COM 340: COMMUNICATION RESEARCH METHODS (Fall 2023)
With her outstanding research project "Free Fall Engagement Strategies at Skateboarding Events," Alexa Fink conducted qualitative interviews to explore people's perceptions of recruitment strategies as well as differences in perceptions across gender, age, and religious affiliation. Using MAXQDA, Alexa analyzed code frequencies, code co-occurrences, and code-variables relationships. Her findings suggest that recruitment strategies highlighting a sense of "belonging" not only appear most frequently but participants also perceive them positively. Finally, participants perceive Free Fall's engagement strategies as appealing regardless of age and gender.
COM 311: CRISIS COMMUNICATION (Spring 2023)
With their outstanding group project "Volkswagen Crisis Communication Plan," Alexa Goldfarb, Sofia Rosa, Kelsey Smith, and Emily Tuturice developed a CCP addressing VW's crisis response strategies, media management, and stakeholder relations during VW's 2015 Diesel scandal. To improve stakeholder relations, they recommend using tailored messaging for internal and external publics. They also suggest using a variety of traditional and social media channels to improve outreach. Finally, inspired by Situational Crisis Communication Theory (SCCT), they recommend specifying VW's holding statements for crisis types ranging from high to low levels of perceived crisis responsibility.
COM 207: POLITICAL COMMUNICATION (Fall 2022)
With their outstanding group project "COP 27: Strategic Media Narratives," Ethan Bortz, Jack Heym, and Robert McCarthy analyzed Global Times China's and NYT's strategic media narratives regarding the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Egypt (COP 27). Drawing upon a dataset from NexisUni, their analysis reveals that Global Times China uses the issue of climate change to portray China as a country that cares for developing countries in Africa and the Pacific Island Region, while the US is portrayed as a country that "only pays attention to climate change when it suits it". In comparison, NYT's news reporting about COP 27 advances a system narrative in which the US is recouping from the Trump Administration's climate change policies and highlights the US as a global leader returning to the fight against climate change.
COM 207: POLITICAL COMMUNICATION (Spring 2022)
With their outstanding group project "The War between Biden and Putin," Jackson Luneburg, Allison Tenney, Ryan Maneval, and Mitch Smedley analyzed USA Today's and TASS's strategic media narratives regarding Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Drawing upon a dataset from NexisUni, their analysis shows that media narratives by Russia's TASS News Agency delegitimized Ukraine as a sovereign state, while legitimizing Russia's invasion as a necessary military operation to liberate Ukrainians from Neo-Nazis. On the other hand, USA-Today's narrative focused on atrocities in Ukraine, economic sanctions, and America's obligation to defend liberty and freedom abroad.
COM 311: CRISIS COMMUNICATION (FALL 2021)
With their outstanding group project "Crisis Communication Plan for United Airlines," Allison Tenney, Ibeth Villa-Tamay, and Katherine Wilson developed a CCP addressing United Airlines' handling of the removal of 69-year old Doctor David Dao from flight 3411 in April 2017. To improve stakeholder relations, they recommend using ingratiation strategies and ensuring message consistency across traditional and social media channels. Finally, they suggest apologizing to Dr. Dao directly and engaging in immediate communication with other key stakeholders.
COM 311: CRISIS COMMUNICATION (SPRING 2021)
With their outstanding group project "Crisis Communication Plan for MM&A," Hayley Baxter, Tristen Delello, Nikoll Heras, and Sarah Kreisher developed a CCP for the Montreal, Maine, and Atlantic Railway Company (MM&A) concerning the Lac-Megantic rail disaster in July 2013. Drawing lessons from the media mismanagement by MM&A's chairman, they suggest developing a stronger social media presence, strengthen relations with key local stakeholders, and improve message consistency. These suggestions address key crisis concerns including MM&A's lack of immediate communication and stakeholder mismanagement.
COM 315: INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATION (SPRING 2021)
With their outstanding group project "Euronews Framing Analysis: Brexit Controversy and Recent Violence in Northern Ireland," Annika Brynildsen, Van Anh Nguyen, ElisaBeth Hutchinson, and Noah G. Pegler examined Euronews's media framing of violence in Northern Ireland regarding Brexit. Their analysis shows that Euronews puts forward a "Fear of Violence" frame, which depicts the situation in Northern Ireland as historically volatile. Further, Euronews advances an "Economic Crisis" frame that emphasizes the negative economic implications of a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
COM 315: INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATION (SPRING 2020)
With their outstanding group project "Trump's Troop Withdrawal from Syria: A Comparative Analysis of MSNBC & RT," James Bouffard, Victoria Ragusa, and Sam Shoaff compared RT's and MSNBC's media framing of Trump's 2019 decision to withdraw American troops from Northern Syria. Their analysis shows that RT advances an "Incompetent/Immoral Empire" frame, which depicts Trump's decision as an overextension of power and abandonment of allies. On the other hand, MSNBC put forward a "Lack of Coordination" frame that emphasizes a disconnect between Trump's foreign policy and his national security team.