered successfully in a wide range of modalities: in person and online, synchronously and asynchronously, in shorter 8-week bursts or traditional full-semester courses. This panel examined ways in which assessment teams have pivoted in concert with expanding delivery methods, and what effect are these changes having on student learning outcomes.

KIM THOMPSON, CLAYTON COPELAND, BRANDY FOX (iSchool alumna), DICK KAWOOYA, SUSAN RATHBUN-GRUBB, and ERIC ROBINSON
ALISE SIG Disability in LIS panel presentation, Milwaukee, WI, Oct 2-5, 2023.

Citation: Abbas, J., Adkins, D. A., Cahill, M., Charbonneau, D., Copeland, C. A., Fali, K., Fife, D., Fox, B., Hill, H., Jung, Y. J., Kawooya, D., Koh, K., Long, A., Long, B. S., Lundy, M., Oswald, K., Phillips, A. L., Rathbun-Grubb, S., Robinson, E. P., Seo, J. Y., Smith, A. J., Thompson, K. M., & Tobin, C. (2023, October 4). Advocating for disability access: The bridge we need. Juried panel presented at the Association for Library and Information Science Education 2023 Conference: Bridge the Gap—Teaching, Learning, Practice, & Competencies 2-5 October 2023, Milwaukee, WI.

Abstract: The ALISE Disabilities in Library and Information Science Special Interest Group panel featured short form presentations from 11 panel groups. Kim Thompson and Keren Dali reported select findings from their pilot project focused on exploring barriers and supports in academic library hiring practices (funded by IMLS). Link

OTHER

KIM THOMPSON
Phase 2 report for IMLS Grant--reports on data. Based on the survey findings, the analysis indicates there is room for more layers of inclusion incorporated into policies & procedures; information & communication; physical spaces; virtual spaces & technology; and attitudes & perceptions.

Citation: Dali, K., Thompson, K.M., & Gillespie, C. (2023). Supervising for inclusion: A survey of academic library managers in the context of disability and neurodiversity. Phase 2 of the IMLS funded project "The Practice Model for an Equitable Workplace Transition Program (EWTP): Disability and Neurodiversity". https://du.digication.com/equitable-workplace-disability-neurodiversity/home

Abstract: This report presents the data collected and analyzed for Phase 2 of the IMLS-funded project and focuses on 1) academic library managers' views on the hiring, supervision, and retention of disabled and neurodiverse workers in libraries and 2) academic library manager perceptions of disabled and neurodiverse individuals as employees and colleagues. Based on the survey findings, the analysis indicates there is room for more layers of inclusion incorporated into policies & procedures; information & communication; physical spaces; virtual spaces & technology; and attitudes & perceptions. Link

CONFERENCE PAPERS

DAVID MOSCOWITZ

“The Museum is the Message: Melding McLuhan, Media Literacy, and Museum Studies.” Sixteenth International Conference on the Inclusive Museum (Museum Transformations: Pathways to Community Engagement), Vancouver, B.C., Canada.

Abstract: The Museum is the Message: Melding McLuhan, Media Literacy, and Museum Studies. Marshall McLuhan’s familiar maxim, the medium is the message, comports well to contemporary museum studies, particularly when considering the values of inclusion and equity. McLuhan’s main point was to reify media form as equally worthy of study and critique as media content. Likewise, when considering museums as sites of study and critical spaces for culture and community, we should pay attention to museum form as much as we do to museum content. This presentation considers the interdependency of museums and media literacy studies within a DEI-infused learning environment by examining four pedagogical criteria: architecture, ethics, the role of trauma, and an aesthetics of care. Keywords: Media Ecology, Media Literacy, Community Engagement, Museums, Postmodernity, Marshall McLuhan.

JOURNAL ARTICLES

TAYLOR WEN

This research uses the cutting-edge computer vision tools to analyze branded social media content. We presents a novel analytical framework to integrate computationally coded visual features and human rating of brand perceptions to provide methodological and managerial implications for advertising researchers and practitioners.

Citation: Wen, T. J., Peng, Y., & Yang, J. (2023). A Computer Vision Methodology to Predict Brand Personality from Image Features. Journal of Advertising, 1-13.

Abstract: Using the computer vision method, this study proposes an analytical model of visual aesthetics for brand communication and analyzes the effects of visual features (i.e., colors and visual complexity) on brand personality. This study illustrates a four-step procedure correlating computationally coded visual attributes with human ratings of perceived brand personality. This study has important methodological implications for advertising researchers and practitioners. Link

LINWAN WU

How does social density influence consumer subjective well‐being under high environmental uncertainty? International Journal of Consumer Studies (impact factor: 9.9)

Citation: Wu, L., & Zhang, C. (2023). How does social density influence consumer subjective well-being under high environmental uncertainty? The important role of control compensation. International Journal of Consumer Studies. DOI: 10.1111/ijcs.12988.

Abstract: Subjective well-being is an important research topic in consumer psychology. We conducted two experimental studies to examine the joint effects of environmental uncertainty and social density on consumer subjective well-being. The first study (N = 200) adopted a 2 (environmental uncertainty: high vs. baseline) × 2 (social density: high vs. low) design. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) analysis indicated that low social density improved consumers' life happiness after they experienced high environmental uncertainty. Moderated mediation analysis using the PROCESS macro found that the psychological process of control compensation was the underlying mechanism. The second study (N = 193) aimed to further demonstrate the control compensation effect and adopted a 2 (control boost: boost vs. no boost) × 2 (social density: high vs. low) design. ANCOVA analysis indicated that low social density improved life happiness reported by consumers who received no control boost after they experienced high environmental uncertainty. These findings provide significant implications for consumer advocacy from theoretical and practical standpoints. Link

ALI ZAIN, SEIHILL KIM, YUJIN HEO (SJMC alumna), and JUNGMI JUN

Transition from Idealized Science to Culture of Skepticism in South Korea: Micro-Level Evidence for the Two-Culture Model of Public Understanding of Science, International Journal of Public Opinion Research. This study offers micro-level evidence for the two-culture model of public understanding of science, which posits that a shift from an industrializing to a post-industrial society is accompanied by a transition from a culture of idealized science to a culture of skepticism.

Citation: Kim,SH., Oh, S., Zain, A., Heo, Y. and Jun, J. (2023) Transition from Idealized Science to Culture of Skepticism in South Korea: Micro-Level Evidence for the Two-Culture Model of Public Understanding of Science, International Journal of Public Opinion Research, 35 (3)

Abstract: Using data from a national survey in South Korea, this study offers micro-level evidence for the two-culture model of public understanding of science, which posits that a shift from an industrializing to a post-industrial society is accompanied by a transition from a culture of idealized science to a culture of skepticism. We investigate whether older South Koreans, who spent much of their lives during the intense industrialization of the country, hold more positive perceptions about science than younger generations, who grew up mostly in a post-industrial era. As predicted, older individuals perceived greater contributions of science, suggesting that they held more idealized perceptions of science than younger individuals. Perceived importance of economic development, scientific knowledge, ideology, uncertainty of scientific risks, and formal education mediated the link between age and perceived contributions of science, suggesting that these mediators may function as causal mechanisms that could explain why citizens in post-industrial societies tend to have more skeptical perceptions about science than those in industrializing countries. Link

PANELS/PRESENTATIONS

AUGIE GRANT

Presented "Technology Forecast 2023" to the Technology Sector Update Webinar sponsored by the CFO Centre on Wednesday, August 23. Discussed what CFOs need to know about changes in the video distribution landscape and the implications of augmented intelligence (AI), along with brief updates on developments in XR, telephony, and advertising.

Abstract: Overview of the latest developments in communication technology, including impacts of AI, changes in video distribution, XR, and telephony.

SABRINA HABIB

The 90-minute presentation about our study on the role of AI on student creativity highlighted the need for students to develop creative skills and confidence prior to using AI as a tool for brainstorming.

