Faculty Kudos

Dean recognized for outstanding instructional technology

Dr. Stephanie Dean was awarded the university’s Outstanding Instructional Technology Award at the annual Fall Faculty Meeting in August. Dean, an assistant professor in the Department of Media Arts, focuses her research on exploring the implications of virtual reality as a potential mediator of empathy and change. She is holding the first “Immersive Storytelling and Interactive Media” conference on the MTSU campus in September. The one-day meeting will gather developers, artists, filmmakers, researchers and educators to discuss topics that develop and drive narrative in virtual, augmented, and mixed reality. For more information, click here.

Panol co-authors PR book on corporate social responsibility

Dr. Zeny Panol, associate dean of the College of Media and Entertainment, co-authored the book, Corporate Social Responsibility, Public Relations and Community Engagement: Emerging Perspectives from South East Asia, to be published by Routledge in September 2018. The book focuses on public relations and corporate social responsibility in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. The book will benefit researchers, educators and student in the fields of public relations, communication, corporate social responsible and Southeast Asia studies.

Foss edits book of essays on media representations of prison

Dr. Katherine Foss, associate professor in the School of Journalism and Strategic Media, edited the book of essays “Demystifying The Big House: Exploring Prison Experience and Media Representations” recently printed by Southern Illinois University Press. Foss wrote the preface and the concluding chapter “Conclusions and Implications: Through the Distorted Window: Connecting Media to Experience.” Department of Media Arts retired Professor L. Clare Bratten also contributed an essay, “Bim Babes, and Molls in the Big House: The Women-in-Prison Genre Film.”

Trundle photo at Bonnaroo chosen for Massachusetts exhibition

A photograph by Jonathan Trundle, associate professor in the Department of Media Arts, has been accepted by the Somerville Toy Camera Festival Exhibition at the Brickbottom Gallery in Somerville, Massachusetts. The 54-inch print features an image taken at this year’s Bonnaroo Festival in Manchester, Tennessee. Since 2013, the Somerville Toy Camera Festival has brought a wide range of toy camera photography by U.S. and international artists together in simultaneous shows at galleries throughout the city, and featured related programming including artist talks/panel discussions, workshops, social events, and a darkroom day. The exhibition opens Sept. 6 and runs through Oct. 13.

Gordon and Park recognized for experiential learning classes

Bob Gordon and Hanna Park were recognized with the “Outstanding EXL Faculty Award” from the MTSU’s EXL Scholars Program. Gordon, an assistant professor in the Department of Media Arts, provides his students with real-world, hands-on experiences in classes on television production. These classes enable students to produce, create, manage, direct and serve as crew members for live sports events, dance events, musicals and other television presentations.

Park, an associate professor in the School of Journalism and Strategic Media, creates class projects in her public relations courses that include oral presentations, research reports and campaign books. The student projects have resulted in directly helping two dozen community and campus organizations as well as local businesses. The Experiential Learning Scholars, or EXL Program, at MTSU is designed to enhance student learning through practical experiences in their fields of study beyond the traditional classroom setting and directly engage the students in service learning projects.

Foss edits book of essays on media representations of prison

Odie Blackmon was recently chosen to receive the 2018 Experiential Education Rising Leader award given by the National Society for Experiential Education. The award recognizes an individual who has joined the organization within the past five years and is already making outstanding contributions to his or her chosen field. Nomination criteria include conference participation/presentation, research/publications, and field-based projects. Blackmon was nominated by Carol Swayze, MTSU director of experiential learning. The award will be given during the NSEE Conference Awards Luncheon during the NSEE National Conference held in Savannah, Georgia, on Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2018.

Eschenfelder and Jones honored at Faculty Fair

Two faculty from the College of Media and Entertainment were honored at the Faculty Fair on Oct. 25 for completing the Academy of Teaching Excellence Faculty Fellow program in 2016-2017. School of Journalism’s Christine Eschenfelder and Recording Industry’s Misty Jones were recognized during a brief ceremony in Walker Library. The annual Faculty Fair is an open house event where faculty can learn about grant opportunities, professional development and student success initiatives.

