Skip to main content
University of Florida

Research and Insights

The latest research and industry insights
from the College’s faculty, students and staff.
To subscribe to our monthly newsletter, click here.

Filter Research and Insights by Category:

A graphic showing two people looking at a projection of charts and graphs.

Audience
Media Industry and Consumers

Evaluating how advertising researchers study practitioners

Although the body of advertising research is wide, some experts worry that it is oversaturated with studies focused on consumer perceptions and behaviors, while studies on advertising professionals are underrepresented.

Posted: Tuesday April 7, 2026
A stock photo of the scales of justice sitting on a judge's desk in a courtroom.

Legal, Policy and First Amendment

Legal jargon increases guilty verdicts, reduces trust in judicial system

Jurors grappling with complex legal jargon are more likely to vote guilty while coming away less confident in their own performance and the judicial system, according to a new study.

Posted: Tuesday March 24, 2026
A small robot with blue LED eyed reacts happily to a human hand

AI
Communication and Technology

The benefits and drawbacks of human-robot companionship

For decades, robotic companions have been a staple of pop culture, with movies and shows like Star Wars, Futurama, The Iron Giant and Her depicting a future where humans and robots coexist, form bonds and even strike up romantic relationships. What once seemed like science fiction may now be coming to fruition thanks to recent developments in artificial intelligence, but what would human-robot relationships look like in real life?

Posted: Thursday February 26, 2026
A hand holds a mobile phone showing the U.S. National Science Foundation logo on the screen.

Health and Science
Political Communication

Support for scientific funding doesn’t have to be partisan — but scientists must make the case, says new study

The real driver of distrust in agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation isn’t ideology per se, but a form of scientific populism that goes beyond political parties. Instead, scientific populism reflects a belief that scientific “elites” are out of touch and that ordinary people should have more authority over what research gets funded and conducted.

Posted: Monday January 5, 2026
A woman wearing a VR headset with the view from inside the headset, a city skyline, visible behind her.

Communication and Technology
Health and Science
Political Communication

Using virtual reality to close psychological distances

Despite agreement among most scientists and climate experts that climate change is real and poses a major threat to the planet, apathy and denial towards it persist and proliferate. While politics plays a big role in people’s attitudes, there are also several psychological reasons for people to be apathetic, and researchers are looking for new technology for ways to close these psychological gaps. A new study co-authored by Assistant Professor of Media Production, Management, and Technology Eugy Han explored ways to use virtual reality (VR) in climate change communication and found that VR was an effective tool at reducing climate indifference among its participants.

Posted: Wednesday December 17, 2025
Unprecented Times, phrase in wooden alphabet letters isolated on yellow background.

Media Effects
Media Industry and Consumers

A new study offers insight into how brands manage their image during times of crisis

In March 2020, people around the world retreated to their homes for the first lockdown of the COVID-19 pandemic. As we adapted to our new conditions, staying inside for several weeks, advertisers also had to adapt to the unique situation. Between March 2020 and July 2021, hundreds of pandemic-themed ads were created, using messaging like “we’re all in this together” or “these are unprecedented times.” Now, more than five years after the initial lockdown, ads like these give researchers the opportunity to examine impression management strategies during times of crisis, and a new study out of UF does just that.

Posted: Tuesday December 2, 2025
A collage of microphones and newspaper clippings.

Communication and Technology
Media Industry and Consumers

New Worlds of Journalism Study sheds light on the state of journalism around the world

The field of journalism is in a constant state of change, always adapting to new technologies and shifts in culture and public opinions. Since 2007, the Worlds of Journalism Study (WJS) has dedicated itself to tracking these changes by creating a comprehensive report on the state of journalism around the world, with the aim of keeping journalists informed on trends within the field. In October 2025, wave three of the Worlds of Journalism Study was published, with researchers from over 120 countries showcasing their findings.

Posted: Thursday November 13, 2025
Yuan Sun points at a photo of coffee beans on this study's mocked-up website while Yang Feng looks on.

AI
Communication and Technology
Media Industry and Consumers

Generative AI may help turn consumers into active collaborators and creators, study finds

In the advertising world, generative AI is transforming the way brands connect with consumers, turning audiences from passive viewers into active creators who can shape and personalize campaign content.

Posted: Tuesday October 28, 2025
Cast photo from the 2021 reboot of 'The Wonder Years' television show.

Cultural

How “The Wonder Years” Reboot Redefined Black Masculinity

Television reboots often rekindle nostalgia, but the 2021 reboot of “The Wonder Years” did something more ambitious: it reimagined Black masculinity and family life during the Civil Rights era. A recent study reveals how storytelling by the mass media can reclaim Black history and challenge common negative portrayals of Black men.

Posted: Tuesday February 25, 2025
'Corporate Social Responsibility' text quote on wooden signpost outdoors during sunset.

Cultural
Strategic Communication

The Future of Corporate Social Responsibility: A Purpose-Driven Approach to Sustainable Growth

In today’s interconnected world, businesses are no longer judged solely by their profitability but also by the impact they have on society, the environment and the well-being of their employees. As companies navigate a landscape defined by rapid technological advancements, economic shifts, and growing calls for accountability, the role of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and corporate purpose has never been more critical.

Posted: Friday February 14, 2025
Young female wearing a lab coat and gloves seated at a lab bench handling objects.

Trust

Calling Wonder Woman for Science: How Female Experts Engender Likability and Trust

Public trust in science has been declining for decades, a challenge that may be exacerbated by pop culture and media portrayals of scientists as cold and disconnected. Could a female face give science communication the warmth it needs to succeed?

Posted: Monday February 3, 2025

Legal, Policy and First Amendment
Trust

Beyond Consent: Rethinking Privacy in the Digital Age

In an age where data drives much of our digital interactions, questions about privacy and consent are more pressing than ever. As tech evolves, so do the complexities of navigating the digital landscape — particularly when it comes to the collection and use of our personal data. This book chapter argues that the traditional understanding of consent — where individuals simply opt into terms and conditions — fails to protect users in the current data ecosystem.

Posted: Friday January 31, 2025

AI

Can AI Speak Our Language: Exploring Human-Machine Communication

As AI continues to play an increasing role in both personal and professional spheres, the need to understand not just the outputs of these technologies, but also the processes behind them, becomes ever more critical. New research merges two growing fields — explainable AI (XAI) and human-machine communication (HMC) — to address how we can begin to bridge the divide between AI’s decision-making processes and human comprehension.

Posted: Thursday January 30, 2025

Media Industry and Consumers
Trust

Personalized Ads: Friend, Foe or Creepy Stalker?

Personalized ads based on data gathered online are becoming the norm. Does being upfront about data collection make people more comfortable with online behavioral advertising, or does it just remind them of how much they’re being tracked?

Posted: Tuesday January 28, 2025

Cultural
Political Communication

Partisanship, Politics and Place: How Media Shape Perception of Rural America

While traditional media research has focused on how news coverage shapes perceptions of racial, ethnic and religious groups, less is known about media’s role in influencing how people feel about others based on where they live. Researchers wanted to know what predicts people’s feelings toward individuals living in rural parts of the U.S.

Posted: Thursday January 16, 2025

Cultural
Political Communication

How Gender and Race Shaped Stacey Abrams’ Campaign to Court Black Male Voters

New research examines how Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams’ 2022 campaign attempted to address the gap between support from Black women vs. Black men in her 2018 campaign, amid the complex intersections of race, gender and political discourse.

Posted: Friday January 10, 2025

Media Industry and Consumers

How Neoliberal Ideas Shaped Public Service Announcements: A Three-Decade Analysis

While traditional advertising is considered a function of capitalism, public service announcements have long been considered a function for the public good. But new research reveals how neoliberal ideology has increasingly infiltrated even these public-interest messages.

Posted: Tuesday December 31, 2024

Gaming

Fair Play: How Justice Beliefs Drive Gaming Habits

A new study argues that, regardless of their narratives, video games are rule-based and generally follow the rules of justice. The study examines players’ fundamental beliefs about fairness and justice and how they are associated with players’ gaming preferences and experiences.

Posted: Tuesday December 17, 2024

Legal, Policy and First Amendment

Study Exposes Systemic Failures in FOI Laws Meant to Protect Democracy

Freedom of Information laws were created to provide the public and journalists with the tools to pull back the curtain on government operations. New research, however, reveals corporate interests now dominate FOI requests to the detriment of petitions from the citizens and journalists they were meant to empower.

Posted: Monday December 16, 2024

AI
Trust

“Don’t Believe Everything You Read Online”: How AI Fact-Checking Could Challenge Political Bias in Science Information Processing

As social media has grown into many people’s primary news source, so has its potential for misinformation. Facebook and X have both launched fact-checking tools to combat so-called fake news. Yet many users dismiss the fact-check itself as false, especially when it challenges their preexisting views. Could an AI fact-checker seem more objective and help change minds?

Posted: Thursday December 12, 2024

Audience

The Science Behind Storytelling: Why We Root for Underdogs and Resent Lucky Breaks

Audiences’ perceptions of characters are often influenced by events independent of a character’s behavior. New research suggests that behavior-independent events affect audience loyalty in systematic but surprising ways.

Posted: Tuesday December 10, 2024

Cultural

Strong Black Woman: How the Media Misses the Intersectionality Story

Using intersectionality, new research suggests that the media does a disservice to Black women by upholding the stereotype of the Strong Black Woman. This approach undermines Black women’s mental health by emphasizing individual resilience while ignoring collective systemic struggles.

Posted: Thursday November 21, 2024

Political Communication

Yes, No, or No Idea? How Ballot Wording Influences Voter Choice

Politicians and pundits both know that emotions play a huge role in voter behavior. But what happens when ballot items aren’t about a hot-button issue or charismatic candidate? How the voter feels about reading their ballot affects how they choose.

Posted: Tuesday November 12, 2024

Media Industry and Consumers
Trust

All Media Trust is Not Created Equal

Distrust in “mass media” is high. But a vast majority say that their local journalists are doing a good job of reporting news in their communities accurately.

Posted: Thursday October 31, 2024

AI
Strategic Communication

AI Automates PR, But Human Intuition Still Rules

The central purpose of public relations remains rooted in creativity that artificial intelligence cannot replace. AI can help automate and streamline repetitive tasks, but it can’t build relationships, craft compelling, authentic narratives and create events that engage target audiences, according to new research.

Posted: Tuesday October 29, 2024

AI

People Hate Stories They Think Were Written by AI. Even if People Wrote Them

Stories written by the latest version of ChatGPT were nearly as good as those written by human authors, according to new research on AI’s narrative skills. But when people were told a story was written by AI — whether the true author was an algorithm or a person — they rated the story poorly, a sign that people distrust and dislike AI-generated art.

Posted: Friday October 25, 2024

AI
Communication and Technology

Can AI-Generated News Help Reverse the Declining Level of Trust in News?

Researchers pondered whether credibility and trust in news are sacrificed when articles are AI-generated and if public nonprofit perception could benefit from exposure to that content. Their conclusions: the higher the exposure and use of AI-generated news, the higher the credibility.

Posted: Thursday October 24, 2024

Audience
Media Industry and Consumers

Beyond the Binge: Making Sense of How Consumers Choose Subscription Streaming Services

Subscription streaming service customers are not necessarily looking for the“best” service, but rather  how they curate their services into repertoires, “an exquisite selection of services that satisfy their content needs for a reasonable price while avoiding streaming confusion (uncertainty about where to access the content) and fatigue (too many options).”

Posted: Thursday October 24, 2024

Political Communication

He Says, She Says: Exploring Gender Bias in Political News Coverage

In the thick of a historic presidential election, news media fills a critical role as Americans consider their options. But does its election coverage present the female candidates in a stereotypically gendered way or give them a different share of voice and how does that affect readers’ perception of their agenda?