Citation: Habib, S.; Thorne, E., Vogel, T., Does AI Enhance Student Creativity? Creativity Conference, Southern Oregon University, Ashland, OR.

Abstract: Artificial intelligence (AI) has been a topic of much discussion in recent years, with many wondering about its effects on society and human life. Following a variety of software for Ai – Mid journey AI, Dall-E 2, Audio Ai, and many others, most recently, the launch of Chat GPT made these discussions more mainstream. Within the classroom, there is a legitimate concern on how AI will affect learning and creative production. Will students rely on AI or will AI enhance their creative thinking?

SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS

SABRINA HABIB

Speaker at ServDes, the Service Design and Innovation conference in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Abstract: Invited to speak about creative facilitation and design thinking for students and professionals in the service design industry. The talk was interactive and focused on rapid prototyping and problem solving. Link

AWARDS/GRANTS

KEVIN HULL

My "Locomotives Social Media Plan" assignment from JOUR343: Social Media for Sports Media won the "Great Ideas for Teaching" (GIFT) Award in the Sports Communication Interest Group at AEJMC in Washington, DC.

DICK KAWOOYA and CLAYTON COPELAND

Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS grant number RE-254873-OLS-23. To better serve Blind, Visually Impaired, and Print-Disabled (BVIPD) students enrolled in online courses, the University of South Carolina will develop a partnership model for Disabilities Services Offices (DSOs) to work with academic libraries. Currently, most published literature is not available to students in BVIPD-accessible formats, making online learning environments inaccessible. The project will use a mixed method approach to collect data from the 14 institutions in the Southeastern Conference to understand: 1) how familiar DSOs and academic libraries are with current legal infrastructure regarding accessibility for BVIPD students; 2) how DSOs work with academic libraries to support BVIPD students; and 3) the current experiences of BVIPD students using the existing services. The result will be a proposed DSO-Academic Libraries partnership model that demonstrates how DSOs can build workflows using the existing legal infrastructure to make content accessible for BVIPD students.

VANESSA KITZIE, TRAVIS WAGNER (iSchool Ph.D. alumna), and VALERIE LOOKINGBILL (iSchool Ph.D. student)

Our paper, "Transgender and nonbinary individuals and ICT-driven information practices in response to transexclusionary healthcare systems: a qualitative study," was nominated for the Diana Forsythe Award by the American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA). This award "honors a paper that best exemplifies the spirit and scholarship of Diana Forsythe’s work at the intersection of informatics and social sciences, and is announced at the AMIA Annual Symposium," which will occur in October.

Citation: Wagner TL, Kitzie VL, Lookingbill V. Transgender and nonbinary individuals and ICT-driven information practices in response to transexclusionary healthcare systems: a qualitative study. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association. 2022 Feb;29(2):239-48. Information about the award: https://amia.org/about-amia/amia-awards/working-group-awards/diana-forsythe-award

BOOKS/BOOK CHAPTERS

ERIC ROBINSON

My article on "Criminal Defamation" in the Elgar Encyclopedia of Crime and Criminal Justice. Criminal penalties for defamation has been condemned by many human rights groups worldwide, and has been eliminated in many countries. But it still persists in many nations, and is often used as a means of political repression.

Citation: Robinson, E. (2023). Criminal Defamation. In Caeiro, P., Gless, S., Mitsilegas, V., João Costa, M. De Snaijer, J. and Theodorakakou, G. Elgar Encyclopedia of Crime and Criminal Justice. Cheltenham, U.K.: Elgar Publishing.

Abstract: History and current status of criminal defamation statues and prosecutions around the world.

Link: https://doi.org/10.4337/9781789902990.criminal.defamation

CONFERENCE PAPERS

NICK VERA (iSchool Ph.D. student), CAMERON PIERSON (L3 Institute, Hamburg, Germany), and ELIZABETH TAIT (Charles Sturt University, Australia)

Conference paper presented in - Osijek, Croatia, 24th - 26th May 2023.

This research highlights how fields like library and information science (LIS) have a special role in making sure that new technologies, like artificial intelligence (AI), are developed ethically and safely. These technologies can affect how we access and use information, and while they can help with things like fixing misinformation, they need to be designed carefully to avoid harming people or making existing biases worse. The study looked at how courses in information programs are teaching about these advanced technologies and ethics, and found that there's not enough focus on these topics. The research suggests that including these topics in education is important for the future, and it proposes ways to do that, including using a philosophical idea called contractualism. The study also plans to do more research in Australia and the United Kingdom.

Citation: Pierson, C. M., Tait, E., & Vera, A. N. (2022). Information ethics and advanced technologies: Curricular opportunities for the information professions.

Abstract: LIS and the information professions offer unique potential and insight to contribute to the ethical development of automation and socio-technical systems, including artificial intelligence (AI). Professional practice, e.g., librarianship, information management, is now positioned between people, information, and technology. AI and automation will greatly impact the flow, access, and use of information. For example, AI has been suggested as an effective method to address mis-/disinformation (Rubin, 2022). Technical design, however, requires ethical design (e.g., Mökander et al, 2021) to avoid human harm and perpetuating and amplifying biases (Obermeyer et al, 2019). It is increasingly becoming necessary that some form of foundational knowledge in advanced information technologies (e.g., AI), automation, their impact on socio-info ecosystems, be part of professional education and practice for meaningful professional contribution to responsible technological development and broader societal good, for example, through information ethics and policy (Burgess & Knox, 2019). This poster outlines the preliminary findings of a research project to identity opportunities in the socially-oriented information professions curricula to support education in advanced technologies and information ethics. The first phase employed content analysis of course descriptions of accredited LIS programs in Australia to identify and assess the framing of AI, information ethics, and other themes (Tait & Pierson, 2022). Findings indicate only one (1.7%, n=57) course mentioned “AI” and 12 (21%) courses mentioned “ethics.” An analysis of the framing of these and related themes, such as digital technology and data, is discussed. A form of integration of these topics in professional education is necessary to meet future skills needs. Moreover, the philosophical theory of contractualism potentially provides a practical basis to implement info-ethical policy, coordinated professional cooperation, and advance info-ethical inquiry (e.g., Scanlon, 2000). Initial recommendations are offered and next steps in the research agenda are outlined: 2nd Phase: Expanded Australian analysis with course sllyabi. 3rd Phase: United Kingdom focus and comparison.

Link

ALI ZAIN (SJMC Ph.D. student), JUNGMI JUN (SJMC faculty), TAYLOR WEN (SJMC faculty), and KHALID ALHARBI (SJMC Ph.D. alumnus)

The Influence of ‘US FDA’ Authorized Modified Exposure Claim on Heuristic Processing of Warnings, Positive Evaluation, and Greater Acceptance of Novel Tobacco Promotional Message Among Young Adults. 106th Annual Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication Conference, Washington DC.

Citation: Jun, J., Wen, J., Zain, A., and Alharbi, K. (2023, August). The Influence of ‘US FDA’ Authorized Modified Exposure Claim on Heuristic Processing of Warnings, Positive Evaluation, and Greater Acceptance of Novel Tobacco Promotional Message Among Young Adults. 106th Annual Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication Conference, Washington DC.

ALI ZAIN (SJMC Ph.D. student), LI, Z. (Geography faculty), LIANG, C. (Public Health faculty), and LI, X. (Public Health faculty)

Diffusion of polarized information on Twitter and vaccination behaviors: Understanding intertwined role of moralization and emotions. 106th Annual Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication Conference, Washington, DC.

Citation: Zain, A., Li, Z., Liang, C., and Li, X. (2023, August). Diffusion of polarized information on Twitter and vaccination behaviors: Understanding intertwined role of moralization and emotions. 106th Annual Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication Conference, Washington DC.