Dean presents “Virtually Gendered” research at Walker Library

On Oct. 26, Media Arts Assistant Professor Stephanie Dean presented “Virtually Gendered: How immersion and virtual embodiment can help mediate a gendered experience” in the Digital Media Studio on the second floor of Walker Library. The demonstration placed participants in everyday gendered experiences and invited them to discuss the results afterward. The research explores the implications of virtual reality as a potential mediator of empathy and change. The walkthrough is part of the Women’s and Gender Studies Research series.

Ad Women for All Women event included Farwell and six students

On Oct. 31, six advertising, public relations and visual communication students joined Associate Professor Tricia Farwell at the BOHAN advertising agency for the Ad Women for All Women conference. The invitation-only event was held to encourage young women in advertising and related careers to become leaders in the field. The invitation only event was fully funded by BOHAN.

Brown lends his recording skills to Library for the Blind

Department of Recording Industry’s Dale Brown is working with the Library for the Blind in the State Library and Archives to help build a voice-over recording studio for digital storage devices. Brown, director of the Recording Industry facilities, is advising the library on studio set up and equipment purchasing.

Reish participates in Americana Music Festival panel

Center for Popular Music Director Greg Reish took part in a panel “Archiving Americana” at the Americana Music Festival and Conference on Sept. 13 in Nashville. Fellow panelists included Michael Gray of the Country Music Hall of Fame, Deana McCloud of the Woody Guthrie Center, Betsy Siggins of Folk New England and Brenda Colladay, an independent consultant. Barry Mazor chaired the panel. The panelists discussed the range of their collections, how they make source materials available and work with interested researchers, and how they are incorporating Americana into their collections — since there’s no single museum or archive dedicated specifically to this genre.

Panol presents research in Vienna, Austria

Dr. Zeny Panol traveled to Vienna, Austria, in September to present her research at the 4th International Corporate Social Responsibility Communication (CSRCOM) Conference.

Panol’s paper, entitled “Who is Talking and Listening and Why It Matters? An Exploration of CSR Communication Approaches in Southeast Asia,” is based on research for a book that she is co-authoring with Dr. Marianne D. Sison of RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia. The book, entitled Corporate Social Responsibility, Public Relations and Community Development: Emerging Perspectives from Southeast Asia, is being published by Routledge.

This was the 4th International CSRCOM Conference, where over 100 participants from 22 countries came together to discuss corporate social responsibility, management and communication. Dr. Panol is the associate dean for the College of Media and Entertainment.

Creating Global Change conference features College professors

MTSU’s Women’s and Gender Studies Program hosted a conference in late March called Creating Global Change. The conference featured papers, films, panels and performances from many renowned individuals, including four professors from the College of Media and Entertainment.

One Friday, March 24, Dr. Jennifer Woodard moderated the panel “Cultural Competency in Recording and Film” in the Student Union’s Parliamentary Room. Woodard is an associate professor in the School of Journalism and has authored numerous published works on communication. During this panel, Dr. Stacy Merida presented her paper “Understanding Cultural Competency and Proficiency in Higher Education.” Merida is assistant professor in music business for the Recording Industry department and is president of the MERIDA group, a consulting firm that focuses on client and program management.

Later that evening in Ballroom C, Assistant Professor Allie Sultan led a discussion after the screening of the conference’s featured film UnSlut: A Documentary Film. The film was inspired by the UnSlut Project, a joint effort by filmmakers and activists to end gender-based discrimination. Sultan is a documentary filmmaker whose most recent work, Lift Like A Girl, is burning up the festival circuit.

On Saturday morning, Associate Professor Deborah Wagnon presented her paper “Can You Keep a Secret? Marie Sharp: A Case Study” as one of four presenters on the “Lessons Learned from Notable Women and Case Studies” panel held in the Parliamentary Room. Wagnon is an attorney and copyright expert who currently heads the Belize Study Abroad program at MTSU.