Posted: Friday October 18, 2024

AI
Communication and Technology
Political Communication

Look Who’s Talking: Celebrity Causes vs. AI-Powered Advocacy

Is a celebrity’s endorsement truly helpful for a given cause? It depends on how authentic they seem. Despite the rise of AI-powered influencers, people still tend to trust their fellow humans, even if their motives are partly driven by profit.

Posted: Wednesday September 25, 2024

AI
Communication and Technology

Decoding the Digital Dialogue: A Two-Step Framework for Human-AI Interaction

In an era where artificial intelligence is becoming increasingly ubiquitous, the line between human and machine communication is blurring faster than ever. New research offers a fresh perspective on how we interact with and understand artificial intelligence. This innovative approach aims to bridge the gap between two emerging fields: explainable AI and human-machine communication.

Posted: Wednesday September 18, 2024

Trust

Untrustworthy Hyperlinks on News Sites are Adding to the Misinformation Crisis

Misinformation is spreading rapidly in the digital universe, especially during election season, and the hyperlinks found on untrustworthy news sites may be partly to blame, according to an interdisciplinary team of researchers.

Posted: Tuesday September 17, 2024

Audience
Communication and Technology

Whispers That Sell: The Marketing Potential of ASMR

ASMR, or autonomous sensory meridian response, has been creating a quiet sensation for the last decade on the internet. Researchers explored the potential value of ASMR as a marketing tool.

Posted: Wednesday August 28, 2024

AI
Communication and Technology
Media Industry and Consumers

Pixels vs. People: The Battle for Consumer Trust in Influencer Marketing

New research examines the effectiveness of virtual influencers compared to humans in affecting brand attitudes and purchase intentions and found that, while virtual influencers are not yet ready to replace human influencers, they are carving out their own niche.

Posted: Friday August 16, 2024

Cultural
Political Communication

Race, Gender and Politics: Media Coverage of the Ketanji Brown Jackson Supreme Court Nomination

The nomination of Ketanji Brown Jackson to the U.S. Supreme Court was a case study of how the U.S. news media cover stories involving race, gender and politics. This research shed light on how prevailing media narratives remain entrenched within a framework dominated by white, patriarchal viewpoints.

Posted: Thursday July 18, 2024

AI
Communication and Technology

You, We and I, Robot: How Social Cognitive Theory Explains How Humans Learn from Machines

New research investigates whether humans can learn from machines as AI becomes increasingly sophisticated. Participants proved significantly more likely to imitate the robot’s choices when it demonstrated positive outcomes or no outcome information, compared to negative scenarios.

Posted: Sunday June 2, 2024

AI
Communication and Technology

Beyond the Byline: Exploring Bias in Human- and AI-Generated News

In the world of news, artificial intelligence (AI) has been a silent partner for a lot longer than most realize. Researchers wondered, as AI is increasingly used to create content, if algorithmic biases existed in the telling of news.

Posted: Thursday May 23, 2024

Cultural
Media Industry and Consumers

Multiracial Families in Advertising: Exploring the Impact on Emerging Adult Consumers

A new study sheds light on how emerging adult consumers respond to advertisements featuring multiracial families and the factors that influence their attitudes and purchase intentions.

Posted: Friday May 17, 2024

Communication and Technology

The Effects of Natural- and Supernatural-Based Awe Experiences in Virtual Reality

Researchers explored how experiencing awe can make us better humans – socially, psychologically and spiritually – and that both natural awe and supernatural awe can be achieved through virtual reality.

Posted: Tuesday April 30, 2024

AI

Empowering Citizens in the Age of AI: The Importance of Efficacy and Literacy

For years, researchers have grappled with understanding the relationship between technology and political behavior. A team of researchers has developed a novel approach to examine how AI-related news consumption, discussions and literacy influence citizens’ support for AI policies.

Posted: Tuesday April 9, 2024

Sports

Gender-Based Sports Coverage: A Quarter Century of Prime-Time Summer Olympics

While gender-based representation of Olympic athletes has been equal in terms of screen time for years and at times even underrepresent men, women’s sports are still framed in such a way as to promote hegemonic masculinity.

Posted: Wednesday March 27, 2024

Audience
Trust

Better Together: Interacting with News Portals Increases Civic Engagement

The majority of people in the U.S. get their online news from individual news organizations, which publish proprietary stories written by their own reporters. In South Korea, most people access news portals, which aggregate stories from multiple sources. This study explores how perceived news portal credibility influences the connection between online engagement and civic participation.

Posted: Thursday February 29, 2024

AI
Trust

How UF is Combatting AI Misinformation in Elections

As the 2024 election season ramps up, voters are looking for reliable information about candidates to help them decide who to support on election day. Unfortunately, that reliability is threatened by a wave of disinformation that is bolstered by increasingly sophisticated artificial intelligence tools.

Posted: Tuesday February 20, 2024

AI
Communication and Technology

The Art of Persuasion: Decoding the Perfect AI-Powered Digital Ad

AI-powered digital promotions have the potential to revolutionize business marketing by providing customers with a more personalized and engaging experience. But how human-like should chatbots be when promoting products and services to consumers?

Posted: Friday February 2, 2024

Cultural

What Does TV Teach Us about Transracial Adoption?

Researchers embarked on a study to understand how viewers engage with media portrayals of transracial adoptions and the lasting impressions they leave behind.

Posted: Tuesday January 30, 2024

Political Communication
Trust

How Partisanship and Political Fandom Affect the Spread of Misinformation

As the nation faces another contentious election cycle, the spread of misinformation continues to be rampant. Scholars wanted to explore the predictability of whether or not people would seek and share misinformation without first fact-checking it.

Posted: Tuesday January 30, 2024

Political Communication

Decoding Morality in the 2020 U.S. Presidential Election: A Public Relations Perspective

New research delves into the web of political communication to unravel hidden threads of moral intuitions woven throughout Biden and Trump campaigns’ strategies in 2020.

Posted: Thursday December 21, 2023

Trust

Reputation Matters. Don’t Bend Under Platform Pressure

News publishers must stick to the core values that are the foundation of journalistic work. Competing on the social platforms’ terms – with eyeball-chasing clickbait – won’t solve the attention deficit and will likely only exacerbate the misinformation problem.

Posted: Thursday December 21, 2023

AI
Trust

Video: The Advantage and Challenges of Generative AI in Journalism

Consortium on Trust in Media and Technology Managing Director Janet Coats discusses the advantages and challenges of using generative AI in the reporting process.  This video was produced for the University of Florida’s AI Days in October 2023.

Posted: Wednesday December 13, 2023

Trust

Choose Your Words Wisely: The Role of Language in Media Trust

New research is identifying patterns of common language usage in coverage of potentially divisive subjects that could  further damage trust. Recoding words away from inherent biases and towards authentic language may be a pathway that engenders trust.

Posted: Thursday November 30, 2023

Legal, Policy and First Amendment

A Power Analysis for Platforms: Expression, Equitable Governance and Participation

In this legal essay, Jasmine McNealy proposes that internet platforms have become so ubiquitous and indispensable for communication that they can easily place organizational benefits above the needs of society.

Posted: Thursday November 30, 2023

AI
Communication and Technology

How Chatbots Can Effectively Communicate Science Information

Chatbots are here to stay. But are they effective communicators, particularly when it comes to dispensing scientific advice? New research explores how persuasive chatbots can be in engaging audiences when discussing important scientific topics.

Posted: Wednesday November 29, 2023

Media Industry and Consumers

How COVID-19 Affected College Newspapers

Financial independence was a challenge for some, but the pandemic forced many student newspapers to transition to a more diverse revenue model and to continue some pandemic-specific practices they embraced.

Posted: Wednesday November 29, 2023

AI

An Interdisciplinary Approach to Defining Ethical AI

As the capabilities of artificial intelligence continue to increase, how are companies using AI to make decisions and drive business? As AI evolves, how can communicators continue its use in an ethical manner?

Posted: Thursday November 9, 2023

Political Communication

How Elections Influence Voters’ Media Consumption

There’s a mountain of political research on voters’ media engagement immediately prior to an election, but far less is known about their news consumption right afterward. This study sheds light on voters’ media use in the wake of their candidate’s win or loss in an election.  

Posted: Wednesday November 8, 2023

AI
Legal, Policy and First Amendment

Negligent AI Speech: Who is Responsible?

What happens when an AI platform gives out incorrect information that then causes harm to those that use it? This article examines the potential for AI liability through the lens of “duty” – whether responses from an AI platform would have a legal obligation to adhere to standards of reasonable care toward users.

Posted: Wednesday November 8, 2023

Strategic Communication

Communicating the Big Picture With Employees: The Impacts of CEO Vision Communication on Employee Engagement

Organizational leadership requires much more than a good head for business, knowledge of market trends or analyzing accounting spreadsheets. Important as those things may be to understanding your business, understanding employees, and how to get them to understand your business, is critical for success.

Posted: Wednesday October 18, 2023

Political Communication

High Anxiety—The Role of Emotion in Political Decision-Making

Years of research show that people are swayed more by emotion than by reason when it comes to participating in the democratic process. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing, because emotion, particularly anxiety, can motivate us to action.

Posted: Wednesday October 18, 2023

AI
Legal, Policy and First Amendment

We Need A Policy Agenda for Rural AI

Rural communities need to be invited into conversations about the potential positive and negative impacts of artificial intelligence.

Posted: Monday October 16, 2023

Cultural

Empowering People of Color’s Voices Through the Narrative Justice Project

The National Justice Project is a public interest campaign focused on challenging stereotypes and biases in popular media representations. This community-based initiative trains people of color to tell stories about marginalized people that counter mainstream, stereotypical stories.

Posted: Wednesday October 4, 2023

AI
Communication and Technology

How to Build a Trustworthy Robot

Robot narratives have been with us for a long time and humans have fantasized, advised and prophesized about robots existing among us. But would people actually trust these fictional robots if they were real?

Posted: Monday October 2, 2023

AI
Trust

Using Alternative Sources to Decrease Partisan Biases in the Fact-Checking Process

Fact-checking that was presented as being generated by AI or through crowdsourcing resulted in significantly reduced levels of “motivated reasoning” compared to using human experts.

Posted: Friday September 29, 2023

AI
Audience
Trust

Do Consumers Trust AI in the News-Production Process?

Researchers conducted a study asking participants to assess their preferred level of AI integration in the discovery and information-gathering phase and the writing and editing phase of news production.

Posted: Wednesday September 20, 2023

Trust

The Good, the Bad, and the Evil Media: Influence of Online Comments on Media Trust

Media trust is critical for democracies because they rely on informed participation and you don’t use what you don’t trust. Understanding what contributes to mistrust can help news organizations combat it—and understanding the impact of content created by readers rather than reporters could be key.

Posted: Tuesday September 5, 2023

AI
Audience
Communication and Technology

AI- or Human-Written Scripts? It May Not Make a Difference to Viewers

As screenwriters strike to ensure job security in the face of generative AI, researchers set out to gauge audience reactions to works of short fiction written by ChatGPT and a version of the ChatGPT story edited by the researchers themselves.

Posted: Monday August 28, 2023

Communication and Technology
Gaming

Investigating Social Presence in “In Real Life” Streaming for Community Building

In Real Life (IRL) streaming, in which streamers broadcast their daily activities to viewers, has become very popular. This study explored how IRL stream-based community identification is affected by the social presence afforded by streaming platforms.

Posted: Wednesday August 23, 2023

Legal, Policy and First Amendment

Cameras in the Court: Why Most Trump Trials Won’t be Televised

There are many reasons why all trials aren’t televised, spanning the history of case law, congressional legislation, empirical research, high-profile “circus” trials and, in some cases, fear.

Posted: Tuesday August 22, 2023

Cultural

We Can’t Overestimate the Power of Representation in Reboots

“Reboots are a part of our nostalgia culture; they allow us to reimagine that time period we loved, but with more complete or complex content. And representation really does matter in mainstream media, especially for children at early ages.”