CREATIVE PRODUCTIONS

JABARI EVANS

Coinciding with the 50th anniversary of hip-hop -- it was 50 years ago that the genre was born in The Bronx -- the Chicago White Sox are producing a short documentary highlighting the team’s rebrand in the 90s and its intersection with hip-hop, pop culture and fashion. On the genre's anniversary on Friday, the White Sox released a short trailer teasing the documentary that will air on August 24 on whitesox.com and MLB network. I served as Executive Producer on this film.

Few baseball hats have impacted the hip-hop culture as much as the current White Sox cap that debuted in the 90s.The documentary discusses the era that led to the popularization of the White Sox hat and apparel. The documentary will also explore what the Sox hat symbolizes and how it impacts the culture and community of those who are still proud to wear the hat today. The interview list is a star-studded group of members closely tied to the White Sox rebrand in the 90s: Ice Cube, Vic Mensa, Don C, co-founders of the Chicago Hip-Hop Heritage Museum, Rhymefest and front office employees involved in the rebrand will all be featured.

Link: Facebook: https://fb.watch/ml_tlRGLFF/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/whitesox/status/1690000144693960705

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CvzpMzsNciw/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoWLrubP_DI

SABRINA HABIB and JEFF WILLIAMS

Sabrina Habib and Jeff Williams are Associate Producers for the documentary TRACES, Voices of the Second Generation. The film is about second-generation Holocaust survivors.

Citation:

Aired on PBS (2023). • Rome Prisma Film (2023). Finalist Awards • Mumbai Bollywood International Film Festival (2023). Best Documentary • Accolade Global Film Competition (2023). Award of Excellence. • Palm Beach International Film Festival (2023) • Aravali International Film Festival (2023) • Accolade Global Film Competition (2023). Award of Excellence • Mumbai Bollywood International Film Festival (2023). Best Documentary • Rome Prisma Film Awards (2023). Finalist • Bedford Documentary Film Festival (2023). Honorable Mention • International Documentary Film Festival (2023). Honorable Mention • California Capital International Documentary Film Festival (2023) • Berlin Film Festival International (2023) • Documentaries Without Borders International Film Festival (2023)

Abstract: In Traces, Voices of the Second Generation we hear directly from children of Holocaust survivors, known as the Second Gen. They tell their parents’ remarkable survival stories and explore what it was like to grow up with parents who survived history’s darkest of evils.

Link: https://www.tracesfilm.com/

JOURNAL ARTICLES

JABARI EVANS

This is the second essay that I have published as an invited columnist Flow, which is a media studies-focused journal managed by graduate students and professors at the Moody School of Communication within the University of Texas-Austin. There has been a lot of chatter about the future of Twitter after the purchase of the platform by Elon Musk. Even so, this change appears to loom even larger for those who identify as belonging to the community known as Black Twitter. In this essay, I argue that though Black Twitter has likely run its course as a innovative discursive space for Black people to self-express and mobilize, it provides a blueprint for how a more structured Black-owned/focused digital space for creativity, activism, radicalism and solidarity might emerge in the near future.

Citation: Evans, J.M. (2023). ‘BLACK TWITTER IS DEAD… BUT ITS SPIRIT WILL LIVE ON.’ Flow Journal: A Critical Forum on Media and Culture, 29(3), pp. 01-05,

Link: https://www.flowjournal.org/2023/05/black-twitter-is-dead-but-its-spirit-will-live-on/

VANESSA KITZIE, NICK VERA (iSchool Ph.D. student), and TRAVIS WAGNER (iSchool Ph.D. alumna)

Citation: Vera, A.N., Kitzie, V., Wagner, T.L. (2023). Queer Mediated Practices as a Method to Center and Sustain Critical Health and Media Literacies [Special issue, “Queer(ing) Critical Literacies in Response to Anti-queer Legislation and Policies”]. International Journal of Critical Media Literacy, Eds. S.A. Shelton & R. Schey.

Abstract: Queer communities experience challenges when accessing accurate and comprehensive health information. These challenges span across media and information environments and threaten queer health promotion. This paper explored how 11 queer community health workers (CHWs) in a Southeastern US state respond to, subvert, and resist these challenges when creating digital health information resources for their queer communities. This longitudinal action research occurred over two years and included multiple qualitative data types. We analyzed these data using qualitative coding, following deductive and inductive strategies. Findings demonstrate how queer CHWs: 1) identified risks and barriers to health promotion their communities experienced; 2) created health information resources that proactively guarded against risks and reactively resisted barriers; 3) borrowed content, format, and logic from other digital media sources, remixing and repurposing them in ways relevant to their communities. Findings denote implications for decentering deficit-based approaches to framing the health and media literacies of queer populations.

Citation: https://brill.com/view/journals/jcml/3/2/jcml.3.issue-2.xml

VANESSA KITZIE and TRAVIS WAGNER (iSchool Ph.D. alumna)

Citation: Wagner, T.L. & Kitzie, V. (2023). Centering queer knowledge paradigms in designing and implementing health information and communication technologies [Special issue, “Feminist and Queer Approaches to ICT4D”]. Information Technology for Development, Eds. S. Vannini, S. Masiero, A. Tandon, C. Wellington, K. Weyers, & K. Braa.

Abstract: This paper reports on findings from two studies focused broadly on the health information practices of queer persons in the American South. The first study consists of semi-structured interviews and focus groups with 65 queer community leaders and members, focusing on their responses to identifying ICT-related barriers to health information. The second study is a participatory design project in which queer individuals received Community Health Worker (CHW) training and certification. As part of their coursework, these CHWs collaborated with health sciences librarians to create an informational resource focused on an issue facing the queer community. By combining the two studies, we offer additional evidence of the cisnormative and heteronormative biases entrenched within ICTs in health contexts and illuminate how communities radically repurpose, or queer, ICTs to uplift and center themselves for health promotion. Findings inform a framework for queer-centered design addressing the importance of affective value within ICTs for development.

Link: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02681102.2023.2233475

KATIE KLEIN

Katie's study “What Library?”: A Survey of Charter School Leaders About School Library Services was published in School Libraries Worldwide on June 13. The paper was selected for an AASL Research Grant. Katie will receive the award and present her paper at the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) national conference in October.

We know school libraries contribute to academic achievement and college readiness for K-12 students, so why do so few charter schools have them? This study begins to look into what's happening in charter schools with literacy, technology, and academic honesty in the context of increasing debate around school choice.

Citation: Klein, K. (2023). “What Library?”: A Survey of Charter School Leaders About School Library Services. School Libraries Worldwide, 28(1), 78–97. https://doi.org/10.29173/slw8680

Abstract: Although charter schools are a growing segment of the US education market, they are less likely than traditional public or private schools to have dedicated library facilities, staffing, or services. Currently there is little data about what services charter schools provide to support literacy, research, or technology skill building - services commonly provided by school libraries. Without these data it is unknown whether, how, or to what extent charter schools without school libraries ensure that their students have access to these crucial learning resources. This study collected data in 87 US based K-12 charter schools across 11 states using an online survey completed by school administrators. This survey addresses library services of charter schools both with and without school library facilities. The survey shows that most charters lack facilities and staffing to provide quality school library services. In charters that have a school library the data suggests the school benefits from more services to encourage reading for fun and information literacy instruction that can improve technology use and research skills. This study informs future research and advocacy for charter school libraries.

Link: https://journals.library.ualberta.ca/slw/index.php/slw/article/view/8680

ROBERT MCKEEVER (former SJMC faculty), BROOKE MCKEEVER (former SJMC faculty), MINHEE CHOI (Ph.D. alumna), and SHUDAN HUANG (Ph.D. student)

Our article, "From advocacy to activism: a multi-dimensional scale of communicative, collective, and combative behaviors" was published in Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly. This project was supported by a Page Legacy Scholar Grant from The Arthur W. Page Center at The Pennsylvania State University’s College of Communications.