The College of Media and Entertainment was a proud co-sponsor of this year’s Interdisciplinary Conference in Women’s and Gender Studies.

Recording Industry faculty participate in MEIEA “The Wrap-up!”

MTSU Department of Recording Industry faculty participated in “The Wrap-up!” on March 31, 2017, in Chicago for the 2017 The Music and Entertainment Industry Educators Association (MEIEA). The presentations covered all sorts of music business topics, from publishing to demos to the songwriter’s experience in the industry.

Assistant professor in songwriting Odie Blackmon and professor and MFA program director Bill Crabtree kicked things off first thing Friday morning by presenting their paper “From the Blank Page to the Mixed Demo: Building a Real World Writing, Publishing and Recording Experience for Student Songwriters and Engineers.” Assistant Professor Misty Jones followed up with her paper, “Practical Theory and Production Analysis: Helping Students Produce Competitive Songs.”

Associate Professor Melissa Wald laid out the publishing challenges in the digital landscape with her paper “The Other Value Gap: Consumer-Driven Digital Music Delivery and the Administrative Mountain That Has Yet to be Conquered.”

Assistant Professor Gloria Green closed out the Academic Papers session with “Why Teaching Talent Agency Fundamentals is Important to Increase Student Learning and Success in the Growing Concert Touring Business.”

Professor and MEIEA board member Amy Macy was on hand to provide support for the faculty presentations.

The primary goal of MEIEA is to facilitate an exchange of information between educators and practitioners in order to prepare students for careers in the music and entertainment industries. Department of Recording Industry faculty attend the annual conference to learn and share their research and ideas with fellow industry educators.

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Women’s Studies expert Marcellus to appear on TV and in film

Dr. Jane Marcellus will appear on a documentary, “Perfect 36,” to air on NPT in late April. The film takes a looks at Tennessee’s role as the final state to ratify the 19th Amendment, giving women the vote in all states, in 1920. To view the trailer, click here. Marcellus will also appear on the WFHB “Interchange” in the segment “Eleanor in Love and Politics,” referencing her article in Feminist Media Studies comparing Eleanor Roosevelt’s 1933 book It’s Up to the Women, with a Ladies’ Home Journal PR campaign of 1932. For more information, click here.

O’Neill captures top honors for Wall of Fame project

Todd O’Neill won Best of Competition for his entry College of Media and Entertainment Wall of Fame at the annual Broadcast Education Association (BEA) Media Arts Festival. O’Neill’s digital design is an interactive database that features the college’s Wall of Fame alumni winners as well as campus information. He was awarded first place in the festival’s Solo Category of the Faculty Interactive Multimedia Competition. O’Neill is an assistant professor in New Media Communication in the Department of Electronic Media. His background includes video producing and directing before transitioning into multimedia and online production.

To see a complete list of BEA Festival winners, click here. https://beaweb.org/festival/

Pfeifer awarded MTSU Achievement in Education

Professor Dan Pfeifer was awarded the Achievement in Education for MTSU faculty during 2016’s Homecoming by the MTSU Alumni Association. Pfeifer recently completed his 25th year as an MTS faculty member in the Department of Recording Industry. He was awarded the MTSU Outstanding Teacher Award in 1997 and served as Faculty Senate president in 2003. Before coming to MTSU, he worked in the music industry, serving as audio engineer and producer for superstars such as B.B. King, ZZ Top, Al Green and Jerry Lee Lewis. An in-demand audio engineering expert, Pfeifer is sought after to rain employees at companies including National Public Radio in Washington D.C. The MTSU Alumni Association has presented Distinguished Alumni honors annually since 1960.

Farwell, Blackmon win EXL honors

Two College of Media and Entertainment faculty members were recognized for their effective teaching styles for the 2015-16 academic year. The School of Journalism’s Tricia Farwell and the Department of Recording Industry’s Odie Blackmon each received an “Outstanding Faculty Award in Experiential Learning” from MTSU’s EXL program, which defines EXL as “that learning process that takes place beyond the traditional classroom and that enhances the personal and intellectual growth of the student.”