Posted: Friday July 7, 2023

Health and Science
Trust

Hesitancy in the Home: The Relationship Between Family Communication Patterns and Willingness to Talk About Covid-19 Vaccination

Family dynamic plays an important role in discussions about vaccination and the level of trust in sources of information about the COVID-19 vaccine.

Posted: Wednesday June 28, 2023

Political Communication

Looking Beyond the Punchline: The Effect of Political Entertainment on Evaluations of Political Candidates

This research looks at how perceptions of candidates are affected when they appear on or are parodied in comedy shows vs. traditional news.

Posted: Monday June 26, 2023

Cultural

Are You Satisfied? Examining Positive Interaction and Satisfaction in Romantic Relationships

Love might seem more art than science, but there is data behind matters of the heart. Researchers at the University of Florida found that affectionate communication plays a pivotal role in relationship satisfaction.

Posted: Monday June 5, 2023

Media Industry and Consumers
Trust

Exploring Trust in Media Brands Today: Definition, Dimensions and Cross-National Differences

Today’s abundant content from linear media, tech companies, influencers and others presents a growing challenge in measuring the trust consumers place on these different media platforms/outlets. Researchers sought to define a media brand and its trust elements.

Posted: Friday May 5, 2023

Cultural
Trust

Country Roads and Cityscapes: The Relationship Between Place-Based Identity And Feelings Toward Journalists

Current efforts to increase trust by fact-checking and increased transparency are respectable but minimally effective. They largely offer tactic over strategy, disregarding a major player in perspective-building: where people live.

Posted: Thursday May 4, 2023

Audience
Political Communication

Research Fridays: Understanding Communication and Polarization

Research Fridays features faculty and graduate students from the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications presenting current research to their colleagues. On April 14, 2023, Public Relations Department Associate Professor and Chair Myiah Hutchens presented “Understanding Communication and Polarization.”  

Posted: Sunday April 23, 2023

AI
Audience
Communication and Technology

Research Fridays: Rise of Non-Human Agents in (Strategic) Communication

Research Fridays features faculty and graduate students from CJC presenting current research to their colleagues. On April 7, 2023, Advertising Assistant Professor Won-Ki Moon presented “Rise of Non-Human Agents in (Strategic) Communication.”

Posted: Wednesday April 19, 2023

Health and Science

COVID Communications: Culture, Compliance, and Brands

When the pandemic led to global lockdowns in early 2020, the U.S. government quickly reacted with health-related communications that were not accepted universally across the country. But this divide in compliance was not seen everywhere across the globe. Why?

Posted: Monday April 17, 2023

AI
Communication and Technology

Hanging Out with My Pandemic Pal: Voice Assistants as Human Agents During COVID 19

With limited human interaction during COVID, many people turned to voice assistants for connection. But what exactly led people to anthropomorphize nonhuman agents like voice assistants during COVID-19? This study explores that question.

Posted: Friday April 14, 2023

Audience

Research Fridays: Developing Impactful Consumer Research

Research Fridays features faculty and graduate students from the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications presenting current research to their colleagues. On March...

Posted: Monday April 3, 2023

Cultural

Research Fridays: An Exploration of Identity and Culture Within Media Platforms

On Feb. 24, 2023, Journalism Assistant Professor Rachel Grant discussed the exploration of identity and culture within media platforms, and her work as research director for the Narrative Justice Project.

Posted: Wednesday March 8, 2023

AI
Trust

User Perceptions and Trust of Fake News Detection Technology

The proliferation of unchecked journalism and false reporting has led to adopting AI tools to wade through the mess. This begs the question, do online users trust AI to weed out fake news?

Posted: Monday March 6, 2023

Trust

Engagement of Russian Disinformation Ads on Facebook

A team of UF scholars sought to examine what makes disinformation ads on social media appealing to users. The study looked at Facebook ads created by Russia’s Internet Research Agency in its Active Measures disinformation campaign targeting the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

Posted: Monday March 6, 2023

AI
Communication and Technology

Perceived Humanness of Online Chat Agents

Organizations are adopting live-chat systems that employ either human agents or AI-driven conversational agents. How consumers perceive these live-chat conversations is important in understanding how organizations build strong relationships with them.

Posted: Monday February 20, 2023

Health and Science
Strategic Communication

Clinicians as Trusted Messengers

The hesitancy to vaccinate children against COVID-19 has become a global public health threat. Research shows that people who are unvaccinated primarily get vaccine information from the internet, friends, and family, while those who are fully vaccinated primarily get information from their own physicians and from national health experts.

Posted: Wednesday January 25, 2023

Political Communication

Partisan Media Is Easier to Read and More Negative Than Mainstream Media, Research Confirms

Past research has suggested that the way conservative media frames and communicates messages is distinct from both liberal partisan outlets and mainstream, non-partisan media. But current research suggests that conservative and liberal messaging approaches are not that different.

Posted: Wednesday November 30, 2022

AI
Communication and Technology

Using Artificial Intelligence to Analyze Consumer Sentiment

Many brands incorporate social issues into their social media campaigns and use AI to analyze consumer responses. This research looks at which type of algorithms are most effective in analyzing consumer sentiment.

Posted: Monday October 31, 2022

Legal, Policy and First Amendment
Trust

In Support for the Supreme Court, Partisanship Trumps Concern Around Gender Equality

Recent decisions by the U.S. Supreme Court such as the overturning of Roe. vs Wade have raised questions about the institution’s legitimacy in the eyes of the American public. A new study looks at whether the Roe decision has affected trust in the Supreme Court.

Posted: Tuesday October 25, 2022

Cultural

Exploring Roles and Identity in Disney’s “Encanto”

Contemporary Disney movies act as a primary source of family role portrayals. By watching Disney movies like “Encanto” together, families can observationally learn how to navigate roles within their own families.

Posted: Monday October 24, 2022

AI

How the Perceived Economic Risk of Workplace AI Affects Sharing of Risk Information

Artificial intelligence is projected to reshape the global economy. Automation technology is already permeating a broad spectrum of industries worldwide. One area of inquiry that has been given less attention is assessing how the presentation of AI in the workforce affects people’s perceptions about the technology.

Posted: Sunday October 23, 2022

AI
Communication and Technology

When the Machine Learns from Users, is it Helping or Snooping?

Most consumers today are confronted with algorithmic-based recommendations based on their past usage or buying history. But how do consumers actually feel about machines recommending media or goods they might like?

Posted: Thursday October 13, 2022

AI
Communication and Technology

Before the Algorithm, What’s in the Imagination?

Algorithms suffer from inherent bias due to human imagination, or lack thereof. Associate Professor Jasmine McNealy explains that it’s critical to mitigate the potential harm human intervention can have on developing algorithms by asking essential questions.

Posted: Tuesday October 4, 2022

Communication and Technology
Gaming

Using a Cooperative Game to Reduce Prejudice Against Refugees

Interacting with members of other groups can promote understanding and reduce prejudice under the right conditions, but intergroup contact with refugees can be difficult to foster and maintain. Researchers wanted to investigate whether intergroup contact with a “virtual refugee” can effectively reduce this divide and foster closeness and empathy toward refugees.

Posted: Thursday September 15, 2022

Political Communication
Strategic Communication

Examining Social Partnership Communication During a Global Health Crisis

In response to the extensive impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, collaborative efforts from multi-sector organizations emerged to help communities cope during these challenging times. Researchers s wanted to better understand how organizations from both the public and private sectors communicated these social partnerships on social media.

Posted: Friday September 2, 2022

Trust

UF Core Values: Janet Coats Discusses Media Literacy and Civil Discourse

Janet Coats, Consortium on Trust in Media and Technology managing director, discusses the importance of media literacy and its impact on free expression and civil discourse.

Posted: Wednesday August 31, 2022

Legal, Policy and First Amendment

UF Core Values: Clay Calvert Shares First Amendment Insights

Clay Calvert, Brechner Eminent Scholar in Mass Communication and Director of the Marion B. Brechner First Amendment Project, discusses key issues and common misperceptions about the First Amendment, the impact of a more conservative Supreme Court, and student free speech protections.

Posted: Monday August 29, 2022

AI
Communication and Technology

My Tutor is an AI: The Effects of Involvement and Tutor Type on Perceived Quality, Perceived Credibility, and Use Intention

Artificial Intelligence is now being used to help tutor students at all educational levels. This research explores whether or not AI tutors are as effective as human tutors, specifically in language and writing education.

Posted: Tuesday August 16, 2022

AI
Communication and Technology

Societal Issues and User Experience and Engagement Dominated Human-Machine Communication Research Over the Past Decade

The field of human-machine communication has grown exponentially over  the past 10 years with the advancement of new artificial intelligence technology. Research on HMC has also exploded focusing on both the technology itself and the implications for users and society.  

Posted: Wednesday June 29, 2022

Political Communication
Trust

“The Big Lie”: How Fact-Checking Influences Support for Jan. 6 Attack on the Capitol

Why did Trump supporters and others buy into the “Big Lie” about the 2020 election results? New research shows that election fraud fact-checking may correct viewers beliefs but does not necessarily change partisan attitudes toward the Capitol Hill attack.

Posted: Thursday June 23, 2022

Audience
International Communication

Russians with Diverse Media Diet More Likely to Oppose Ukraine War

While most Russians approve of the country’s invasion of Ukraine, an examination showed that people who had access to media sources other than those run by the Russian government were more likely to oppose the war in Ukraine.

Posted: Friday June 17, 2022

Communication and Technology
Gaming

The Role of Video Games in Coping with Unemployment

To manage the adverse effects of unemployment and maintain one’s well-being, unemployed workers often develop coping strategies, such as playing video games. Researchers wanted to better understand how unemployed workers used video games to cope with the stress from unemployment specifically during COVID-19.

Posted: Tuesday May 31, 2022

AI
Communication and Technology

The Psychological Mechanisms Behind Users’ Social Response to Emerging Technologies

As more uses for technology emerge, researchers are interested in studying which mechanism of technology, such as chatbots, voice assistants, and social robots, are most effective in explaining social presence and perceived trustworthiness for users. In other words, how do people tend to interact with different forms of interactive technology?

Posted: Friday May 20, 2022

Communication and Technology
Media Industry and Consumers
Trust

How Data is Collected and Used: Hoarder, Handler, Bricoleur, Spy

Data collection is a known inevitability when it comes to using the internet. While data tracking is common knowledge, how the data is collected and used is not widely known or understood.

Posted: Friday April 29, 2022

Political Communication

Mask-Wearing as a Partisan Issue: Social Identity and Communication of Party Norms on Social Media Among Political Elites

In this study, scholars used Twitter data to examine how political elites from both political parties communicated norms to their constituents about mask-wearing during the pandemic.

Posted: Monday April 4, 2022

Health and Science

Secure Messaging and COVID-19: A Content Analysis of Patient–Clinician Communication During the Pandemic

During the early stages of the pandemic, secure messaging became a critical mode of communication for healthcare providers and their patients, addressing, in particular, misinformation about COVID-19.

Posted: Friday April 1, 2022

Cultural
Media Industry and Consumers

How New Fathers Respond to “Dadvertising”

Stay-at-home dads are more common than ever before. Because of fathers’ changing roles in the household, advertisers are shifting how they market their products to this target audience.

Posted: Sunday March 13, 2022

AI
Communication and Technology
Media Industry and Consumers

Consumers’ Perception of Artificial Intelligence Applications in Marketing Communication

Marketers are increasingly taking advantage of AI strategies when interacting with prospective customers, particularly in data collection and message targeting. But how consumers perceive or understand the use of AI in marketing has been unclear.

Posted: Wednesday March 9, 2022

Media Industry and Consumers
Trust

Educating Consumers to Fight Deception in Green Advertising

Ads claiming products are environmentally friendly often include complex claims that are confusing to even knowledgeable consumers, resulting in “greenwashing” — misleading information about the environmental practices of a company or the environmental attributes and benefits of a product or service.

Posted: Monday March 7, 2022

Communication and Technology

Framing and Language of Ethics: Technology, Persuasion, and Cultural Context

This new study explores the power of words as they are used with and for technology, attempting to define frames of ethics and the complexity involved when it comes to describing and communicating ethical uses of technology.