Citation: McKeever, B.W., McKeever, R., Choi, M., & *Huang, S. (2023). From advocacy to activism: a multi-dimensional scale of communicative, collective, and combative behaviors. Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, 1–26. https://doi.org/10.1177/10776990231161035

Abstract: Although advocacy and activism have been discussed in communication literature, are important in society, and often aid in organizational success, conceptual definitions and valid measurement of the concepts are lacking. By searching the literature, seeking two rounds of expert feedback, and employing two surveys (N = 1,300) for scale development, this study advances a new measurement model of behavior that may be useful for future research and practice. The findings support six distinct factors of behavioral advocacy and activism, three representing advocacy and three representing activism. The behaviors are communicative, collective, and combative in nature. Implications are discussed, along with suggestions for future research.

Link: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/epub/10.1177/10776990231161035

ERIC ROBINSON

Article in Communication Law and Policy, the leading journal for communications law scholars. Discusses problems with applying modern libel law to irrational speakers who genuinely believe their own untrue statements, and proposes solutions for this problem.

Eric P. Robinson (2023) An Unreasonable Standard?: The Dilemma of Applying Actual Malice to Irrational Speakers, Communication Law and Polic.

Abstract: Several defamation cases stemming from apparently irrational statements are testing the boundaries and standards of defamation law. The constitutional standard for defamation of public figures, actual malice, is based on the speaker’s knowledge that a statement is false or their reckless disregard for whether it is true. An irrational speaker who believes their statement is true confounds this test. This article delineates aspects of defamation law that are challenged by an irrational speaker and concludes with a recommendation to include a stronger “objective” element in the application of the actual malice standard to such cases.

Link: https://doi.org/10.1080/10811680.2023.2216192

LAURA SMITH and NINA BROOK

Findings presented at Broadcast Education Association's annual conference in Las Vegas (April, 2023).

THANKS to Nina Brook for all her collaboration on this project... and to our JOUR 291 instructors for being a part of this project.

Citation: Smith, L.K. & Brook, N. (2023). Student Writing: Using assessment as a tool to standardize and improve upon key learning outcomes. Journal of Media Education, 14(3), 16-23.

Abstract: Student writing quality is a problem nationwide – in the workplace and across academic disciplines in colleges and universities. Some journalism schools use a grammar test to determine which students to accept into their programs. Such benchmarks can have negative consequences, potentially excluding first-generation and students from underserved communities. Diverse voices – with powerful stories to tell – can be lost in the shuffle. USC uses no such test but, historically, has assessed student learning outcomes in its entry-level media writing class (using a multiple-choice test focusing on grammar, punctuation, and word usage). Results were depressingly low. After pilot testing a new method using an inverted pyramid-style prompt, we have switched gears. Results not only demonstrate improved student learning outcomes, the newly-devised assessment method has allowed our program to streamline instruction across multiple sections of this required course.

Link: https://www.calameo.com/journal-of-media-education/books/0000917890fadbee747b6

LAURA SMITH and NINA BROOK

Results presented at BEA in April, 2023 (Las Vegas). Article published in BEA's journal over the summer.

Citation: Smith, L.K. & Brook, N. (2023). Student Writing: Using assessment as a tool to standardize and improve upon key learning outcomes. Journal of Media Education, 14(3), 16-23.

Link: https://www.calameo.com/journal-of-media-education/books/0000917890fadbee747b6

NICK VERA (iSchool Ph.D. student), VANESSA KITZIE, and TRAVIS WAGNER (iSchool Ph.D. alumna)

In our research titled "Navigating Health Challenges in Queer Communities," published in [Journal Name], we explored how 11 queer community health workers in a Southeastern US state create digital health resources. Over two years, we found these workers identified community health risks, developed proactive and reactive resources, and creatively repurposed digital media for their communities. Our findings emphasize the importance of empowering queer populations through tailored health information strategies, challenging deficit-based approaches.

Our research, published in The International Journal of Critical Media Literacy, looked at how 11 individuals working to improve the health of queer communities in the Southeastern US create online health information. We found they made information that protects against risks, fights barriers, and used creative ideas from members of their communities and online to help their communities better.

Citation: Vera, A. N., Kitzie, V. L., & Wagner, T. L. (2023). Queer Mediated Practices as a Method to Center and Sustain Critical Health and Media Literacies. The International Journal of Critical Media Literacy, 3(2), 160-177.

Abstract: Queer communities experience challenges when accessing accurate and comprehensive health information. These challenges span across media and information environments and threaten queer health promotion. This paper explored how 11 queer community health workers (chw s) in a Southeastern US state respond to, subvert, and resist these challenges when creating digital health information resources for their queer communities. This longitudinal action research occurred over two years and included multiple qualitative data types. We analyzed these data using qualitative coding, following deductive and inductive strategies. Findings demonstrate how queer chw s: 1) identified risks and barriers to health promotion their communities experienced; 2) created health information resources that proactively guarded against risks and reactively resisted barriers; 3) borrowed content, format, and logic from other digital media sources, remixing and repurposing them in ways relevant to their communities. Findings denote implications for decentering deficit-based approaches to framing the health and media literacies of queer populations.

Link: https://brill.com/view/journals/jcml/3/2/article-p160_006.xml

LINWAN WU and TAYLOR WEN

The mood effect: How mood, disclosure language and ad skepticism influence the effectiveness of native advertising.

Citation: Wen, T. J., Wu, L., Dodoo, N. A., & Kim, E. (2023). The mood effect: How mood, disclosure language and ad skepticism influence the effectiveness of native advertising. Journal of Consumer Behaviour.

Abstract: This research investigated the interplay between mood, disclosure language, and ad skepticism on consumers' recognition and evaluation of native advertising. During two online experiments, participants first received a mood manipulation and then read an article-style native advertisement. Results from both studies indicated that participants were more likely to recognize a native ad with an explicit rather than an implicit disclosure label, and a negative mood was more likely than a positive mood to drive participants to recognize the native ad. More importantly, participants in a positive mood evaluated a native ad with an implicit disclosure more favorably than an ad with an explicit disclosure. By contrast, participants in a negative mood responded more positively to a native ad with explicit disclosure compared to an ad with implicit disclosure. Study 2 demonstrated that the interaction between mood and disclosure language was further moderated by individuals' levels of ad skepticism. These results are believed to provide meaningful theoretical and practical implications to the field of native advertising and consumer behavior.

Link: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/cb.2197

LINWAN WU

ChatGPT and marketing: Analyzing public discourse in early Twitter posts.

Citation: Zhou, W., Zhang, C., Wu, L., & Shashidhar, M. (2023). ChatGPT and marketing: Analyzing public discourse in early Twitter posts. Journal of Marketing Analytics. DOI: 10.1057/s41270-023-00250-6.

Abstract: Despite the significant interest generated by the Generative AI model ChatGPT, there is still a lack of understanding regarding its impact on marketing from the perspective of early informants. In order to address this gap, our research investigates the initial posts made by Twitter users concerning the relationship between ChatGPT and marketing. Using BERTopic-based topic modeling, we determined the primary themes related to this subject and monitored their popularity over time. Our analysis identified ten distinct clusters of tweets related to ChatGPT and marketing, and we provide a thorough examination of these themes. We also investigated the temporal patterns of these clusters within the timeframe studied and outlined the implications of our findings for both marketing academia and practice.

Link: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1057/s41270-023-00250-6

PANELS/PRESENTATIONS

VAN KORNEGAY

Drones Take Visual Storytelling to New Heights Van Kornegay (South Carolina) AEJMC poster presentation. Instruction in drone-based photography and videography as a supplemental element to journalism and visual communications courses can add a new dimension to visual storytelling, help win awards and make student portfolios more distinctive. AEJMC Annual Meeting Washington, DC.

Abstract: Instruction in drone-based photography and videography as a supplemental element to journalism and visual communications courses can add a new dimension to visual storytelling, help win awards and make student portfolios more distinctive. Drone-based photography and videography requires students and instructors to navigate issues related to local and federal regulations, learn how to pilot a flying camera and become fluent with the aerial perspective. Instruction includes hands-on training, familiarity with FAA certification procedures and identifying and adopting the visual vocabulary of drone photography and videography.

SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS

SHANNON BOWEN

Keynote lecture on the importance of normative theories in communication of various types, as well as teaching normative ethics. Theorists leading the way for practice is incredibly important; it offers a framework through which we can engage in analyses and rational decision making in complex environments. Therefor communications become normative, ethical, and intentional. Such theorizing is rarely possible in a professional context, so academic research should lead professional application for more rigorous and ethically responsible actions and management. Talk was sponsored by the ECREA Organizational and Strategic Communication Conference.

Citation: Bowen, S. A. (2023, July 6). The normative imperative: Sociopolitical challenges of strategic and organizational communication and ethics. Keynote address, ECREA, Autonomous University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal.

Abstract: The Normative Imperative: Sociopolitical Challenges of Strategic and Organizational Communication

STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTS

NICK VERA (iSchool Ph.D. student)

My dissertation research was accepted to this year's competitive, Association for Information Science and Technology (ASIST) doctoral colloquium at the upcoming annual meeting in London. My work will report on preliminary findings of SC young adults' sexual health information seeking practices on social media.

My work examines the impact of social media on the sexual health information-seeking behaviors of young adults. It bridges a critical gap between experts such as health practitioners and teachers – who may not provide accurate, relevant, and comprehensive sexual health information to youth – and social media sources that support health information needs but may lack critical context, quality, or accuracy. My research responds to a call within the field to connect better LIS to Public Health and to develop strategies that encourage young adults to navigate the digital landscape effectively and make informed decisions about their sexual health.

BOOKS/BOOK CHAPTERS

SHANNON BOWEN

This is a peer-reviewed book chapter in the most influential pr graduate-level theory text. This 3rd edition updates the state of theory in the field and will be used in doctoral programs worldwide to inform the next generation of scholars. Authors represent a mostly-American dominance in pr theory and this book will be the standard in that approach highly steeped in both strategic excellence and critical traditions.

Citation: Bowen, S. A. (2023). A theoretic perspective on the evolution of ethics for P. R. theory. In C. Botan & E. Sommerfeldt (Eds.), Public relations theory III: In the age of publics (3rd ed.), (pp. 487-502). New York: Routledge.

SHIRLEY CARTER, MICHELLE BRYAN (Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion), CORRETTA JENNERETTE (College of Nursing) and TOBY JENKINS (College of Education and Graduate School)

Co-author, “Footsteps: Translating Experience, Wisdom & Insight into Navigational Capital for New Black Women Diversity Officers” with Drs. Toby Jenkins, Michelle Bryan, Coretta Jenerette, chapter in The Experiences of Black Women Diversity Practitioners in Historically White Institutions, edited by Tristen Brenae Johnson, 239-260. Hershey, PA: IGI Global, 2023.

KIM THOMPSON

This book brings together a collection of essays from LIS educators from around the world who delve into difficult, unpopular, and uncommonly discussed topics—the inglorious pedagogy, as we call it—based on their practice and scholarship. Presenting perspectives from Australia, Canada, China, New Zealand, the UK, and the US. Each chapter is a case study, rooted not only in the author’s experience but also in a solid theoretical or analytical framework that helps the reader make sense of the situations, behaviors, impact, and human emotions involved in each. The collective thought woven in the book chapters leads the reader through the milestones of inglorious pedagogy to a better understanding of the potentially transformative nature and wasted opportunities of graduate LIS education and higher education in general. Kim is co-author of the introduction, "The Glories and Inglories of Library and Information Science Pedagogy," and epilogue, "Concluding the (In)glorious Journey," of the book. Kim is also the sole author of one chapter, "Overwhelmed or Overteaching? Humanism for Time Use and Pedagogy," and co-author of one more chapter "Tales from Three Countries and One Academia: Academic Faculty in the Time of the Pandemic".

Citation: Dali, K. & Thompson, K. M. (Eds.). (2023). Inglorious pedagogy: Difficult, unpopular, and uncommon topics in library and information science education in times of crisis and quiet. Rowman & Littlefield.

CONFERENCE PAPERS

AUGIE GRANT and COLIN PIACENTINE (SJMC Ph.D. student)

This is the first presentation of research from the Framing Research Group, consisting of faculty from USC, Michigan State, Louisville, and Florida A&M University, presented to the BEA conference in Las Vegas. The research extends our understanding of news consumption by examining the interplay of how the media frames a story with the frame that the audience member brings to the news consumption experience.

Citation: Grant, A. E., Hubner, A., Piacentine, C., Wilkinson, J., Miller, S., & Bowe, B. (2023). Correspondence of frames as a predictor of media effects. Presented to the Annual Convention of the Broadcast Education Association, April 2023, Las Vegas.

Abstract: The framing literature is replete with studies of journalistic frames, but few studies examine the direct effects of those frames on individual audience members. This research extends framing theory by integrating the media frame and the preexisting audience frame into a measure of “correspondence” of frames. The study tests a set of hypotheses regarding the relationship between the correspondence of frames and a set of dependent variables, including sharing, valence, source credibility and arousal.

PANELS/PRESENTATIONS

KAREN GAVIGAN

Presented a session entitled, Never Forget: Graphic Novels about the Holocaust. Session occurred at Arkansas Association of Instructional Media in Little Rock, Arkansas.

ERIC ROBINSON

Presentation on current anti-trust issues facing social and online media companies. After years of ignoring the issue and approving mergers of social and online media companies, the federal government and the states are now taking a new look at whether dot-coms have gotten so big and control so much of their respective markets that they violate anti-trust laws. A challenge in applying these laws is that the focus has usually been on ordinary consumers, but many of these dot-com offer their services at no monetary costs.

Citation: Robinson, E. (panelist) (2023, Apr. 16). Changes Across the Board: Anti-Trust and Dot-coms. In August Grant (moderator). 2023 Communication Technology Update. Panel presented at 2023 Broadcast Educators Association annual convention, Las Vegas, NV.

AWARDS

VANESSA KITZIE

My 2022 paper, “How Visibility, Hypervisibility, and Invisibility Shape Library Staff and Drag Performer Perceptions of and Experiences with Drag Storytimes in Public Libraries” by me, Diana Floegel (independent researcher), Sarah Barriage (University of Kentucky), and Shannon Oltmann (University of Kentucky) published in The Library Quarterly has been selected for the 2023 Library Research Roundtable (part of the American Library Association) Jesse H. Shera Award for Distinguished Published Research. We will receive the award at the Summer 2023 ALA annual meeting.

More about the award
Paper

CREATIVE PRODUCTIONS

ISAAC BROWN, SABRINA HABIB, and JEFF WILLIAMS

TRACES, Voices of the Second Generation, our 57-minute documentary about children of Holocaust survivors is a Finalist for the Rome Prisma Film Awards and won Best Documentary at Mumbai Bollywood International Film Festival. It is also an Official Selection at Docs Without Borders Film Festival, an Official Selection at the Aravali International Film Festival, and an Official Selection at Palm Beach International Film Festival. In Traces, Voices of the Second Generation, children of Holocaust survivors share their parents’ remarkable accounts of surviving history's darkest evils and illustrate how the Holocaust has shaped their own lives.