“Being involved in an EXL class is very rewarding for both the students and the faculty. We all learn something new about ourselves and the project as the semester progresses,” says Farwell, an associate professor who teaches advertising. “In teaching an EXL course, I become more of a mentor and guide as the students work through the project using their own path. We start with an agreed-upon goal, but the students are the ones who select the direction. I’m there as a guide to ask questions they may not have thought of and to make sure their path leads them to the goal.”

Commercial songwriting Assistant Professor Blackmon is entering his third year of teaching and says he’s thrilled by the opportunity. “I truly love all the creative projects I’m doing with my students and the music industry,” he said. Earlier this year, Blackmon presented his first academic paper at the Music & Entertainment Industry Educators Association symposium in Washington, D.C. He also received this year’s Recording Industry Department’s “Faculty Member of the Year” award.

Three professors author Record Label Marketing

The third edition of Record Label Marketing has been released, an essential resource that helps students understand how recorded music is professionally marketed. New features to the edition include social media strategies and tactics used by major and independent labels and updates on current trends in the industry. Co-authors from the Department of Recording Industry are Associate Professor Amy Macy, Assistant Professor Tammy Donham and Adjunct Professor Paul Allen. This edition is designed to benefit professionals, music business students and independent artists.

Reish releases new album, “Speed of the Plow”

Center for Popular Music Director Greg Reish, along with fellow musician Matt Brown, have released a new album entitled “Speed of the Plow.” Recorded at the Groove Palace in Nashville, the duo performs old-time instrumentals from rural America and includes square dance tunes, rags, blues and haunting melodies reinterpreted from the solo fiddle repertory. Co-produced and engineered by Dave Sinko (Punch Brothers, Béla Fleck, Hot Rize), “Speed of the Plow” showcases Brown and Reish’s versatility as they pay homage to the rich tradition of old-time duets. Bryan Sutton, Bluegrass Association’s “Guitarist of the Year,” says of the album, “It’s refreshing to hear these tunes delivered by true craftsmen playing with a conviction that allows the melodies to really shine.” To buy, click here.

Akins performs, albums garner accolades

While attending the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) in January, Recording Industry Professor Joseph Akins performed at the 3rd annual Whisperings All-Star Concert and Award Show. He played an original piano song from his new album, “Castle Moon,” which was nominated for Album of the Year. Akins also collaborated with artist Bill Leslie on his album, “Across the Water,” which was nominated for Album of the Year by Zone Music Reporter.

Collier featured in women engineers magazine

Cosette Collier, Recording Industry professor and Audio Production coordinator, was featured in the article “The Music of Engineering” in the Society of Women Engineers magazine. The article profiles four women who have integrated their passions for music, engineering, physics and science into successful careers in the music field. Collier received her B.F.A. in commercial music/recording engineering and M.A. in communication/film and video production from the University of Memphis. She has worked in the recording industry as a studio engineer for Media General Broadcasting Inc. in Memphis. Her recording credits include first engineer and mix engineer for Highwater Records on the album Feelin’ Good by Jesse Mae Hemphill, winner of the Handy Award for best country blues album in 1991. She is also well-versed in music mastering, audio restoration and audio forensics. She was dialogue editor for the award-winning independent film Make-Out with Violence directed by the Deagol Brothers. To read the entire article, click here.

Haines’ work in juried exhibition in Nashville

Leslie Haines, associate professor in the School of Journalism, is one of 24 artists featured in Anthology: Visual Narratives from Nashville’s Print Community at the Conte Community Arts Gallery. Anthology is a juried exhibition that celebrates Nashville’s long history as a home to major publishing houses, printing presses, nationally recognized writing programs and great authors, poets, journalists and songwriters. The works were selected by a jury and was organized by the Frist Center for the Visual Arts. Haines was the academic director of the graphic and web design programs at the Art Institute of Tennessee in Nashville before joining MTSU, where she now teaches visual communication. She recently completed Animal Abecedary, a whimsical celebration of the English alphabet. To read more, click here.