Posted: Wednesday February 23, 2022

AI
Communication and Technology

Man vs. Machine: Human Responses to AI

As artificial intelligence technology has advanced, its use has expanded to a range of industries, including broadcast news. AI could be used in place of a human weather newscaster, for example, if a human is not available during a weather emergency. Yet little research exists that looks at how people perceive AI newscasters.

Posted: Thursday February 10, 2022

Political Communication
Strategic Communication

Are You Threatening Me? Identity Threat, Resistance to Persuasion, and Boomerang Effects in Environmental Communication

In our polarized political environment, scientific knowledge alone is not always enough to inspire change or action. When it comes to environmental topics in particular, imparting such information without a careful strategy can often have the opposite effect of the desired behavior.

Posted: Friday February 4, 2022

Sports

Sports Media Education’s Evolution: Integrating Technology, Branding and Strategic Media

Sports journalism has evolved from simply including play-by-play and color commentary during a live game to incorporating more audio and visual storytelling elements. As a result, the education provided to sports journalism students should reflect these changes.

Posted: Thursday February 3, 2022

AI
Communication and Technology

Smart Speakers Require Smart Management

The use of smart speakers, such as Alexa and Google Assistant, has become ubiquitous in American society. UFCJC researchers wanted to better understand the different ways people use the devices, as well as identify the main strategies they use to protect their privacy during that use.

Posted: Thursday January 13, 2022

Legal, Policy and First Amendment
Trust

Student Journalism and Civic Education

One of the very few unifying propositions across all U.S. ideologies is that young people need more effective civics education. Given that widespread consensus, it might be expected that educators and policymakers would be tightly embracing the curative of scholastic journalism. But that is rarely the case.

Posted: Wednesday January 5, 2022

Media Industry and Consumers

Sustainability and Brand Communication: Consumer Segment and Media Platform Implications

The demand for sustainable products and services is growing steadily. New research explores the topic of sustainability in media and communications from the perspective of the top three areas of concern according to the United Nations: ecological sustainability, economic sustainability, and social sustainability.

Posted: Monday November 29, 2021

Cultural
Trust

Video: Rachel Grant Discusses the Narrative Justice Project

Journalism Assistant Professor Rachel Grant is Research Director for the Narrative Justice Project, a tactical response to popular media conversations around stereotypes and conversations around racism. We interviewed Dr. Grant on Nov. 3, 2021 about the project and findings from the research so far.

Posted: Monday November 15, 2021

AI
Communication and Technology

Video: Using AI to Improve Communication with Social Robots

The primary function of “social robots” is to facilitate communication with humans, and is being applied in a variety of industries, including education and physical and mental health. Dr. Kun Xu is studying how to enhance that communication through voice, gestures and other social cues.

Posted: Wednesday October 20, 2021

Cultural

You Can’t Shop With Us: How U.S.-Based Value and Midmarket Online Clothing Retailers Position Their Plus-size Female Clothing Section

Women shopping for plus-size clothing face many challenges, and are often isolated through marketing, language and website navigation. Researchers found that clothing retailers have a long way to go to incorporate inclusiveness into their women’s plus-size shopping experience, especially online.

Posted: Tuesday October 12, 2021

Audience

Video: Santiago Kember on the Evolving Hispanic and Latino Markets

University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications Advertising Visiting Lecturer Santiago Kember shares insights on how the Hispanic and Latino markets have changed over the past decade and what advertisers need to do to reach this market going forward.

Posted: Tuesday September 21, 2021

AI
Communication and Technology

Video: Doctoral Student Fanjue Liu Discusses AI-Enabled Virtual Assistants as Social Actors

Doctoral student Fanjue Liu is exploring how AI-enabled virtual assistants, like Alexa or Siri, can mitigate feelings of loneliness and isolation, particularly during the pandemic.

Posted: Thursday September 16, 2021

Health and Science

The Effect of Health Agency Advertising on Patient-Doctor Communication

A woman’s willingness to initiate sexual health conversations with their doctors can make a difference in the quality of care she receives. This research explores whether a woman’s age had any effect on her willingness to take the lead for her own sexual health care.

Posted: Tuesday September 14, 2021

AI
Audience
Communication and Technology

Video: Doctoral Student Yoo Jin Chung Discusses AI-Enabled Virtual Influencers on Social Media

Doctoral student Yoo Jin Chung discusses her research on AI-enabled virtual influencers on social media, and how social media users react to virtual vs. human influencers.

Posted: Friday September 10, 2021

Communication and Technology
Sports

X’s and O’s, Angles and Games: NFL Football Yardage Estimations Based on Camera Angle

Sports networks have adopted the “Madden” camera to provide a more dynamic view of the football field of play. But do these new angles make it more difficult for viewers to estimate yardage than traditional play-by-play cameras?

Posted: Wednesday September 8, 2021

Political Communication
Trust

How Conservative and Liberal Media Reinforce Political Beliefs

Levels of political polarization continue to escalate in the U.S., causing an increasingly wide chasm between liberals and conservatives. New research explores whether liberal and conservative news outlets contributed to this political divide and increased polarization.

Posted: Tuesday September 7, 2021

Health and Science

Effective Behavioral Weight Loss Intervention for Adolescents

Research has found that behavioral lifestyle interventions for adolescent obesity treatment is critical to the success of any program hoping to make a difference in the lives of obese or overweight teens. A new study shows that adolescents affected by obesity believe interventions should avoid focusing on weight loss and instead promote a healthy lifestyle.

Posted: Thursday September 2, 2021

Health and Science

How to Talk to Patients About the COVID Vaccine

Communicating effectively with vaccine-hesitant patients is critically important to increase the number of vaccinated individuals in all countries. Research on communicating with vaccine-hesitant patients has demonstrated that good communication can make a difference in patients’ vaccine choices.

Posted: Sunday August 8, 2021

Communication and Technology
Trust

What Are Dark Patterns? An Online Media Expert Explains

Dark patterns are design elements that deliberately obscure, mislead, coerce and/or deceive website visitors into making unintended and possibly harmful choices. They take the form of deceptively labeled buttons, choices that are difficult to undo and graphical elements like color and shading that direct users’ attention to or away from certain options.

Posted: Wednesday August 4, 2021
Mindy McAdams

Media Industry and Consumers

For Journalists Considering a Move to Teaching

A time comes for many journalists when they think about teaching.  This article will cover salary, education requirements, and workload. At the end, you’ll find a list of common terms used in academic job ads and a few links to academic job listings in journalism and communication.

Posted: Wednesday July 14, 2021

Legal, Policy and First Amendment

Legal and Ethical Implications of Student Reporting Laboratories

As the emergence of digital technologies has transformed the news industry, the way that journalism is taught has changed as well. Researchers wanted to explore what legal and ethical principles and issues affect educators, and which most commonly arise when educators serve as de facto publishers.

Posted: Thursday July 8, 2021

Audience
Political Communication

Choice Matters: Responses to Political Information Vary in Randomized vs. Selective Exposure Contexts

Why do we focus more on the bad than the good? Why do we seek out the more traumatic vs. feel good news stories? Researchers wanted to learn more about the factors that could affect one’s inclination to veer toward negative or positive information, including age, political uses and approaches, and the type of exposure to news.

Posted: Friday June 25, 2021

AI
Communication and Technology

Video: Dr. Kun Xu Discusses Social Cues in Human-Machine Interactions

The assistant professor in emerging media discusses how users interact with robots, what types of cues and gestures are most effective in human-machine communication, and the convergence of various communication technologies.

Posted: Tuesday June 15, 2021

Cultural
Trust

On-screen Stereotypes of Female Journalists Feed a “Vicious Cycle” of Sexism

When a fictional female journalist appears on screen, chances are she’s about to sleep with one of her sources. It’s a trope that infuriates actual women in news media — and it can have real-life consequences, says University of Florida researcher Frank Waddell, Ph.D.

Posted: Tuesday June 15, 2021

Audience
Communication and Technology

How Consumers React to Woke Advertising

As brands increasingly acknowledge social issues in their advertising, researchers wanted to know how use of social media affects consumers’ responses to a social media-based advertising campaign designed to incorporate the concept of a woke mindset.

Posted: Monday June 14, 2021

AI
Communication and Technology

There is No Trolley Problem

Society needs to be very careful about the deployment of artificial intelligence systems and needs to answer who is the solution best for, who is affected and what are the potential impacts.

Posted: Tuesday June 1, 2021

Health and Science

Vaping and Instagram: A Content Analysis of e-Cigarette Posts Targeted at Young Adults

Vaping has skyrocketed over the past several years, particularly among 18–24-year-olds, and the effects can be negative. Social media has become a major channel for promoting vaping, and new research examines the characteristics of these promotional social media posts.

Posted: Friday May 14, 2021

Health and Science
Legal, Policy and First Amendment

Costs, Evidence, Context and Values: Journalists’ and Policy Experts’ Recommendations for U.S. Health Policy Coverage

Health care issues in the U.S. continue to increase, while trust in journalism continues to decrease.  Despite these challenges, there is a unique opportunity for journalists to not only take back credibility and audience trust, but to impact overall public understanding of health policy and issues.

Posted: Tuesday May 11, 2021

AI
Communication and Technology

Language, Modality, and Mobile Media Use Experiences: Social Responses to Smartphone Cues in a Task-Oriented Context

The growing technological sophistication of smartphones has transformed them from merely communication devices to essential companions that we interact with throughout the day. This research examines the effects of two social dimensions of smartphones — language and modality — on social responses to these devices.

Posted: Tuesday May 4, 2021

Media Industry and Consumers
Trust

The Impact of Fake News on Its Sponsor’s Brand Trust

Fake news is on the rise. And it can be profitable. More than 100 fake news websites existed during the 2016 U.S. presidential election, with many sites making $2,500 or more a day from advertising sponsorship. But what is the risk for brands who, intentionally or unknowingly, sponsor content on those sites?

Posted: Friday April 30, 2021

Communication and Technology

Understanding Public Support for Smart Meters: Media Attention, Misperceptions, and Knowledge

Despite the urgency to modernize the nation’s power grid, there has been some public resistance to installing smart meters on people’s homes. Like any topic, misinformation has spread through the public resulting in false perceptions about health, privacy and costs.

Posted: Tuesday April 20, 2021

Political Communication

Infrastructure? Or Jobs? Controversy Over Name of Biden Proposal Highlights Long Tradition in Politics

Controversy over legislative bill names is hardly new. Politicians have long used bill titles as a marketing vehicles to get media attention, drum up support and frame the conversation around the bill before their opponents do.

Posted: Thursday April 15, 2021

AI
Communication and Technology

Fairness in Information Access Through Culturally Competent AI Systems

On March 30, 2021, Telecommunication Professor and Director of Media Consumer Research Sylvia Chan-Olmsted discussed new research from her and Advertising Associate Professor Huan Chen, “Fairness in Information Access Through Culturally Competent AI Systems,” at the spring 2021 University of Florida HiPerGator Symposium.

Posted: Saturday April 3, 2021

Cultural

“I Am Speaking.” 2020 VP Nominee Kamala Harris’ Impact of Black Feminism as Social Influencers on Twitter

While social media influencers tend to be related more to brand evangelism or financial exchange, Kamala Harris’ use of Twitter throughout the 2020 presidential campaign led to her current position as a social, cultural, and political influencer.

Posted: Tuesday March 30, 2021

Political Communication

Want the Rich to Pay Their Fair Share? Don’t Call It a Tax

President Joe Biden is considering a variety of tax options to pay for his $3 trillion infrastructure and jobs package. How will he sell a new tax? Reframing taxes as an investment in public services that we all use or benefit from—such as roads and bridges, water and sewer systems—would be one approach.

