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- I'm an associate professor in the department of journalism and mass communication. Scholarly interests include social... moreI'm an associate professor in the department of journalism and mass communication. Scholarly interests include social media, the portrayal of people of color in the media, health communications, multimedia journalism in the curricula.edit
An analysis of 640 posts from the social media platforms of 14 students at a historically Black university revealed that entertainment accounted for 68% of their social media content, “uplift” 17%, and empowerment 14%. Educators worry... more
An analysis of 640 posts from the social media platforms of 14 students at a historically Black university revealed that entertainment accounted for 68% of their social media content, “uplift” 17%, and empowerment 14%. Educators worry that students may be squandering online resources that could help improve their lives when they choose entertainment over uplift and empowerment. The study examines why entertainment trumps uplift and empowerment, and more broadly, how it may serve as a catalyst to combat disinformation.
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Social media platforms (i.e., Twitter, Tik Tok, YouTube, Snapchat) transmit traumatic imagery of racist encounters that dehumanize racially marginalized Americans. Behavioral and social sciences have long documented the adverse effects of... more
Social media platforms (i.e., Twitter, Tik Tok, YouTube, Snapchat) transmit traumatic imagery of racist encounters that dehumanize racially marginalized Americans. Behavioral and social sciences have long documented the adverse effects of media on young adults which include negative physical and mental health outcomes. However, evidence is sparse on the health-related impact of viewing gender-specific, racially motivated violence via social media. Through an interdisciplinary approach, with theories from psychology, sociology, and communications, we propose a novel framework called the Vicarious Intersectional Trauma (VIT) Conceptual Model. The proposed model situates the Racial Encounter Coping Appraisal and Socialization Theory (RECAST) as a foundational theory understanding the pathways by which traumatic racial encounters impact health among Black Americans. We expand on RECAST by integrating Agenda Setting Theory, Cultivation Theory, and Intersectionality Theory, to facilitate ...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Using thematic analysis, the researcher studied 1,299 condolences posted on the obituary website Legacy.com to come up with themes that opened the window to cybermourning and parasocial relationships on the night worldly-famous comedian... more
Using thematic analysis, the researcher studied 1,299 condolences posted on the obituary website Legacy.com to come up with themes that opened the window to cybermourning and parasocial relationships on the night worldly-famous comedian and actor Robin Williams hanged himself, August, 11, 2014. In addition to the themes that emerged, loss, appreciation and celebration, the study revealed that a majority of cybermourners had developed a deep parasocial relationship with Williams and viewed him as more than a comedian. They saw him as a close friend or relative who had died. The deeply emotional posts outnumbered two to one the posts from cybermourners whose condolences were respectful, short and generic. Fans also shared intimate life struggles associated with drug and alcohol abuse and mental illness with their virtual “close” friend Williams who was also struggling with the same demons. This paper discusses cybermourning, parasocial relationships and the pros and cons of such online relationships.
Keywords: Cybermourning, Robin Williams, Parasocial Relationships, Grief, Mourning
Keywords: Cybermourning, Robin Williams, Parasocial Relationships, Grief, Mourning
Research Interests:
The author surveyed 240 journalism educators and department chairs at 51 Historically Black Colleges and Universities to learn how they were coping with possible changes in journalism curricula as a result of the growing popularity of... more
The author surveyed 240 journalism educators and department chairs at 51 Historically Black Colleges and Universities to learn how they were coping with possible changes in journalism curricula as a result of the growing popularity of multimedia journalism. Out of the 93 who completed the survey, 97% agreed that all students in a journalism program should be required to take multimedia courses. But they disagreed over who should take the lead for making changes in the curricula. Other obstacles included (a) lack of faculty training in multimedia techniques, and (b) lack of financial resources to buy and maintain the equipment needed to teach multimedia. The study also compares obstacles HBCUs face in adding multimedia to the curricula to studies that examined the stumbling blocks predominately white colleges and universities (PWCUs) have faced in adding multimedia to their journalism curricula.
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Cyberspace, which has a plethora of online memorials and obituary sites with guest books such as Legacy.com, has become an open forum for public expression of grief, commonly called cybermourning. Our framing analysis of 1,114 condolences... more
Cyberspace, which has a plethora of online memorials and obituary sites with guest books such as Legacy.com, has become an open forum for public expression of grief, commonly called cybermourning. Our framing analysis of 1,114 condolences that were posted on Legacy.com immediately following the announcement of the tragic suicide of comedian and actor Robin Williams on August 11, 2014 reveals fans negotiating the healing process through cybermourning. Three themes emerged from the cyber condolences -- loss, appreciation, and a new beginning. Analysis of the themes revealed three frames -- relationship, redemption, and release--used by cybermourners to make sense of and give meaning to Williams’ death. The themes and frames in this first research project on Legacy.com supports previous research findings that cybermourning has become a new avenue to facilitate the grieving and healing process. They also suggest a bottoms-up approach to collective memory that incorporates memories of ordinary individuals, which would be different than the top-down approach filtered through journalists whose obituaries and news stories about a celebrity’s death have helped guide collective memory.
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Using the " think aloud " protocol, which allows for the collection of data in real time, the researcher audio taped comments from 13 white college students from a predominately white university in the Southeastern United States and 15... more
Using the " think aloud " protocol, which allows for the collection of data in real time, the researcher audio taped comments from 13 white college students from a predominately white university in the Southeastern United States and 15 black students from a predominately black university, as they explained how they searched for HIV/AIDS information on the Internet. A grounded theory analysis of the tapes revealed a three-stage model that students progressed through as they searched for HIV/AIDS information on the Internet. That model also revealed that all of the white students searched for general information about HIV/AIDS on the Internet, while all black students searched for general and specific information about how the disease affected the African-American community. Eighty percent of students regardless of race did not know how to properly search for online health information. The researcher discusses the need for online health information literacy training, the theories that might explain why black students searched the way that they did, and the challenges to providing culturally-sensitive online health information literacy training for African-Americans who have been historically suspicious of the United State's health care system.
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College students at a historically black university used their social media accounts to recruit 1,232 of their peers to take an online survey that explored digital screen time and social media habits at this HBCU. The study revealed that... more
College students at a historically black university used their social media accounts to recruit 1,232 of their peers to take an online survey that explored digital screen time and social media habits at this HBCU. The study revealed that 51% devoted daily screen time to academic empowerment, 31% devoted it to leisure, and 11% devoted it to life empowerment. Sixty-six percent said they spent too much screen time on leisure and not enough on life empowerment, i.e., using resources in the digital world to improve their lives. The paper explored the divide, its implications, and how to narrow it.
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As a researcher interested in combating health illiteracy and disinformation on the Internet, I have compiled a list of vetted websites about the coronavirus and other health issues. It is extremely difficult to discern credible online... more
As a researcher interested in combating health illiteracy and disinformation on the Internet, I have compiled a list of vetted websites about the coronavirus and other health issues. It is extremely difficult to discern credible online health information from non-credible information, especially with coronavirus pandemic. I hope this information helps. I have used it to learn more about my father's brain tumor and other health topics.
Much of the information is written or approved by a healthcare professional and is in plain English. Caveat: Use this information as a supplement to not as a substitute for your physician's advice. Self-diagnosis is discouraged.
Much of the information is written or approved by a healthcare professional and is in plain English. Caveat: Use this information as a supplement to not as a substitute for your physician's advice. Self-diagnosis is discouraged.