Baird recognized for audio production expertise

Frank Baird, Recording Industry assistant professor, was recently listed as one of the 15 Outstanding Professors Every Audio Enthusiast Should Know by the audio production blog Recording Excellence. The site is published by Scott Hawksworth, a musician and musical enthusiast who wanted to create a place for beginners, pros and everyone in-between to learn more about music recording, production and promotion. Baird is an audio production veteran with credits that include work on tours with Elton John and Madonna as well as time with the Nashville-based company Soundcheck, which supports national tours for artists such as Clay Walker, Joe Diffie and Bob Carlisle. To read the article, please click here.

Keel receives second Women in Music City Award

For the second straight year, MTSU professor and Recording Industry chair Beverly Keel was among honorees receiving a Women in Music City Award from The Nashville Business Journal. The awards dinner and ceremony, held at the Omni Nashville Hotel on Sept. 24, recognizes women who are making a creative and economic impact on the industry. As chair of the Department of Recording Industry, Keel continues to build partnerships between MTSU and the music industry. As a journalist, she continues to write for The Tennessean and Parade magazine. She is co-founder of the Change the Conversation, a coalition created with Leslie Fram and Tracy Gershon in 2014 to help women in the country music industry. For more information on the Women in Music City awards, click here.

Farwell serving two roles

School of Journalism’s Dr.Tricia Farwell was elected to serve as the Faculty Senate’s president during the 2015-2016 school year. She has also been appointed the only faculty regent on the Tennessee Board of Regents, which governs many of the state’s universities and all of its community colleges and technical schools. Farwell is an associate professor of advertising and public relations and has been with MTSU since 2008. Please click here for an interview with Professor Farwell in The Daily News Journal.

Panol takes her public relations know-how to Malaysia

Associate Dean Dr. Zeny Panol traveled abroad in March 2015 as part of an outreach project in conjunction with the private college Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) in Malaysia. She was appointed an “external examiner” for the UTAR Bachelor of Communication Public Relations to access and review the suitability of a public relations outreach project performed by students in UTAR’s Public Relations Event Planning and Management Units. During her trip, Panol interviewed local officials in Tronoh Mines New Village to get their feedback on the student projects in the village since 2010. Prof Zeny applauded the offering of the Event Planning and Event Management courses, which create a platform for students to use their creativity in planning and executing the projects. To read more about her trip, please click here.

Rutherford County thanks Greenwood and her Campaigns class

Rutherford County Deputy Mayor Jeff Davidson recently presented Dr. Cary Greenwood with a plaque signed by the mayor in appreciation for the work completed by her Spring 2014 Public Relations Campaigns class to raise awareness of county recycling efforts. The accompanying letter read, in part, “Professor Greenwood eagerly accepted the challenge to assist the county in this effort. The result of the collaboration effort was a phenomenal learning and classroom experience aligning perfectly with the stated Mission and Purpose of Middle Tennessee State University of challenging students through diverse and experiential learning as well as outreach and public service that support instruction that meets the needs of the community. In addition, the resulting coursework from the classroom was directly incorporated into a countywide public relations campaign that was adopted by all municipalities within the county. Due to Dr. Greenwood’s efforts, the bond between Rutherford County and MTSU has been significantly strengthened.”

Kalwinsky and Binford present at BEA conference

A paper by Dr. Robert Kalwinsky, Mass Comm professor and Graduate Program director, and graduate student Matthew Binford was selected for this year’s Broadcast Educator’s Association (BEA) conference. Kalwinksy and Binford presented “The Flipped Classroom in Mass Communication Education” during the Curriculum, Assessment and Administration portion of the April 2015 conference held in Las Vegas.

Kimbrough plays at Detroit Opera House with Patti Austin

Recording Industry adjunct professor Jerry Kimbrough played at the Detroit Opera House with Patti Austin, the Detroit Symphony and a 100-voice choir to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Charles Wright Museum of African American History. The music director was Greg Phillinganes, legendary music director for Eric Clapton, Elton John, Michael Jackson and currently Stevie Wonder. Kimbrough, a talented session guitarist and jingle writer on Music Row, teaches Recording Industry’s “Songwriting Instrumentation: Guitar” class. Kimbrough is also in line to teach a “Jingle Writing” course if offered in Spring 2016.