Posted: Monday March 29, 2021

Audience
Media Industry and Consumers

Understanding Podcast Users: Consumption Motives and Behaviors

To understand the emergence of podcasts as an information and entertainment medium, UFCJC researchers completed the nation’s first comprehensive study on motivations and consumption of podcasts, as well as the interaction between podcasts and other audio media.

Posted: Thursday March 25, 2021

Health and Science
Strategic Communication

3 Ways Employers Could Help Fight Vaccine Skepticism

In the fight against vaccine skepticism, employers can play a key role, not only because it’s an important precaution for the health and safety of their employees, but also because a recent survey shows people around the world tend to trust their employers more than governments or the media.

Posted: Monday March 22, 2021

Health and Science

Internet-based Tailored Virtual Human Health Intervention to Promote Colorectal Cancer Screening: Design Guidelines from Two User Studies

UF researchers and colleagues, led by the UF STEM Translational Communication Center, are exploring new approaches to communicating health interventions to patients, including use of an internet-based virtual humans that patients can access through an app.

Posted: Thursday March 11, 2021
breast cancer

Health and Science

Dr. Carla Fisher: Helping Mothers, Daughters and Families Communicate About Cancer

Dr. Carla Fisher discusses her research on effective mother-daughter and family communication about breast cancer and other chronic diseases, and how clinicians can play a role in fostering that communication.

Posted: Monday March 8, 2021

Health and Science

Effective Telemedicine Delivery During the COVID19 Pandemic

Secure messaging, online communication between patients and clinicians within the electronic health record, soared almost 50% from pre-COVID-19 to the present. This research explored how to communicate effectively as telemedicine becomes standard.

Posted: Wednesday February 24, 2021

Health and Science

Overcoming Obstacles in Family Discussions About Health Care

Effective communication between healthcare workers and patients is critical to shaping risk-reducing practices and coping with rigorous treatment for life-threatening diseases. But communication between family members can be as important in dealing with medical issues.

Posted: Friday February 19, 2021

Communication and Technology
Health and Science
Strategic Communication
Trust

Strategies to Overcome Misinformation and Instill Confidence in Vaccines

CJC scholars and Centers explore misinformation and vaccine hesitancy, how AI-base recommendation engines can reinforce vaccine misinformation, and strategies to increase the publics’ confidence in COVID-19 vaccines.

Posted: Sunday February 14, 2021

Communication and Technology

Does the Popularity of Clubhouse Mean the “Good Old Days” are Back?

Is the new audio-based, invitation-only Clubhouse social app a return to the past?  Telecommunication Assistant Professor Kun Xu looks at how Clubhouse departs from current social media platforms.

Posted: Monday February 8, 2021

Communication and Technology

Addressing AI Impact on Communities of Color

CJC researchers address AI’s negative impact on communities of color and how AI can be used to more effectively disseminate culturally relevant information to different audiences.

Posted: Monday February 8, 2021

Cultural

“No Longer Interested in Convincing You of My Humanity”: Undocuqueer Countervisualities Reclaim the Right to Exist

Undocumented immigrants that are part of the LGBTQ community, also known as  Undocuqueer, historically has been underrepresented in positive text and visualizations: narratives that aid social and political opinion, help to reduce negative stereotypes and provide awareness and movement toward equal rights, respect and love.

Posted: Monday February 8, 2021

Legal, Policy and First Amendment

Everybody Out of the Pool: Recognizing a First Amendment Claim for the Retaliatory Closure of (Real or Virtual) Public Forums

America has a rich history of peaceful protests and demonstrations on public property to exercise their First Amendment right of freedom of speech, regardless of how vitriolic or partisan that rhetoric may be. But the Supreme Court will soon have to weigh in on the constitutionality of the issue because of more advanced communication tools.

Posted: Tuesday February 2, 2021

Media Industry and Consumers
Trust

Consortium on Trust in Media and Technology Drives Multidisciplinary Collaborations to Study Trust

The destructive spread of misinformation and continued attacks on news media credibility has fostered a crisis in trust. To address this, the University in 2019 committed $1.25 million to launch the Consortium on Trust in Media and Technology as one of its eight “moonshot” initiatives.

Posted: Friday January 29, 2021
stem communication

Health and Science

Helping Mothers and Daughters Talk about Environmental Breast Cancer Risk and Risk-Reducing Lifestyle Behaviors

With breast cancer as the most commonly diagnosed cancer for women in the U.S. and the leading cause of death for women in the world, it is critical for mothers and daughters to discuss the disease, potential causes and how to reduce risks of developing breast cancer.

Posted: Monday January 11, 2021

Communication and Technology
Trust

Dr. Jieun Shin: Algorithms and Their Impact on Misinformation

Dr. Jieun Shin discusses her research on algorithms, AI and the spread of misinformation.

Posted: Sunday January 10, 2021

Political Communication
Trust

Conservatives are More Likely Than Liberals to Exist in a Media Echo Chamber

As partisan news networks like Fox News and MSNBC have risen in popularity, so has the polarization of many Americans’ political views. New research finds that while both liberal and conservative media contribute to polarization, conservatives are more likely to be part of a media echo chamber, trusting fewer sources and seeking information from a narrower range of news outlets.

Posted: Tuesday December 22, 2020

Audience
Media Industry and Consumers

Media for Coping During COVID-19 Social Distancing: Stress, Anxiety, and Psychological Well-Being

The global COVID-19 pandemic has caused anxiety and stress in most people, but college students specifically have had to learn to cope with uncertainty and upheaval from their normal routine. Researchers found that the more anxiety a student experiences, generally, the more media they consume to combat their weariness.

Posted: Tuesday December 22, 2020

Media Industry and Consumers
Trust

The Effect of News Consumption on Fake News Efficacy

Claims of fake news has infiltrated the national consciousness and rhetoric. The widespread use of the term have caused a distrust with American media. This study explored how an individual’s news sources and consumption may affect their perceived ability to differentiate what news is real and what news is fake.

Posted: Tuesday December 22, 2020

Political Communication
Trust

Dr. Juliana Fernandes: The Impact of Negative and Persuasive Political Communication

Dr. Juliana Fernandes discusses the impact of negative and other persuasive communication has on voters’ perspectives.

Posted: Sunday December 20, 2020

Health and Science
Strategic Communication
Trust

Coronavirus Vaccines: Health Experts Identify Ways to Build Public Trust

Despite the promise of new COVID-19 vaccines on the horizon, no vaccine will be effective if people refuse to take it. A team of scholars, strategists and storytellers from organizations around the world were asked to identify research-based messages that might overcome vaccine hesitancy.

Posted: Tuesday December 1, 2020

Health and Science

Barriers to Parent-Child Communication About Sexual and Reproductive Health

CJC researchers identified three types of sexual and reproductive health communication barriers reported by parents and/or children internationally: personal, communal, and cultural.

Posted: Monday November 30, 2020

Health and Science
Trust

Amanda Bradshaw: Addressing Vaccination Hesitancy and Misinformation

CJC doctoral candidate Amanda Bradshaw was interviewed on Oct. 20, 2020 about her research on vaccination hesitancy and misinformation.

Posted: Saturday November 28, 2020

Legal, Policy and First Amendment
Trust

Dr. Clay Calvert: Hate Speech, Misinformation and First Amendment Implications of a More Conservative Court

Dr. Clay Calvert discusses First Amendment issues, including protections for hate speech, misinformation, judicial activism, and a more conservative Supreme Court.

Posted: Wednesday November 4, 2020

Media Industry and Consumers

Towards a Video Consumer Leaning Spectrum: A Medium-Centric Approach

Traditional TV and on-demand viewing  are often seen as either lean back or lean forward media with different advertising implications. Recent research suggests that rather than treating these two video platforms as either passive or active, marketers should focus on why and how consumers use TV versus online videos through the lens of immersion and engagement.

Posted: Friday October 30, 2020

Media Industry and Consumers

Are Advertising Agency Creatives More Creative Than Anyone Else? An Exploratory Test of Competing Prediction

Researchers examine three groups — creatives, noncreatives and the general population — to determine if there are significant differences in creativity between creative and non-creative individuals.

Posted: Friday October 30, 2020

Strategic Communication

“Vision, Passion, and Care:” The Impact of Charismatic Executive Leadership Communication on Employee Trust and Support for Organizational Change

Change, particularly organizational change, can be difficult for many people. By supporting change through positive leadership communication practices, employees are more apt to be open to supporting that change. This brings with it a wealth of potential for positive and productive business practices.

Posted: Wednesday October 21, 2020

Political Communication
Trust

Online Products and Consumers: Partisan Ratings and Mechanisms for Affective Polarization

Can star ratings for political content on platforms like Amazon alter our feelings towards others with similar or opposing political preferences? When we see ratings that disagree with our own, are we more likely to believe the ratings are manipulated? New research indicates that exposure to counter-attitudinal ratings contribute to polarization.

Posted: Wednesday October 14, 2020

Political Communication
Trust

Dr. Myiah Hutchens: Political Communication and Its Impact on Trust in Media

Myiah Hutchens, Public Relations Department assistant professor, was interviewed on Sept. 22, 2020 about her research on political communication and trust in news.

Posted: Thursday October 8, 2020

AI
Health and Science

A Digital Intervention Promoting Colorectal Cancer Screening for Black Women

Despite efforts to improve colorectal cancer (CRC) screening with a goal of reducing mortality and health outcome disparities, CRC is the third-leading cause of cancer deaths among Black women in the U.S.  Researchers explored the use of a virtual health assistant to promote CRC screening among Black women.

Posted: Wednesday October 7, 2020

Political Communication

President Trump vs. CEOs: Who Is More Likely to Influence the Media Agenda?

Corporate executives have increasingly been engaging in CEO activism since Donald Trump was elected. A recent study explored who is more likely to influence the media’s agenda, the president or the CEOs, when both throw their weight behind a position on the issues of social and political importance?

Posted: Monday October 5, 2020

Health and Science

Secondary Care Provider Attitudes Towards Patient Generated Health Data from Smartwatches

Wearable devices such as smartwatches could play an increasingly important role in healthcare. But providers have given wearable devices mixed reviews: while some laud their contribution to patient care, others are more skeptical of their accuracy and efficacy.

Posted: Monday October 5, 2020

Political Communication

Media Use, Race, and the Environment: The Converging of Environmental Attitudes Based on Self-Reported News Use

In the U.S., people have become polarized around a number of issues based on a variety of potential dividing lines including where they live, their age, their political beliefs, and their race/ethnicity. One pressing issue where different ideological groups believe in different things is climate change.

Posted: Friday October 2, 2020

Political Communication
Trust

Why Trying to Break People Out of Their Echo Chambers Might be Counterproductive

Have you recently had a conversation with someone about wearing a mask to stop the spread of COVID-19? New research suggests that this discussion may have driven your conversation partners into a media echo chamber in which they seek out news that confirms their beliefs.

Posted: Friday October 2, 2020

Legal, Policy and First Amendment
Sports

Universities Continue to Block Athletes from Talking to the Media. That’s Got to Stop

There has never been a time when America more urgently needed to hear the voices of college athletes. Yet for athletes at many of the nation’s top athletic programs, talking to the news media is regarded as a punishable offense.

Posted: Sunday September 27, 2020

AI
Communication and Technology

Dr. Jasmine McNealy: Data Trusts, Equitable AI and Amplifying “Otherness”

In this video interview, Telecommunication Associate Professor Jasmine McNealy discusses her research on data trusts, equitable AI, communicating AI and how technology is amplifying “otherness.”

Posted: Tuesday September 22, 2020

Communication and Technology
Sports

Behind the Scenes: COVID-19 Consequences on Broadcast Sports Production

The global pandemic has disrupted all facets of society, with one of the most notable being professional and collegiate sports. While some live sports broadcast productions had slowly been moving toward a more remote model to cut costs for years before the pandemic, University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications researchers suggest COVID-19 will speed up this trend.

Posted: Friday September 18, 2020

Communication and Technology
Trust

Dr. Frank Waddell: How Technology is Affecting Trust in News

In this video,  Journalism Assistant Professor and Trust Scholar Frank Waddell discusses his research on technology’s effect on trust in news and increasing bias against and harassment of female journalists.

