JCOM Symposium on Feb. 27 Looks at Ways Media is Researched at USU

Students and faculty in Utah State University’s Department of Journalism and Communication acquire skills and knowledge about best practices in the world of media, whether they are working from behind a camera or keyboard.

Now the department is turning the spotlight campus-wide to examine the ways that media is being used and examined here at Utah State. Scholarly research comes from across campus as well during the Journalism and Communication Research Colloquium on Wednesday, Feb. 27, from 1-5 p.m.  

The research and creative works symposium, now in its second year,  takes as its theme "Our Mediated World: The Many Facets of Media Research and Creative Development at Utah State." 

“This is a wonderful opportunity for us to show off the many ways that media is being used and examined here at Utah State,” says the event’s organizer, Candi Carter Olson, an assistant professor of media and society. Presenters include faculty members, undergrads and graduate students.

The afternoon begins with a poster presentation session from 1-3 p.m. in the atrium of the Agricultural Sciences Building (AGRS), which is also home to JCOM. Attendees will be able to explore multiple poster projects and talk with presenters.

The action moves to AGRS room 137 from 3:30-5 p.m. for oral and video presentations of work ranging from JCOM’s A-TV News student newscasts, to oral presentations on such topics as domestic violence, women's press clubs, and comic books and pop culture and more.

“Media is our world. This is the culture and air we breathe and walk through every day,” said Carter Olson. “Many of us are researching it and examining media as cultural touchstones. This symposium brings us together in conversation and shows the rest of the university the diverse ways that media have and still are creating our culture today.” 

Among the speakers offering oral presentations are:

Graduate students — Eli Roush, Carly Schaelling and Macy Keith, all speaking and presenting posters.

JCOM faculty — Thomas Terry; Debra Jenson; and Matthew LaPlante, speaking about his newly released book, Superlative: The Biology of Extremes (BenBella Books, 2019)

Aggie independent student media — A-TV faculty advisers Chris and Brian Champagne will be presenting videos of students’ work. Presentations also from the Utah Statesman and Aggie Radio. 

Undergraduate students — Monica Esparza and Brittany Atkinson (PR research methods), Shandrea Hickok, Alison Berg, Carter Moore and more.

Carter Olson and Cathy Bullock (heat of JCOM) discuss their research on the suffrage movement; their research will be featured at the Bennion Teacher's Workshop hosted by the Mountain West Center for Regional Studies in June

Adjunct faculty and professional photographer Keith Johnson — presentation/slideshow.

The event is free and open to the public.