Larry Burriss speaks out on net neutrality

Dr. Larry Burriss, professor of Journalism, was quoted in an article entitled “Net Neutrality Decision Could Mean More Big Brother Oversight,” published on MainStreet online and in the Crookston Times. Burriss, a noted researcher and author on legal issues in media, addressed the new FCC regulations that prohibit providers from limiting or slowing service based on content or type of service. “This reaffirms the notion of the Internet as a common carrier, much like the telephone company, in that the phone companies have to carry all messages, regardless of content,” he said. “The measure does not give consumers more choices, but rather ensures equal access to the Internet.” Burriss teaches media law and quantitative research methods at the undergraduate and graduate levels. To read the article, please click here.

Reish delights February audience with “old-time” music

Dr. Greg Reish, director of the Center for Popular Music, presented a recital in T. Earl Hinton Music Hall in February, performing songs from a repertory of “old-time” music built through his years as a performer and scholar. Reish played his ancient and modern music, all fitting under the broad genre banner of “old-time music,” on guitar, banjo and fiddle. “I was delighted to be able to share my interpretations of old-time and traditional music with the crowd at MTSU’s School of Music,” Reish said. “This was not the typical faculty recital of classical music or jazz, but a much more casual presentation interspersed with jokes and history. The audience was great, with many students in attendance. I certainly plan to keep doing these kinds of things on campus and appreciate everyone who braved the wintry weather to come out and hear me.” Reish is also a professor for the MTSU School of Music.

John Hill records and mixes debut album for cellist Michael Samis

John Hill, professor of Recording Industry, recorded and mixed the debut album of former Nashville Symphony Cellist Michael Samis. The album features the first contemporary recording of the “lost” cello concerto of Romanic-era composer Carl Reinecke. Hill and Samis were interviewed on WMOT about the album as well as their recent collaboration in Mass Comm’s Studio B to record several movements of the J.S. Bach Unaccompanied Cello Suite in D minor. Hill is a GRAMMY-winning audio engineer.

Fleming and students record Steinway concert

Michael Fleming, professor of Recording Industry, guided his audio-production students in making an archival recording of a concert given by world-renowned Steinway artist Dr. William DeVan at the Steinway 85th anniversary event held at the Steinway Piano Gallery in Nashville. The students also recorded the formal program, which featured Nashville Mayor Karl Dean and Steinway President Ron Losby. Fleming is the Central Region vice president of the Audio Engineering Society.

Wagnon presents International Classroom Initiative proposal

Recording Industry Associate Professor Deborah Wagnon presented her proposal, “The International Classroom Initiative,” at the Annual Interdisciplinary Conference on Global Research and Study Abroad conference in January. Wagnon’s paper centered on the International Classroom Initiative, a concept two years in the making that was successfully launched as an MTSU Study Abroad Belize program in June 2014.

The 11 pioneering MTSU students chosen for this launch were primarily Recording Industry seniors, along with one doctoral student conducting an independent study of the I/P subject matter. Classes were based on campus at the University of Belize in the capital city of Belmopan. The program’s lecture and guest speaker series featured speakers with expertise in law, music, media, business, government and education. The 11 MTSU participants also contributed to a published journal series International Classroom Initiative: Belize Central America 2014 (Vol. 1), edited by Wagnon.

Recently, the University of Belize Regional Languages Center agreed to provide the program with semester credits to its RLC students, most of whom are from other countries throughout Central America studying English as a second language. The goal is for Central American and U.S. students to learn from each other about culture and language, as well as from the course curriculum.

For more information on the Study Abroad Belize program, click here.

