Category: Media
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Jessica Gall Myrick, Indiana University – Celebrity Influence
The suicide of Robin Williams is just the latest example of a celebrity’s actions raising the discussion to national attention. Jessica Gall Myrick, a communications professor at Indiana University, explores the nature of celebrity influence over the population especially in terms of medical conditions. Jessica Gall Myrick received her Ph.D. in Mass Communication and a…
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Charlton McIlwain, NYU – Journalistic Perspectives on Michael Brown
Without doubt, Michael Brown’s death and the related events occurring in and around Ferguson, Missouri have catalyzed national debate about race relations. But, as Charlton McIlwain, associate professor of media, culture and communication at New York University, will show us: news coverage specifically about Michael Brown did not always focus completely on ethnicity. Charlton McIlwain,…
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Richard Lachmann, University at Albany – The Tonality of Textbooks
The tone of a written passage can fully influence how it is comprehended. Dr. Richard Lachmann, a political sociologist at The University at Albany (SUNY), is studying the shifting tonality of textbooks especially in their treatment of war. Richard Lachmann (Ph.D. Harvard 1983) is professor of sociology at the University at Albany, State University of…
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Brian Southwell, UNC at Chapel Hill – Social Media Disparity
The manner by which information travels on social media tends to corrode it’s accuracy. Dr. Brian Southwell, research professor of mass communication and health behavior at the University of North Carolina, discusses the disparity of shared information on the internet. Dr. Brian Southwell is Director of the Science in the Public Sphere Program in the…
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Scott Hanson-Easey, University of Adelaide – Talk Radio Racism
Racism can be cloaked in language that avoids overt prejudices. Dr. Scott Hanson-Easey, a public health researcher at Australia’s University of Adelaide, is studying how subtly racist language permeates the media. Dr. Scott Hanson-Easey is a researcher in the Discipline of Public Health at the University of Adelaide. His research, employing discourse analysis and social…
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Andrew Mendelson, Temple University – Cell Phone Journalism
Can any mobile phone user become a photojournalist? Andrew Mendelson, chair of Temple University’s journalism department, examines the role of cell phone cameras as part of the journalistic landscape. Dr. Andrew Mendelson is an associate professor and chair of the Department of Journalism at Temple University’s School of Media and Communication. He is an expert…
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Pamela Keel, FSU – Facebook and Eating Disorders
A lot is being written about the psychological effects of social media. Dr. Pamela Keel, a Florida State University psychologist, focuses her research on the association between Facebook and a higher propensity for developing an eating disorder. Pamela K. Keel, Ph.D., is Professor of Psychology and Director of the Eating Behaviors Research Clinic at Florida…
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Dan Jurafsky, Stanford University – The Language of Reviews
Reading online reviews of a restaurant before heading out for a meal is commonplace in today’s digital world. In a recent study, Dan Jurafsky, a linguist at Stanford University, has found some common tropes present in many online reviews. Dan Jurafsky is Professor of Linguistics at Stanford University. In addition to his work on the…
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Erika Engstrom, UNLV – Wedding “Pictures”
Portrayals of weddings and brides make for good television programming. But as Erika Engstrom, professor of communications at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, has found, these glitzy Hollywood renditions are unrealistic. Erika Engstrom is a professor in the Department of Communication Studies at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She teaches courses in gender…
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Jorge Zuluaga, University of Antioquia – Debunking “Pandora”
With the announcement of a series of sequels, now is a great time to discuss the scientific viability of the Avatar world. Jorge Zuluaga, an astronomer at Colombia’s Universidad de Antioquia, wants to emphasize the “fiction” in science fiction. In his Academic Minute, Dr. Zuluaga discusses the physical viability of Pandora, a moon set in…