Posted: Tuesday September 15, 2020

Health and Science

Development of a Minority Prostate Cancer Research Digest: Communication Strategy Statement for Black Men

Minority populations, particularly Black men, have a greater incidence, prevalence, and mortality rate from prostate cancer than other groups. Because of this, communicating pertinent medical information and disseminating materials specific to Black men is critical to combat this trend.

Posted: Thursday September 10, 2020

Health and Science

Communicating with Young Adults with Blood Cancer

Young adults are navigating physical, cognitive, and psychological changes, and transitioning into a more independent time of their life including social life and making more decisions on their own. They often grapple with unique issues when faced with a cancer diagnosis.

Posted: Monday September 7, 2020

Media Industry and Consumers

The Impact of Ad Customization and Content Transportation on the Effectiveness of Online Video Advertising

Advertisers are increasingly turning to video ad customization to engage consumers in their products. However, beyond simple recall, do customized embedded video ads really enhance advertising effectiveness while also minimizing the potentially negative effects caused by perceptions of intrusiveness?

Posted: Tuesday August 18, 2020

Communication and Technology
Health and Science
Trust

Algorithms and Health Misinformation: A Case Study of Vaccine Books on Amazon

Many technology companies use algorithms to determine what content should be presented to users based on their previous behavior and preferences.  But the technology can create a dangerous feedback loop of reinforcing misinformation: the more you click on a subject, the more recommendations for that subject occur, thus creating the illusion that the more you see something, the more it must be true.

Posted: Wednesday August 5, 2020

Health and Science

Culturally Appropriate Breast Cancer and Environmental Risk Messages: Targeting Racially and Ethnically Diverse Mothers

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in the United States. It’s also the leading cause of death for women globally. But educational information that doesn’t take into account cultural differences among women may not be as effective as communication embracing those differences.

Posted: Wednesday July 29, 2020

Strategic Communication

Examining the Effects of Internal Communication and Emotional Culture on Employees’ Organizational Identification

Organizational culture is a social glue that holds organizational members together and prescribes how things are understood, judged, and valued in an organization. What can leaders do to promote the positive emotional culture of the workplace? How can internal communications cultivate a positive emotional culture and facilitate employees’ sense of belonging in their organizations?

Posted: Wednesday July 15, 2020

Communication and Technology
Political Communication

Amplifying “Otherness”

Emerging information technology is amplifying otherness through neglect, exclusion, and disinformation, all of which have significant consequences. Neglect, while perhaps the most recognized problem with emerging technology, is persistent.

Posted: Wednesday July 8, 2020

Media Industry and Consumers
Trust

Misinformation on Instagram: The Impact of Trusted Endorsements on Message Credibility

Instagram continues to be one of the fastest growing social networks and currently has more than one billion users. While Instagram has not been a focus of investigations into misinformation, it has not been immune to bad actors. And the nature of the Instagram platform, for example the inability to link to credible sources, makes establishing authenticity problematic.  

Posted: Tuesday June 30, 2020

Communication and Technology
Cultural

Emotional Framing of News on Sexual Assault and Partisan User Engagement Behaviors

The news media often frames information using words that can elicit emotions to attract audience attention and promote certain actions. Emotional frames are especially prevalent on issues that involve morality, such as news regarding sexual harassment and sexual assault.

Posted: Wednesday June 24, 2020

Political Communication

Communication Behaviors During Presidential Elections: An Examination of Time, Events, and Battleground States

As election season continues, scholars want to know what communication behaviors look like during a campaign cycle. Do communication behaviors increase? Do events like debates and polls affect an individual’s quest for information? Does it matter where voters live, for example in a battleground state?

Posted: Monday June 22, 2020

Health and Science
Strategic Communication

Moving from Directives toward Audience Empowerment: A Typology of Recycling Communication Strategies of Local Governments

A 2018 Chinese policy bans most U.S. imported solid waste. As a result, what was once recyclable may no longer be. How does a local government effectively communicate these process changes when recycling habits are ingrained in daily routines?

Posted: Monday June 15, 2020

Media Industry and Consumers

Controversial Conversations: The Emotions Evoked by Anti-Terrorism Advertising

Brands often use social issue advertising to evoke emotion in their media campaigns. This type of advertising, however, could elicit emotional responses beyond what the advertiser intended.

Posted: Wednesday May 20, 2020

Communication and Technology

Succeeding in Online Education

The global pandemic has forced colleges and universities online.  This article describes strategies necessary for success.

Posted: Wednesday May 20, 2020

Communication and Technology

Four Things Schools Should Do to Teach Data Journalism

The use of data has become a vital investigative tool for journalists. But many journalism programs and courses worldwide are insufficient or unable to provide students with the essential skills needed to gather, analyze and present data.

Posted: Tuesday May 12, 2020

Strategic Communication

Leading in Wartime: 5 Ways CEOs Should Communicate with their Workers During Coronavirus

America’s CEOs have important leadership roles to play as the crisis poses a test of their ability to help their workers not only endure and stay healthy but keep them motivated and engaged as well.

Posted: Monday April 20, 2020

Cultural
Trust

Restoring Trust in Journalism: An Education Prescription

The practice of journalism faces a myriad of challenges, including a continual stream of complaints about the credibility of today’s news. The advent of “fake news” has tarnished the longstanding trust and transparency considered the foundation of journalism.

Posted: Sunday April 19, 2020

Health and Science

The Impact of an Online Training Program About Cancer Clinical Trials on Primary Care Physicians’ Knowledge, Attitudes and Beliefs, and Behavior

Research has shown that primary care providers (PCPs) play a critical role in influencing whether cancer patients choose to participate in cancer clinical trials. Yet only a small number of surveyed PCPs reported discussing the possibility of participation in clinical trials with their patients.

Posted: Tuesday April 7, 2020

Health and Science
Trust

Propagandizing Anti-Vaccination: Analysis of “Vaccines Revealed” Documentary Series

A team of researchers at the University of Florida studies the content, sources and messaging around the 2017 documentary series, Vaccines Revealed.

Posted: Monday March 16, 2020

Media Industry and Consumers

Examining Consumers’ Recognition of Native and Banner Advertising on News Website Home Pages

Native advertising online – advertisements that look like editorial content – has grown dramatically as a source of revenue for media companies. This study evaluated whether consumers recognize native ads on digital news website home pages at the same speed and as effectively as they do banner advertising.

Posted: Monday February 10, 2020

Political Communication
Trust

Reinforcing Spirals of Political Discussion and Affective Polarization

While media is often blamed for exacerbating the ideological and political gap between political parties, discussing politics among friends and family also has a significant impact on increasing polarization, particularly when individuals of opposing political affiliations are not participating in open dialogue.

Posted: Wednesday February 5, 2020

Communication and Technology

Explicating Cues: A Typology for Understanding Emerging Media Technologies

People use cues every day to communicate. But how are these cues — relative to Siri, Alexa, social robots, or the myriad hybrid computer and artificial intelligence technologies — being developed?

Posted: Tuesday January 14, 2020

Legal, Policy and First Amendment

Policing Transparency

As private universities expand their policing jurisdiction into surrounding residential areas, questions arise over how non-governmental actors can be given the authority to exercise the power to use deadly force and to take away freedom without governmental accountability.

Posted: Wednesday January 8, 2020

Health and Science

Study Explores Comprehension and the Acceptability of a Website for Cancer Patients and Caregivers

CJC researchers created a cancer clinical trial information website and conducted a study to determine if the site would increase trial comprehension and, ultimately, participation in cancer trials.

Posted: Thursday January 2, 2020

Media Industry and Consumers

For Us, by Them?: A Study on Black Consumer Identity and Brand Preference

Black spending power is increasing rapidly. This study examines how mainstream brands are creating products, messaging, and distinctive campaigns for targeted ethnic audiences.

Posted: Friday December 27, 2019

Cultural
Political Communication

Expanding the Theory of Planned Behavior: Implications for Media Use, Race/Ethnicity, and Pro-Environmental Intentions

Research shows that people tend to choose media outlets that validate their perspective on climate change. But does viewing climate change content on liberal, non-partisan or conservative media outlets change their behavior?

Posted: Wednesday December 18, 2019

AI
Communication and Technology
Media Industry and Consumers

A Review of Artificial Intelligence Adoptions in the Media Industry

AI is increasingly being used by media companies to drive engagement and improve operations.  But the complexity of producing appealing content based on both creativity and data, and integrating AI into the existing media ecosystems, might be challenging.

Posted: Thursday December 12, 2019

Strategic Communication

Corporate Vanguards: The Contemporary Role of Organization Altruism

It is critical for a company to be recognized by their brand as well as to be known for supporting positive corporate responsibility through community initiatives. But will attaching themselves to one side of the debate on a controversial issue impact that brand image?

Posted: Tuesday December 3, 2019

Health and Science

Explaining Acupuncture in Family Medicine: Patients’ and Physicians’ Use of Metaphor

Family medicine physicians have begun to integrate acupuncture into their conventional treatments. One way to help physicians communicate information and understanding about acupuncture and its benefits is through the use of metaphor.

Posted: Thursday November 21, 2019

Legal, Policy and First Amendment

Government Agencies Can’t Stop Employees from Talking to the Press. Here’s Why.

Although  gagging public employees from giving unapproved interviews is pervasive across all levels of government, blanket restrictions on speaking to the media are legally unenforceable.

Posted: Friday November 8, 2019

Cultural
Political Communication

Laugh till I Seek: A Reassessment of the Gateway Hypothesis

Research has shown that political satire could play a role in informing people about political issues and lead to people increasing their use of hard news. But is that really the case?

Posted: Monday November 4, 2019

Communication and Technology

Training Law Enforcement Officers to Identify Reliable Deception Cues With a Serious Digital Game

Existing research indicates that  professional law enforcement officers are generally no better than untrained novices at detecting deception. But digital games could help improve officers’ ability to detect deception.

Posted: Friday October 25, 2019

Media Industry and Consumers

“Big Data is Not the Answer to Everything”: Advertising Practitioners’ Perception of Big Data

As ever-advancing digital technology spews more and more data about consumers, some industries are struggling with how to effectively collect, sort, interpret, and use big data. The advertising industry, in particular, recognizes the data gold mine, but faces challenges in how to effectively use that data to benefit clients and consumers.

Posted: Friday October 18, 2019

Communication and Technology
Health and Science

E-Cigarettes and Social Media: Attitudes and Perceptions of Young Adults to Social Media Messages

There are now more than 450 electronic cigarette (e-cig) brands on the market and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has declared that the use of e-cigs – or vaping – among young adults has reached “an epidemic proportion.” Recently, there have been several deaths associated with vaping.

Posted: Wednesday October 2, 2019

Media Industry and Consumers

The Millennial Perspective on Broadcast Radio vs. Music Streaming Services

Broadcast radio continues to come under increasing pressure with the emergence of new platforms for audio media discovery and listening.  Many have launched their own digital apps.  But is that enough?

Posted: Friday September 20, 2019

Legal, Policy and First Amendment

Media Mea Culpas and Journalistic Transparency

News organizations that publicly investigate their reportage may face unintended consequences if the they’re taken to court.

Posted: Thursday September 19, 2019

Communication and Technology

First Encounter with Robot Alpha: How Individuals Respond to Social Robot’s Vocal Cues and Gestures

In a day and age where robots and artificial intelligence are a reality, the question of how different humans interact with these machines is key to improving the experience and outcomes.

Posted: Saturday September 7, 2019

Health and Science

Can Stress Management Intervention Prevent Medical Resident Burnout?

The impact of stress on medical residents continues to be a major concern in the medical community, given that the well-being of practitioners is critical for the quality and safety of patient care.  A new study suggests that stress management training could help.