Two papers by Hanna Park accepted for presentation

Dr. Hanna Park’s paper, “Understanding consumer reactions to corporate association strategies factoring industry types,” has been accepted for presentation at the 65th International Communication Association Conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico, May 21-25, 2015. Park also had a paper accepted for presentation at the 2015 Association for Marketing & Health Care Research Conference in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, Feb. 25-27. The paper is entitled “Which corporate association strategy is more affective on young adults: Corporate ability or corporate social responsibility?” Park is a PR assistant professor and joined the MTSU School of Journalism in Fall 2012. She earned her doctorate from the University of Florida, where she served as a PR instructor.

Field joins faculty to teach “Genre & Style” songwriting

Producer and songwriter R.S. Field has joined the MTSU Department of Recording Industry as an adjunct professor in the Commercial Songwriting concentration. Field teaches “Genre & Style” songwriting, a class recently added by fellow Recording Industry professor and songwriter Odie Blackmon.

“Field [goes] to top artists in the most popular genres and looks at it though the lens of songwriting and production,” says Blackmon of his colleague. Field has been in the music industry for nearly three decades, boasting credits with some of Americana and rock’s most notable artists. He recently produced Steve Earle & The Dukes’s new album “Terraplane.” The work received 3.5 out of 4 stars from Rolling Stone. “Between the sleazy motel grind of You’re the Best Lover That I Ever Had,” says Stone critic Michael Dwyer, “and the crisp acoustic ramble of Gamblin’ Blues lies a gleeful indulgence in Southern blues feels and themes framed by Buddy Guy/John Mayall producer R.S. Field.” To read the entire review, please click here.

Greenwood whistleblowing panel accepted by ECA

School of Journalism’s Dr. Cary Greenwood’s panel Whistleblowing: Cause and Effect was accepted for the Eastern Communication Association (ECA) convention and is being featured as one of ECA’s top sessions. The session will be streamed online with Greenwood as one of the panelists.

Asthana paper receives international recognition

School of Journalism’s Dr. Sanjay Asthana’s paper, “Youth, ICT’s, and the Pedagogies of Estrangement: A Study of Ibdaa from the West Bank,” has been accepted for presentation at the four-day “Communication, Postcoloniality, and Social Justice: Decolonizing Imaginations” sponsored by the Waterhouse Family Institute for the study of Communication and Society.

Lee’s paper featured in Communication Research Reports

School of Journalism’s Dr. Joonghwa Lee’s most recent publication, along with co-author Doyle Yoon, is “Norms in Social Media: The Application of Theory of Reasoned Action and Personal Norms in Predicting Interactions with Facebook Page Like Ads,” featured in Communication Research Reports. Lee also has a conference paper that was accepted at the American Academy of Advertising Annual Convention called “Effects of Prominent Advertising in Mobile Games on Cognitive, Affective and Behavioral Outcomes: The Moderating Role of Persuasion Knowledge.” co-authored with Yoori Hwang and Se-Hoon Jeong.

Foss’ next text examines TV and health responsibility

Dr. Katie Foss, School of Journalism associate professor, has authored Television and Health Responsibility in an Age of Individualism, a new textbook recently published by Lexington Books. The text examines the relationship between entertainment and health responsibility in the United States. Through the analysis of contemporary television medical dramas, Foss explores how these media texts help shape and perpetuate ideologies that have and continue to encourage resistance to healthcare reform that shifts responsibility away from individuals to government and other institutions. “Scholarly yet accessible, Television and Health Responsibility in an Age of Individualism offers insight into how television medical dramas influence our views of and responsibility for health care,” says Lynn Spangler of State University of New York at New Paltz. “The book is an entertaining and thoughtful critical analysis of a television genre and a timely reflection of health care, as Americans struggle with obesity and rising health care costs.”

Eason named to literary journalism advisory board

MTSU journalism professor emeritus David Eason has been named to the advisory board of Literary Journalism Studies, the journal of the International Association for Literary Journalism Studies. Eason, who lives in Nashville, also writes a blog of personal reflections on the relationship of identity and popular music titled Longing for the Song. It can be found at longingforasong.com

Eight faculty members represent Journalism at AEJMC

Dean Ken Paulson, Associate Dean Dr. Zeny Panol, and six faculty from the School of Journalism represented MTSU at the 2014 Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) Convention in Montreal, Canada, Aug. 6-9.

