Congratulations to our top research presentations!  Check the conference program for more information.

Audio Media, Music & Performance

Creating Radio’s “Farm System”: The Case for Shifting College Radio from “Student-Run” to “Student-Operated” in Instructional Settings; Len O’Kelly, Grand Valley State University

Me or Thee? An Examination of Lyrical Focus of 2025 CCM Songs; Casey Hart; Stephen F. Austin State University

Ears Across America: Establishing a National Ad Hoc Audio Drama Exhibition Network; William Anderson, Central Michigan University

Media Influence and Public Discourse

Gate-surfing: A new gatekeeping model to observe how local newsrooms are selecting stories and navigating the tsunami of mis-and disinformation in the age of AI; Grace Provenzano; Des Moines Area Community College

Persuasive Attack and Defense of the “Indiana Bears”:  Subverting the Rustbelt from Just Across the Street; Joseph Blaney, Illinois State University

Why Do Youth Listen to Celebrities as Spokespersons on Social Media in African Social Change Discourse?; Kuburat Ayinde, Illinois State University

Media Education and the Academic Workplace

Assessing “Advancing a Culturally Proficient Workforce”: A First-Year Review; George Daniels, University of Alabama

The Tipping Point: Time Allocation, “Hidden” Service and Work-Life Balance in Media-Centric Departments; Sara Magee, Loyola University Maryland and Adam Kuban, Ball State University

Historical Broadcast Journalism Program as a Media Law Pedagogical Resource: A Critical Discourse Analysis of The MacNeil/Lehrer Report: “The A.C.L.U. and the Nazis”; Raja Das, Ohio University