Posted: Thursday August 29, 2019

Communication and Technology
Media Industry and Consumers
Trust

Cleaning Up Social Media: The Effect of Warning Labels on Likelihood of Sharing False News on Facebook

It has become increasingly difficult to decipher fact from fiction on social media sites. As a result, warning labels are appearing online in the hopes of curbing the dissemination of less-than-credible news reports.

Posted: Tuesday August 27, 2019

Media Industry and Consumers

Diversity in Local TV On-Air Talent: Does Station Ownership Play a Role?

Popular opinion in some academic circles has been that “big ownership” is bad for diversity. But does ownership structure or type really play a role in the diversity levels of on-air talent in local markets?

Posted: Friday August 23, 2019

Communication and Technology
Cultural

Older Adults and Digital Gameplay: How it Supports Social Capital, Social Connectedness, and Civic Participation

Digital gaming by older adults could lead to more social connectdness, social capital and civic participation, according to a recent study.

Posted: Monday August 5, 2019

Communication and Technology

Study Finds Troubling Trends in Virtual Reality Research

Academic research on virtual reality is also common, but what insights can be gleaned from this large body of work?  A new study identifies issues with previous research on VR.

Posted: Wednesday July 31, 2019

Health and Science

Recruitment in Online Research for COPD: Leveraging Social Media and Research Registries

Research explores how to better recruit COPD patients, particularly from marginalized populations, for research studies.

Posted: Monday July 22, 2019

Media Industry and Consumers

New Advertising Agency Roles in the Ever-Expanding Media Landscape

The continued shift from traditional media to digital promotion has forced advertising agencies to rethink how they best capitalize on technology platforms and the organizational structure to support it.

Posted: Tuesday July 16, 2019

Cultural
Media Industry and Consumers

Next Steps in Campaign Strategies to Reduce Teen Dating Violence: Examining Media Campaigns Through the Lens of “Boy Culture”

Advocacy campaigns aimed at thwarting teen dating violence are often focused on how females can avoid becoming a victim. But ads targeting teen boys that mirror appropriate behavior can also be beneficial.

Posted: Monday July 8, 2019

Health and Science

Using a User-Centered Design Approach to Create an mHealth App for Colorectal Cancer Screening

Mobile health technology affords patients the opportunity to get the medical expertise they need without a physical visit to a practitioner’s office or a run to the emergency room. But, for it to be truly worthwhile, the technology must be accessible to patients and simple enough to navigate.

Posted: Tuesday July 2, 2019

Strategic Communication

Crisis Communications in Institutions of Higher Education: Richard Spencer at UF

As with any private organization, institutions of higher education are susceptible to controversial scenarios requiring evolving crisis communications plans and strategies. One increasingly critical element in crisis communications is the optimization of multi-platform communication channels, particularly social media.

Posted: Tuesday June 18, 2019

Audience
Sports

Smart Phones Have Significant Impact on Sports Fans’ Behavior

The study explores the influencers of sports consumption on smartphones from the perspectives of motivations, fandom, and media types.

Posted: Tuesday June 18, 2019

Cultural
Strategic Communication

Creating a Positive Emotional Culture: Why Does it Matter and What Can Communication Leaders Do?

The way employees feel in the organization affects their attitudes toward/relationship with the organization. Does emotional culture affect employee behaviors in the same manner? If so, what should communication leaders do?

Posted: Monday June 17, 2019

Communication and Technology
Media Industry and Consumers

Engagement and Visibility Key to Effective Product Placement in Virtual Reality Videos

The popularity and availability of VR videos is rapidly increasing, with more than one million subscribers to YouTube’s VR channels. While marketers have experimented with product placement in VR videos, little is known empirically if it is an effective strategy for brands.

Posted: Tuesday June 11, 2019

Audience
Media Industry and Consumers
Sports

Digital Media Key in Reaching Fantasy Sports Users

By some estimates, fantasy sports is a $7 billion business in North America alone, with nearly 60 million adults participating in one or more fantasy sports. But are marketers optimizing their ability to reach this lucrative market at the right time and in the right place?

Posted: Friday May 17, 2019

Media Industry and Consumers

Instagram Ads Disguised as Friends’ Posts Still More Credible than Traditional Ads

Instagram users prefer sponsored ads that mimic posts from their friends over traditional advertising, although this type of advertising may seem sneaky or deceptive, new research shows.

Posted: Monday May 6, 2019

Health and Science

Partnering with Mommy Bloggers to Disseminate Breast Cancer Risk Information

Breast cancer is the most common cancer affecting women and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths for women. Understandably, women often look for ways to decrease their chances of having breast cancer, not only for themselves, but also for their daughters. Unfortunately, that isn’t always a simple task.

Posted: Monday May 6, 2019

Cultural

Losing Your Temper and Your Perspective: Anger Reduces Perspective-Taking

Dr. Jeremy Yip, assistant professor of management at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business, won the 2019 Prize for Research in Public Interest Communications for his paper, “Losing Your Temper and Your Perspective: Anger Reduces Perspective-Taking.”

Posted: Friday May 3, 2019

Audience
Media Industry and Consumers

Spoilers Go Bump in the Night

For years, spoilers have been the bane of entertainment media audiences everywhere. The word itself has become almost synonymous with ruined enjoyment. But, are spoilers really that bad?

Posted: Tuesday April 30, 2019

Legal, Policy and First Amendment
Political Communication

Rap Music and Threats of Violence: A Case for the Supreme Court to Decide

Kendrick Lamar won a Pulitzer Prize last year and Eminem set a record in 2019 for streams on Spotify. But the acceptance and embrace of rap music in mainstream culture isn’t shared by everyone – and that sometimes includes the police.

Posted: Friday February 15, 2019
branded content

Communication and Technology
Media Industry and Consumers

Researchers Engage Experts of Branded Content for Practice Insights

In today’s fragmented media marketplace, branded content becomes a good approach for companies to engage with their audiences. Yet there appears to be little consensus on the concepts behind branded content or the practice and process of branded content itself. A team of UFCJC researchers decided to see if they could find some common ground among world experts.

Posted: Monday November 26, 2018

Strategic Communication

The Future of Public Relations

Seven senior public relations executives visited CJC during the 2017-18 school year.  We asked them about industry trends and preparing for a public relations career.  Here’s what they told Us.  

Posted: Wednesday June 27, 2018
stem communication

Health and Science

Family Stories Shape Attitudes Toward Mental Illness

Family stories about mental illness shared from one generation to another can both reinforce stereotypes and yet still teach children important lessons and expectations about the management of such illnesses, according to a new pilot study.

Posted: Tuesday June 26, 2018
automated content

AI
Communication and Technology
Trust

People Trust Human Journalists Over Algorithms

News organizations are starting to experiment with automated content. Research suggests readers perceive news written by algorithms as less credible than if it’s written by a human. However, this perception can be reduced by exposure to robots in popular culture.

Posted: Tuesday June 26, 2018
Voting

Political Communication

Trump Voters Motivated by Economic and Racial Beliefs

Many political researchers and commentators have presented different theories that attempt to explain Donald Trump’s appeal to the American voters who elected him president. A new analysis suggests that Trump supporters’ motivations included negative opinions about the economy in general and about the Black Lives Matter movement.

Posted: Friday April 27, 2018
fake news

Legal, Policy and First Amendment
Trust

Supreme Court Offers Guidance on How to Handle Fake News

It’s increasingly challenging to combat fake news and to help people distinguish it from real news. CJC researchers examine fake news through the lens of the U.S. Supreme Court. They suggest that part of the answer to fake news lies in finding ways to make real news more appealing to general audiences and to earn readers’ trust in the stories.

Posted: Friday April 27, 2018
college drinking

Health and Science

Reactions Differ to Humor and Fear in Anti-alcohol Ads

Many health campaigns have sought to change drinking habits and prevent alcohol abuse. These campaigns often rely on fear-based or humor messages to convey the dangers of alcohol abuse. Researchers are now testing whether these emotions change people’s perceived risk or intent to drink, especially among college students.

Posted: Friday April 27, 2018
gaming

Communication and Technology

Digital Games Teach People to Avoid Biases

People frequently make decisions based on irrelevant information due to unconscious cognitive biases.  How can people avoid relying on cognitive shortcuts that leave them vulnerable to making poor choices? New research suggests they might want to play a game coupled with an informative slideshow.

Posted: Friday April 27, 2018
First Amendment

Political Communication

What the National School Walkout Says About Schools and Free Speech

When students walked out of school to protest what they see as lax gun laws, some risked punishment from their schools. But it may be worth it to send a First Amendment message.

Posted: Thursday March 29, 2018
health communication

Health and Science

Changing Attitudes of Physicians May Improve Participation in Cancer Clinical Trials

Attitudes of primary care physicians play a key role in a recently diagnosed cancer patient’s access to and beliefs about clinical trial treatments. Acting as opinion ambassadors, they have the power to influence their patients’ attitudes and behaviors.

Posted: Wednesday March 28, 2018
Health Journalism

Health and Science

Health Journalism Exhibits Both Improvement and Decline in Quality

Faced with dwindling resources, and a news cycle that never sleeps, today’s health journalists must meet a new challenge: provide complete, trustworthy content on health care issues with precision at the same breakneck speed with which the medical field innovates.

Posted: Wednesday March 28, 2018
CSR

Strategic Communication

Does Your Company Have a Proactive Crisis Communications Plan?

Companies can have a variety of reasons for engaging in what the public considers socially responsible (CSR) practices. How do they maintain their reputation and sense of alturisim in a crisis? Research suggests they should have a proactive strategy.

Posted: Wednesday March 28, 2018
organizational communication

Strategic Communication

It’s About How Employees Feel

More and more companies today are striving to develop an emotional culture which emphasizes how employees feel. Does emotional culture truly matter for an organization’s success?

Posted: Wednesday November 29, 2017
media violence

Audience

How to Counter Violence in Media

Seeing violence in media that sanitize, justify or trivialize violent acts may normalize it and make it more enjoyable. Frank Waddell, assistant professor of Journalism, worked with a team of researchers to examine techniques for reducing the effects of viewing violence in media.

Posted: Tuesday November 28, 2017
doxxing

Communication and Technology

Readers Prefer Privacy Over Doxxing

News organizations, in pursuing their role as watchdogs, have at times revealed an individual’s personal information in their stories, known as  “doxxing.”  Jasmine McNealy, assistant professor of Telecommunication, examines the reaction of the online users to doxxing by media organizations in this case study.

Posted: Tuesday November 28, 2017
cancer care

Health and Science

Communication in Cancer Care

The result of good doctor-patient communication is clear – patients make more informed decisions, have better quality of life, and have lower incidences of anxiety.

Posted: Thursday October 26, 2017
breast cancer

Health and Science

Breast Cancer is a Family Experience

Advertising Assistant Professor Carla Fisher is on a quest to help mothers and daughters better communicate about breast cancer and its risks, as well as integrate communication science into clinical practice.

Posted: Wednesday October 25, 2017
Colorectal Cancer 

Health and Science

How Health Organizations Should Talk About Colorectal Cancer 

STEM Translational Communication Center researchers examine the most effective ways to communicate about colorectal cancer risks.

Posted: Wednesday October 25, 2017
cancer communication

Health and Science

Fight Cancer With Better Communication

To win the fight against cancer, UF STEM Translational Communication Center researchers are exploring how we communicate about cancer—both with each other and with the wider community.

Posted: Wednesday October 25, 2017

Health and Science

Use Social Media to Communicate Cancer Risks

It’s no revelation that social media have changed the way we learn and communicate new information. But is it an effective way to communicate health risks associated with cancer? STEM Translational Communication Center researchers investigate.

Posted: Wednesday October 25, 2017

Legal, Policy and First Amendment

Protecting Journalists and the First Amendment

When the government attempts to restrict journalists, there are superheroes behind the scenes protecting journalists’ right to access information and share it with the public. Charles Tobin, B.S. Journalism 1984, is one of them.

Posted: Wednesday August 30, 2017
spam free speech

Legal, Policy and First Amendment

Is Spam Free Speech?