Panol served as moderator for the International Communication Division High Density Refereed Paper Research Session, while Dr. Cary Greenwood presented her paper “I Was Just Doing My Job!” during the Government Whistleblowers Public Relations panel session. Dr. Jane Marcellus served on a panel of six regarding the topic “Under the Covers with Magazine Research: Redefining our Methodologies” for the Magazine and Cultural and Critical Studies Division. Later in the day, she signed copies of her book Mad Men and Working Women for convention attendees. Dr. Joongwha Lee presented two papers at the Advertising Division session, the first on “The Role of Personal and Societal Norms in Understanding Social Media Advertising Effects: A Study of Sponsored Stories on Facebook” and the second on “Perceived Norms and Consumer Responses to Social Media Advertising: A Cross-Cultural Study of Facebook Sponsored Stories among Americans and Koreans.” School of Journalism Director Dr. Dwight Brooks served on two panels during the convention, the first on Thursday’s AEJMC Council of Affiliates regarding the J-School Gender Gap: Causes and Impacts and then on Friday’s “Minority Scholars Forging Ahead in Academia: Guidance of Success from Theories, Research and Experience.” Dr. Katie Foss was on hand to discuss her paper “It’s Natural and Healthy, But I Don’t Want to See It” (co-authored with Dr. Ken Blake) at the session on The Impact of Entertainment Television on Breastfeeding Attitudes. She also moderated “The Personal is Political: Scandal and Stigma in the News” for the Cultural and Critical Studies Division panel. School of Journalism Associate Professor Phil Loubere attended the convention as an officer in the AEJMC Visual Communication Division.

Three journalism professsors present at ICA in Seattle

MTSU’s School of Journalism was well represented at the International Communication Association’s 2014 conference May 22-26 in Seattle. Dr. Cary Greenwood’s paper “Whistleblowing in government: What whistleblowers say about it” was accepted along with a second co-authored paper, “The Situational Public Engagement Model in a Municipal Watershed Protection Program: An extension of the Situational Theory of Publics.” Dr. Jane Marcellus’ submission “The Feminist and the Bandit: Sophie Treadwell’s 1921 Interview with Pancho Villa” and Dr. Joonghwa Lee’s paper (with co-authors Soojung Kim and Doyle Yoon) “Predicting Individuals’ Interactions with Facebook Sponsored Stories: The Application of TRA and Personal Norms” were also accepted for presentation.The ICA annually receives a large number of submissions but accepts only a third of the papers and panels submitted.

Asthana publishes book chapter on Indian TV

The School of Journalism’s Sanjay Asthana recently published a chapter entitled “Television, Narrative Identity, and Social Imaginaries in India” in Oxford University Press’s Channeling Cultures: Television Studies from India. The chapter argues that Paul Ricouer’s hermeneutics offers a way forward in examining not only the ideological and narrative structures of television, but also particular modalities through which viewers appropriate and interpret televisual texts. The chapter demonstrates that the notion of embodied subjectivity and social imaginaries enable a better grasp in examining the articulations of class, caste, gender, and religious identities on Indian television.

Lee presents at advertising conference, publishes in IJIMA

Dr. Joonghwa Lee, assistant professor of Journalism, presented two papers at the American Academy of Advertising conference in March in Atlanta. They were: “Antecedents and Behavioral Consequences of Personal and Societal Norms in Sponsored Stories on Facebook” and “How Young Adults Manage Privacy When Using Facebook for Organizational Communication: Testing a Privacy Management Model for Social Media.” Accepted for publication in the International Journal of Internet Marketing and Advertising is “Understanding Consumers’ Creating Behavior in Social Media: An Application of Uses and Gratification and Theory of Reasoned Action,” authored by Lee, Chang-Dae Ham and Hyung Seok Lee.

Marcellus named to AEJMC’s Committee

Dr. Jane Marcellus, professor in the School of Journalism, was recently elected by her peers to the Publications Committee of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communications.