Link

JOURNAL ARTICLES

VANESSA KITZIE, JULIE SMITHWICK, CARMEN BLANCO, M. GREG GREEN, and SARAH COVINGTON-KOLB (Center for Community Healthy Alignment, Arnold School of Public Health)

Citation: Kitzie V, Smithwick J, Blanco C, Green MG and Covington-Kolb S (2023) Co-creation of a training for community health workers to enhance skills in serving LGBTQIA+ communities. Front. Public Health 11:1046563. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1046563

Abstract: This paper describes creating and implementing a 30-h LGBTQIA+ specialty training for community health workers (CHWs). The training was co-developed by CHW training facilitators (themselves CHWs), researchers with expertise in LGBTQIA+ populations and health information, and a cohort of 11 LGBTQIA+ CHWs who theater tested and piloted the course. The research and training team collected cohort feedback through focus groups and an evaluative survey. Findings stress the importance of a curriculum designed to elicit lived experiences and informed by a pedagogical framework centered on achieving LGBTQIA+ visibilities. This training is a vital tool for CHWs to foster cultural humility for LGBTQIA+ populations and identify opportunities to support their health promotion, especially considering their limited and sometimes absent access to affirming and preventative healthcare. Future directions include revising the training content based on cohort feedback and adapting it to other contexts, such as cultural humility training for medical and nursing professionals and staff.

Link

PANELS/PRESENTATIONS

ERIC ROBINSON

I was a panelist at the "Enter the Thunderdome: Strict Scrutiny Applies (*Except in Texas)" panel presented by the Law & Policy Division at the 2023 Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication Southeast Colloquium, Murfreesboro, TN. Recent cases have led to some questions about the continued viability of major media law precedents. The panel addressed these trends, the possible future of media law, and how to teach media law in this ear of possible change.

Citation: Robinson, E. (panelist) (2023, Mar. 3). In Christopher Terry (moderator), Enter the Thunderdome: Strict Scrutiny Applies (*Except in Texas). Panel presented at 2023 Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication Southeast Colloquium, Murfreesboro, TN.

FEILI TU-KEEFNER

The World Health Organization Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness and Prevention Department and the WHO Regional Office for Europe invited me to the WHO Technical Consultation on Building a Global University Curriculum for Infodemic Management. I am one of the 47 representatives of academia, public health and professional associations, and health authorities from six WHO regions. I also served as one of the panelists and made a presentation. My topic concerns how to mainstream infodemic management concepts in teaching and training in my position. Belgrade, Serbia, from March 21-23, 2023.

Link

SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS

ERIC ROBINSON

I was a participant in the "Lawyers off the Cuff" panel at the South Carolina Press Association Annual Meeting. The panel answered questions from reporters and discussed trends and recent developments in media law.

Citation: Robinson, E. (panelist) (2023, Mar. 10). “Counselors Off the Cuff.” In South Carolina Press Association, 2023 Annual Meeting and Awards Luncheon, Columbia, S.C.

AWARD

JUNGMI JUN, ALI ZAIN (SJMC Ph.D. student) and YINGYING CHEN (former SJMC faculty)

Jungmi Jun was selected to receive AEJMC 2023 Senior Scholar Grant. A session discussing the research progress will be held in 2023 AEJMC Conference at Washington DC.

Abstract: “Cancer Communication Ecologies of Asian Americans in the United States” Jun proposes to identify the cancer communication ecology network of Asians in the United States by conducting (1) systematic review of literature on Asians’ communication resources and (2) surveys with Asians across the United States. The proposed research aims to (a) investigate Asians’ cancer communication ecology distinguished from other racial/ethnic groups as well as variations within the group, (b) find ethnic/community resources of cancer information and extend the communication ecology network, and (c) identify communication resources that are associated with cancer screening knowledge and confidence. Asians are the only racial group listing cancer as the leading cause of death in the United States, and cancer accounts for 25% of all deaths among Asians. Cancer deaths can be mitigated with early screening and treatment. Yet, Asians show the lowest cancer screening rates of all racial/ethnic groups. During the pandemic, many Asians avoided or delayed cancer/health screenings, and one reason was the fear of anti-Asian racism and social interactions. Findings from this project will support the effort to actively communicate and resume safe cancer screenings for Asians. This research will contribute to the field of mass communication by applying its theoretical framework – communication ecology network – into a current health inequality issue.

CREATIVE PRODUCTION

ISAAC BROWN, SABRINA HABIB and JEFF WILLIAMS

We recently found out that TRACES, Voices of the Second Generation is an Official Selection at the Palm Beach International Film Festival. It will screen at the Florida festival in the third week of April. The film also recently won an Award of Excellence at the Accolade Global Film Competition. In Traces, Voices of the Second Generation, children of Holocaust survivors share their parents’ remarkable accounts of surviving history's darkest evils and illustrate how the Holocaust has shaped their own lives. Link

JOURNAL ARTICLES

JUNGMI JUN, KAREN WICKERSHAM (College of Nursing faculty), ALI ZAIN (SJMC Ph.D. student), RACHEL FORD (SJMC MA student), NANLAN ZHANG (SJMC Ph.D. alumna), CARL CICCARELLI (SJMC Ph.D. student), SEI-HILL KIM, and CHEN LIANG (Arnold School of Public Health faculty)

Citation: Jungmi Jun, Karen Wickersham, Ali Zain, Rachel Ford, Nanlan Zhang, Carl Ciccarelli, Sei-Hill Kim & Chen Liang (2023): Cancer and COVID-19 vaccines on Twitter: The voice and vaccine attitude of cancer community, Journal of Health Communication, DOI: 10.1080/10810730.2023.2168800

Abstract: We investigate social media discourses on the relationship between cancer and COVID-19 vaccines focusing on the key textual topics, themes reflecting the voice of cancer community, authors who contribute to the discourse, and valence toward vaccines. We analyzed 6,427 tweets about cancer and COVID-19 vaccines, posted from when vaccines were approved in the U.S. (December 2020) to the February 2022. We mixed quantitative text mining, manual coding and statistical analysis, and inductive qualitative thematic analysis. Nearly 16% of the tweets posted by a cancer community member mentioned about refusal or delay of their vaccination at the state/local level during the initial rollout despite the CDC’s recommendation to prioritize adults with high-risk medical conditions. Most tweets posted by cancer patients (pro = 82.4% vs. anti = 5.1%) and caregivers (pro = 89.2% vs. anti = 4.2%) showed positive valence toward vaccines and advocated for vaccine uptake increase among cancer patients and the general population. Vaccine hesitancy, self-reported adverse events, and COVID-19 disruption of cancer treatment also appeared as key themes. The cancer community called for actions to improve vaccination procedures to become safe and accessible especially for elderly cancer patients, develop COVID-19 vaccines suitable for varying type, stage, and treatment of cancer, and advance cancer vaccines. Future research should continue surveilling conversations around continuous impacts of COVID-19 interference with the cancer control continuum, beyond vaccination, focusing on the voice and concern of cancer community. Link

This research was funded by College of Nursing and CIC. We thank Drs. Brooke McKeever and Bernardine Pinto who facilitated the grant and research collaboration between two colleges.

ALI ZAIN, YINGYING CHEN, JACOB LONG, SEI-HILL KIM, and COLIN PIACENTINE (SJMC Ph.D student)

Anti-intellectualism amid the COVID-19 pandemic: The discursive elements and sources of anti-Fauci tweets Public Understanding of Science.

Citation: Chen, Y., Long, J., Jun, J., Kim, S.-H., Zain, A., & Piacentine, C. (2023). Anti-intellectualism amid the COVID-19 pandemic: The discursive elements and sources of anti-Fauci tweets. Public Understanding of Science. Link

Abstract: Anti-intellectualism (resentment, hostility, and mistrust of experts) has become a growing concern during the pandemic. Using topic modeling and supervised machine learning, this study examines the elements and sources of anti-Fauci tweets as a case of anti-intellectual discourse on social media. Based on the theoretical framework of science-related populism, we identified three anti-intellectual discursive elements in anti-Fauci tweets: people-scientist antagonism, delegitimizing the motivation of scientists, and delegitimizing the knowledge of scientists. Delegitimizing the motivation of scientists appeared the most in anti-Fauci tweets. Politicians, conservative news media, and non-institutional actors (e.g. individuals and grassroots advocacy organizations) co-constructed the production and circulation of anti-intellectual discourses on Twitter. Anti-intellectual discourses resurged even under Twitter’s content moderation mechanism. We discuss theoretical and practical implications for building public trust in scientists, effective science communication, and content moderation policies on social media. Link

ALI ZAIN

Opioids in Satirical News Shows: Exploring Topics, Sentiments, and Engagement in Last Week Tonight on YouTube Journal of Public Health.