In an age when smartphones and social media networks are ubiquitous, where some commercial enterprises abuse their access with potential consumers, is spam protected as free speech?

Posted: Tuesday August 22, 2017
hate speech

Legal, Policy and First Amendment

When Controversial Speakers Come to Campus

What happens when a controversial person requests to speak on the University of Florida campus? The First Amendment takes center stage, balanced against public safety concerns.

Posted: Tuesday August 22, 2017
audience

Audience

Audience Analytics 101

To be competitive in today’s information environment, companies must learn to not only trust audience data, but leverage it to better serve audiences and bottom lines.

Posted: Tuesday July 25, 2017
Seinfeld audience

Audience

Chasing Clicks: What Seinfeld Teaches Us

Audience analytics is about knowing how to interpret, and even ignore, the data at hand and instead understand how the audience and your goals can converge.

Posted: Monday July 24, 2017
audience-powered journalism

Audience

Harnessing Audience Curiosity to Power Student Newsrooms

In North Florida, few local media outlets ask their audience: What do you wonder? What should we investigate? We are. Our Innovation News Center is experimenting with audience-powered journalism.

Posted: Thursday July 20, 2017
FAKE NEWS

Audience
Trust

Navigating the Fake News Landscape

To understand why fake news stories are successful, we must understand our human tendency to believe what we read, but that doesn’t mean our natural instincts can’t be reversed.

Posted: Thursday June 29, 2017
fake news sharing

Audience
Trust

Why People Share Fake News

Why do people fall for fake news and share false contents? There is no single answer. But, Paul Mena, former BBC reporter and CJC graduate student, is currently looking for answers.

Posted: Wednesday June 28, 2017
strategic communication

Strategic Communication
Trust

To Win Against False Information, We Must Play Offense

What should strategic communication in the public and social change sectors look like in a time marked by extreme political polarization and false information? Science suggests the key may be playing offense, rather than defense.

Posted: Wednesday June 28, 2017
trump twitter

Legal, Policy and First Amendment
Political Communication

Is There a First Amendment Right to Follow President Trump’s Twitter Account?

President Trump often objects to what people say about him on Twitter. As a result, he sometimes blocks their access to his account. The novel question arises: Is that unconstitutional?

Posted: Tuesday June 27, 2017
fake news

Audience
Trust

Fake News Isn’t New; History Offers A Way To Fight It

Fake news is nothing new. Rich Shumate, media historian and CJC Ph.D. candidate, takes us through a piece of its history.

Posted: Wednesday June 21, 2017
fake news

Political Communication
Trust

Ministry of Truth a Looming Danger

The federal government recently established a department tasked with identifying truth. Do the American people really need the government to establish truth from untruth?

Posted: Wednesday June 21, 2017

Audience
Trust

What Universities Can Do About Digital Literacy in the Age of Fake News

People can’t differentiate between paid advertising and editorial content. Here are five ways to increase media literacy.

Posted: Thursday June 8, 2017

Health and Science

When Do Funny Health Campaign Videos Work?

Funny health campaign videos are only as effective as their social media platform and associated comments.

Posted: Friday April 21, 2017

Audience

What Makes a Better Facebook Post

For health organizations seeking to reach audiences through Facebook, how posts are worded has an impact on who engages with them.

Posted: Friday April 21, 2017

Communication and Technology

Balancing the Truth In Newsroom Policy

To protect the integrity of the news as a source of information for the public, editors should adopt a “balance of interest” policy.

Posted: Friday April 21, 2017

Strategic Communication

WATCH: The Social CEO

An interview with Public Relations Assistant Professor Rita Men on the benefits of CEOs using social media to connect with employees.

Posted: Wednesday March 29, 2017

Health and Science

The Language of Empathy

Showing empathy is critical for medical practitioners who often have to discuss sensitive medical information with patients. How providers talk to patients – demonstrating empathy– can lead to better health outcomes.

Posted: Tuesday March 28, 2017

Communication and Technology

Can Virtual Reality Bring Us Together?

As the world becomes more divided, many are searching for ways to build understanding and cultural sensitivity. Virtual reality is a promising way to help people understand one another better.

Posted: Monday March 27, 2017

Legal, Policy and First Amendment

Neil Gorsuch and the First Amendment

Key questions about First Amendment speech rights senators should ask during the Senate Judiciary Committee hearings for United States Supreme Court Justice nominee Neil Gorsuch.

Posted: Monday March 13, 2017

Audience
Trust

Fake News, Censorship and the Third-Person Effect

Many believe that they can spot fake news, while others out there surely will be duped. This is consistent with what research refers to as the third-person effect.

Posted: Monday March 13, 2017

Political Communication

Nobody Wants to be Wrong: Understanding the Political Divide

If someone sees or hears something they don’t want to believe…they probably won’t believe it.

Posted: Thursday January 26, 2017

Strategic Communication

The Power of Internal Communication: An Interview with Dr. Rita Men

An interview with Dr. Rita men on her new book, the power of using smart communication to reach internal stakeholders and why it is good for business.

Posted: Thursday January 26, 2017

Audience
Sports

Beyond The Competition: Sports Consumption in a Game-Changing Media Landscape

How sports marketers should engage with today’s media consumers amid a multiplatform, fragmented environment.

Posted: Wednesday January 25, 2017

Strategic Communication

Public Relations in the Digital Age: An Interview with Dr. Tom Kelleher

Dr. Tom Kelleher, professor and chair of the Department of Advertising, talks with us about his new published textbook, the future of public relations and what he is working on next.

Posted: Wednesday January 25, 2017

Communication and Technology

A New Standard for Protecting Our Digital Data

Government agencies charged with regulating digital technologies should do so under a standard that assumes most people don’t fully understand the technology.

Posted: Wednesday January 25, 2017

Health and Science

Communication is Critical for the Health of Breast Cancer Patients

Breast cancer patients who know what information to share and how or when to share it have better health outcomes than patients who hold back.

Posted: Monday January 23, 2017

Health and Science

Mass Media and Health: An Interview with Dr. Kim Walsh-Childers

We talk with Journalism Professor Kim Walsh-Childers about her new book Mass Media and Health: Examining Media Impact on Individuals and the Health Environment.

Posted: Tuesday December 20, 2016

Political Communication

The Public Relations Strategies of Trump V. Clinton

As we look back at an historic election season, digging into the data to examine the public relations strategies of Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton leads to some surprising conclusions.

Posted: Tuesday December 20, 2016

Audience

The Emotional Brain of Your Audience

Understanding how audiences react to emotional messaging is critical, as it is a better predictor for understanding how people will behave and is a key factor in marketing.

Posted: Friday December 16, 2016

Health and Science

Metaphors Help Patients Understand Clinical Trials

Metaphors can help researchers communicate with patients about clinical trials. A patient’s ability to understand medical information, however, may influence which metaphor works best.

Posted: Friday December 16, 2016

Strategic Communication

Four Steps to Manage Organizational Change

To grow and succeed in the dynamic and competitive global market, organizations must scan and monitor the environment constantly, make necessary adjustments and embrace change.

Posted: Wednesday December 14, 2016

Communication and Technology

The Science of Selfies

What drives people to take selfies? Advertising Professor Eunice Kim and her colleagues at Korea University conducted a series studies to better understand our selfie-taking tendencies.

Posted: Tuesday November 22, 2016

Communication and Technology

Facebook Gamers Play for Human Connection

People who obsessively play Facebook games like Farmville are often mocked for being anti-social. But, new research suggests that they play to connect with others.

Posted: Wednesday November 16, 2016

Political Communication

The Emotional Election: Measuring Appeal, Engagement and Empowerment

Research shows how candidates and issues are having an impact on appeal, empowerment and engagement of voters.

Posted: Monday November 7, 2016

Strategic Communication

Understanding and Segmenting Your Internal Audience

Researchers have identified various variables to segment external audiences for better targeted communication. The discussion, however, is limited when it comes to internal audience.

Posted: Thursday October 13, 2016

Communication and Technology

Pros, Cons and Ethical Dilemmas of Live-Streaming

Everything you need to know if your are considering using live-streaming.

Posted: Wednesday September 14, 2016

Communication and Technology

Why Do People Risk Their Lives — or the Lives of Others — for the Perfect Selfie?

According to the science of selfies, they seem to tap into some deep psychological desires.

Posted: Thursday August 18, 2016
Sunshine Lsot

Audience

The Audiences You Need to Understand

A new segment of people engage with the world wide web differently than others. Interactive audiences not only engage more with websites, but they are also more likely to share what they’ve done online with their friends.

Posted: Thursday August 18, 2016

Health and Science

Preventing Drug Use Through Better Stories

When teachers  in drug prevention programs tell better stories, students are more attentive to the lesson.

Posted: Thursday August 18, 2016

Communication and Technology

Who Engages with TV Shows on Social Media?

People engage with their favorite TV shows on social media if they feel a connection to the show and its characters and if they are technologically savvy.

Posted: Thursday August 18, 2016

Communication and Technology

Customize Twitter Ads to Reach 20-Somethings

To attract the attention of 20-somethings, customized, fun and interesting Twitter ads are the way to go.

Posted: Wednesday August 17, 2016

Audience

The Right Way to Integrate Branding in Gaming

Advertisers are branding consoles, accessories, in-game avatars and other aspects of the virtual world to reach new consumers, taking advantage of the growing popularity of video games.

Posted: Wednesday August 17, 2016
blogging

Strategic Communication
Trust

How to Increase Customer Trust Through Your Blog

To increase customer trust of your brand, use the right tone and language in your company blog posts.

Posted: Wednesday August 17, 2016

Legal, Policy and First Amendment

Does Billionaire-funded Lawsuit Create Playbook for Punishing Press?

The revelation that PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel financed the Hulk's lawsuit against Gawker raises important questions in the battle between privacy and a free press.

Posted: Monday August 15, 2016

Strategic Communication

What We Need: Analysts Who Can Tell Stories and Solve Problems

If you are fortunate enough to be able to hire data analysts, what does today’s ideal candidate look like? We asked some of the top consumer/audience research executives those questions.

Posted: Monday August 15, 2016

Audience

Build Your Digital Community Through Engagement Analysis

ACLS Public Fellow at the Center for Public Integrity talked with UF CJC students about building digital communities and the growing field of engagement analysis.

Posted: Monday August 15, 2016

Audience

How to Increase Brand Recognition in Gaming

To increase brand recognition it’s important for gamers to see the same brand on the accessory in their hand as they do in the virtual world.

Posted: Monday August 15, 2016

Health and Science

Why You Should Ask Your Doctor to Wash Their Hands

The perceived authority of physicians can lead people to be more susceptible to illness, as it leaves many patients reluctant to confront doctors on matters of hygiene.

Posted: Monday August 15, 2016

Strategic Communication

Can Social Media Make You a Better Boss?

CEOs who use social media to communicate with their employees are seen as better communicators, which leads to stronger relationships between companies and their employees.

Posted: Monday August 15, 2016

Audience

Smartphone Dependency

Understanding the relationship between smartphone dependency and a consumer’s media consumption patterns and perceptions.

Posted: Thursday June 9, 2016

Legal, Policy and First Amendment

Does the First Amendment Protect People Who Film the Police?

The U.S. Supreme Court has never answered this question. Here’s what the lower courts have said.

Posted: Friday March 18, 2016

Legal, Policy and First Amendment
Strategic Communication

Amazon v. NYT: A Case in the Court of Public Opinion

Understanding the battle between Amazon.com and The New York Times. Was it simply bad press?

Posted: Wednesday March 2, 2016

Communication and Technology
Sports

The NBA Gets in the Snapchat Game Early

The NBA saw benefits of connecting with young fans on Snapchat in its early days.

Posted: Monday February 1, 2016

Legal, Policy and First Amendment

Can Schools Punish Students for Off-campus, Online Speech?

The Supreme Court will soon decide if it will hear a case involving the off-campus speech rights of students.

Posted: Tuesday January 12, 2016