Citation: Muhammad Ittefaq, Ali Zain & Hasnain Bokhari (2023) Opioids in Satirical News Shows: Exploring Topics, Sentiments, and Engagement in Last Week Tonight on YouTube, Journal of Health Communication, DOI: 10.1080/10810730.2023.2176575

Abstract: Prescription drug misuse and opioid overdose have become one of the most serious health crises in the US health system. In this study, we examined Last Week Tonight as hosted by John Oliver in order to explore topics, sentiments, and reactions by referring to online comments on YouTube. Using an unsupervised machine learning approach, we analyzed 33,741 user generated comments taken from three selected episodes published between 2016 and 2021. Our results revealed 13 topics: the politicization of the opioid crisis, side effects of opioid use, seeking help, legal issues, reactions to the John Oliver show, drug addiction, the US in comparison with other countries, case settlements, the drug business, addiction and pharmaceutical companies, profitability of companies from deaths, drugs and elections, as well as general awareness and education. In addition, we found that opioid side effects, seeking help, and the drug business had received the highest user engagements in terms of likes and replies. Our study suggests that comments with positive sentiments were more likely to cause a more widespread engagement from YouTube users than negative comments. Link

ALI ZAIN and CARL CICCARELLI (SJMC Ph.D. student)

Political partisanship and belief in misinformation: operationalizing theory of planned behavior to predict intentions to quit social media. Southwestern Mass Communication Journal.

Citation: Zain, A. & Ciccarelli, C. (In Press). Political partisanship and belief in misinformation: operationalizing theory of planned behavior to predict intentions to quit social media. Southwestern Mass Communication Journal

Abstract: In the context of growing content moderation on mainstream social media platforms, this study applies the theory of planned behavior to predict individuals’ intentions to quit social media. We found that attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control significantly predicted intentions to quit social media, accounting for 68% of variance among participants (N = 525) composition of the sample for this study proportionally mirrored U.S. census data. Political partisanship and belief in misinformation also slightly increased the predictability of the TPB model, suggesting that they can be used as moderators or antecedents of subjective norms in future. Potential implications of the study are discussed further.

OTHER

SHANNON BOWEN, PATTY HALL, YICHING ZHU, MACKENZIE HITCHCOCK, ADETUTU WANDE-KAYODE, and LINWAN WU

The mission of the GSCC is to push the field of strategic communication forward by focusing research and discussions on future challenges and crises in the field. We want to inspire proactive strategy, rather than reactive approaches, to the challenges and crises of the future in strategic communication. In March 2023, the Consortium will hold an intimate and Conclave of many of the world's leading scholars in this area to encourage dialogue, brainstorming, and new theory building. Although not all studies are futuristic, “implications for the future” are pursued. As academic thought leaders, we strive to create a think-tank environment to advance our field in research and theory, thus the 2023 meeting is by invitation only. We expect two to three publication outcomes from this meeting (journal special issue, articles, an edited book) and leadership in the Strategic Communication area, as there is no other conference with this focus. This meeting also positions USC as a global leader in strategic communication research and graduate study. Participants, Executive Board and Steering Committee of leaders in strategic communication, as well as the Conclave schedule and paper/ presentation topics, can be reviewed here and here:

Citation: Future Challenges. Conclave of the Global Strategic Communication Consortium, Ft. Lauderdale, FL. (Mar. 5 - 7, 2023).

Abstract: Keynote speaker: Tracy L. Jackson, Director. Regional Emergency Services and Communications, Broward County, FL

SPEAKING ENGAGEMENT

AUGIE GRANT

2023 Communication Technology Update--provided an overview of the latest developments in electronic mass media, computers, consumer electronics, telephony, social media, etc. This annual presentation addresses the latest developments across a wide range of communication technologies, with emphasis on the factors that most affect consumers.

Citation: Grant, A. E. (2023). 2023 Communication Technology Update. Presented to the TFI Technology Conference, January 2023, Austin.

AWARD

COLIN PIACENTINE

2023 American Academy of Advertising Dissertation Award Competition - $2,000. This study investigates how different types of podcast ads and their message styles impact how consumers respond to podcast advertising. The study also explores how podcast genres influence consumer responses to podcast advertising.

Citation: Piacentine, C. Understanding Podcast Advertising Processing and Outcomes: An Analysis of Podcast Ad Types, Message Styles and Contexts on Consumer Responses. [Dissertation in Progress]. University of South Carolina.

ALI ZAIN

2023 Breakthrough Graduate Scholars

CONFERENCE PAPER

COLIN PIACENTINE and AUGIE GRANT

Correspondence of Frames as a Predictor of Media Effects. Paper being presented to the Faculty Research in Progress Session II at the Annual Conference of the Broadcast Education Association (BEA) in Las Vegas, NV. We investigate how frames provided by the media and frames provided by audiences correspond to produce varying effects.

Citation: Grant, A., Hubner, A., Piacentine, C., Wilkinson, J., Miller, S., & Bowe, B. (2023). Correspondence of Frames as a Predictor of Media Effects.

ALI ZAIN, BHALA, N. (SJMC Ph.D. alumna) and O’BOYLE, J. (Ph.D. alumna)

Twitter Conversations about Causes, Solutions and Effects of Delhi Air Pollution: Agenda-Building Content Analysis. 73rd Annual International Communication Association Conference. Toronto, Canada.

Citation: Bhala, N., Zain, A., and O’Boyle, J. (Accepted; May, 2023). Twitter Conversations about Causes, Solutions and Effects of Delhi Air Pollution: Agenda-Building Content Analysis. 73rd Annual International Communication Association Conference. Toronto, Canada.

CREATIVE PRODUCTION

ISAAC BROWN, SABRINA HABIB and JEFF WILLIAMS

PBS documentary premiere 1/29/23. TRACES, Voices of the Second Generation will have its world premiere at FSCJ’s Wilson Center for the Arts on Saturday, January 28 at 7:30 p.m. to commemorate UN’s Holocaust Remembrance Day. Produced by: Stacey Goldring. Directed and Edited by: Isaac Brown and Ana Paula Habib. Animation by: Brian Oakley. Music composed by: Tom Doughty. Associate Producers: Eric Flagg, Sabrina Habib, Lisa Martinez Petyak, Jeff Williams.

Abstract: The film explores the complexities of growing up with Holocaust survivors as parents.

DENISE MCGILL

I serve as Consulting Producer for a 39-minute documentary film "In the Bubble with Jaime" that examines politics and race in S.C. The film is currently playing at film festivals across the country. World Premiere was Oct. 30, 2022. To date it has been accepted to two film festivals, with more screenings expected.

Citation: Harrold, E. (Producer, Director), & Charlamagne Tha God (Executive Producer). McGill, D. (Consulting Producer). (2022). In the Bubble with Jaime [Film]. Independent.

Abstract: Movie tagline: In South Carolina, African American Jaime Harrison takes on Republican incumbent Lindsey Graham to run for US Senate. But what happens when the COVID pandemic sets in? In a state with one of the largest African American populations in the United States, Harrison must face not only a global pandemic but a legacy of racial injustice that makes winning an uphill battle. Link

SABRINA HABIB

Thought piece on Medium.com. I discuss the possible implications and impact of AI on creativity. Link

GRANT

TARA MORTENSEN

USC Innovative Pedagogy Grant for new course, Signs of the Times: Looking Closer at Images in the Media.

Abstract: The Center for Teaching Excellence Innovative Pedagogy Grant invests in the continuous quality improvement of courses taught by faculty who provide students with exemplary, highly engaging courses, offered either in an online, blended, or traditional format.

JOURNAL ARTICLES

CANDICE EDRINGTON

Citation: Edrington, C. (2022) Looking back to move forward: A review of literature to identify #BlackLivesMatter as the virtual community that sparked a movement. Hyperrhiz: New Media Cultures, 25. doi:10.20415/hyp/025.e01

DARIN FREEBURG and KATIE KLEIN (iSchool Ph.D. student)

In this article, we apply the concept of organizational routines and the theory of workarounds to a study of library employee autonomy. This research was funded, in part, by a CIC research grant.

Citation: Freeburg, D. & Klein, K. (2022). Are library staff autonomous? The influence of routines and the development of workarounds. Journal of Librarianship and Information Science. https://doi.org/10.1177/09610006221140902

JACOB LONG

This is a journal article published in the journal Mass Communication and Society. The title is "The Viral Water Cooler: Talking About Political Satire Promotes Further Political Discussion." Past research has found that people who watch political satire programs like The Daily Show with Trevor Noah are more likely to talk about politics in their everyday lives. We show that this may be partly caused by watching these shows, since they chat with other people about the content on the programs and later seem to talk more about politics in general.

Citation: Jeong, M. S., Long, J. A., & Lavis, S. M. (2022). The viral water cooler: Talking about political satire promotes further political discussion. Mass Communication and Society. https://doi.org/10.1080/15205436.2022.2138766

Abstract: Much effort has been devoted into understanding the participatory outcomes of political satire. Despite the increased impact of social media in disseminating political information online, however, researchers have not yet examined the potential role of social media in the relationship between political satire consumption and political communication processes. This study uses a three-wave panel survey to test the effects of both viewing political satire (intentionally) and incidental exposure (via shared content on social media) to political satire on political discussion, mediated by the viewers’ conversation about the content of political satire. This study also examines how Affinity for Political Humor (AFPH), specifically its social cohesion dimension, moderates those relationships. Results demonstrate that regardless of whether the exposure was incidental via social media or not, exposure to political satire increased political discussion, mediated by conversation about political satire. This indirect effect differed by individuals’ level of AFPH. These results indicate that viewing political satire, even when it is incidental, can make people more likely to talk about the content of the satire programs, which in turn can promote their political discussion in general. This effect was found to be more prominent among those who score high on AFPH.

Link: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15205436.2022.2138766

FEILI TU-KEEFNER, APRIL HOBB (iSchool alumna) and ABBY BRICKER (iSchool MLIS student)

The results show that the documents reviewed in the study are not compatible with the sixth-grade reading level recommended by the American Medical Association for patient education materials. This research underscores the value of communication and information science theoretical frameworks when investigating whether adults from the general public can access authoritative COVID-19 health information without difficulty. The researchers see social responsibility and community impact as central to their scholarship. This study aims to shed some light on how communication, public health, and information professionals can collaborate to provide the general public with credible and comprehensible consumer health information on COVID-19.

Citation: Tu-Keefner, F., Hobbs, A., & Bricker, A. (2022). Is the authoritative online COVID-19 consumer health information intelligible to adults of the general public?: A COVID-19 information analysis. To be published in the Journal of Consumer Health Information on the Internet, 26(4), 373-395. https://doi.org/10.1080/15398285.2022.2124493

Abstract: Objective: To investigate whether the authoritative COVID-19 consumer health information provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States (U.S.) and the World Health Organization (WHO) is at low readability levels (i.e., at or below a sixth-grade reading level). Major public health organizations such as these have quickly distributed authoritative COVID-19 health information on the Internet during the pandemic. However, scant research has assessed whether the information disseminated by these two major public health organizations enables access by adults from the general public. This study examines the Flesch-Kincaid grade levels of the COVID-19 health information in English distributed by the CDC and the WHO. Design: The study is guided by communication and information science frameworks. It examines the reading level of the resources to see if they are compatible with the guidelines of the American Medical Association for patient education materials. Methods/Setting: The methodology used centered on content and document analyses. The samples analyzed were identified through accessing the COVID-19 health information shared on the websites of the public library systems of the twenty largest cities in the U.S. Key Results: The results show that the documents reviewed in the study are not compatible with the sixth-grade reading level recommended by the American Medical Association for patient education materials.

LINWAN WU and CHANG-WON CHOI (SJMC Ph.D. alumnus)

Brand anthropomorphism on Twitter: communication strategies and consumer engagement.

Citation: Wu, L., Dodoo, N. A., & Choi, C. W. (2023). Relationship marketing with brand characters on Twitter: Message strategies and consumer engagement. Journal of Product & Brand Management. DOI: 10.1108/JPBM-12-2021-3787.

Abstract: Purpose: Anthropomorphized brands have been widely used as marketing communication tools to engage consumers on social media, especially on Twitter. Guided by the social exchange theory (SET) and the dialogic theory, this study aims to investigate how anthropomorphized brands leverage different communication strategies on Twitter and how these strategies are related to consumer engagement. Design/methodology/approach: Supervised machine learning was used to identify the communication strategies (i.e. message types and dialogic principles) of 125,887 tweets from 21 brand characters. Some statistical analyses (e.g. frequency analysis, Chi-square analysis and Poisson regression analysis) were performed to explore the relationships between communication strategies and consumer engagement (i.e. retweets and replies). Findings: The majority of anthropomorphized brands’ tweets belonged to the socioemotional category and the most adopted dialogic principles were generation of return visits and conservation of visitors. Consumers engaged more with socioemotional tweets as well as the tweets that adopted the principles of dialogic loop and conservation of visitors. There were clear relationships between message types and dialogic principles in anthropomorphized brands’ tweets, and certain dialogic principles were found to effectively improve consumer engagement with certain message types. Originality/value: To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to investigate the communication strategies of anthropomorphized brand characters on Twitter using computational research methods. It not only provides brand managers a systematic review of how current anthropomorphized brands communicate with consumers on Twitter and what strategies work more effectively to trigger consumer engagement but also contributes to theory building in brand management by integrating the SET and the dialogic theory in brand anthropomorphism research.

Link: https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/JPBM-12-2021-3787/full/html

ALI ZAIN

Citation: Ali Zain (2023) Celebrity Capital and Social Movements: A Textual Analysis of Bollywood Celebrities’ Tweets on 2020-21 Indian Farmers’ Protest, Southern Communication Journal, DOI: 10.1080/1041794X.2022.2160006

Abstract: Building on the global trend of celebrity activism and concept of celebrity capital, this study qualitatively examines Twitter posts of the Bollywood celebrities. The aim of this analysis was to identify varying discourses about the 2020–21 Indian farmers’ protest as celebrities are considered significant players of discourse building and social movements. The thematic analysis showed that pro- and anti-farmers’ protest celebrities used rhetorical and explanatory support to build their discourses. Some celebrities even engaged in celebrity-shaming and name-calling to urge fellow Bollywood celebrities to support or stop supporting the protesters. Findings suggest that global trend of celebrity activism is becoming more visible in Bollywood and celebrities are using their influence to support or oppose social movements like the farmers’ protest.

Link: https://doi.org/10.1080/1041794X.2022.2160006

OTHER

KELLY DAVIS

The PRSA College of Fellows has reappointed Kelly Davis, APR, Fellow PRSA to serve as one of its representatives on the board of the Commission for Public Relations Education.

SPEAKING ENGAGEMENT

JABARI EVANS

On February 1st, I will be giving a talk at Harvard Business school with a moderated Q&A with Dr. James W. Riley. I will be discussing my field work exploring digital clout, DIY music entrepreneurship social media practices of Black youth on Chicago's Southside. A lot that could be gained by not overlooking the creativity and ingenuity of teens and young adults in Chicago's drill scene. Drillers are a perfect example of the ways in which young Black kids are unintentionally innovating within social media while simply navigating violence and poverty.

College of Information and Communications

College of Information and Communications