Conversations about the future of journalism often focus on the demise of the industry. I do not argue with the fact that the industry is undergoing a dramatic transformation, an uncertain future. Digital media has allowed a once passive audience to become active consumers and producers of information. An active audience demands more of journalists, one factor leading to an

I recently learned that my research paper has been accepted for presentation at the Association of Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) annual conference. My research focuses on journalists’ adoption of new media and the resulting impact on their job routines. Indeed, mass communications has always been influenced by technology, and this is an exciting time to teach and study

A study published in the July 2012 issue of the journal Family Relations is the first to investigate new parents’ use of Facebook. The results are not all that surprising. If you spend even a small amount of time on Facebook, you are bound to see parents boasting about their bundles of joy. The photos shortly after birth or even

Thanks to the recent case involving a blogger who was ordered to pay $2.5 million to an investment firm she wrote about, the evolving debate about bloggers as journalists rages on. The judge in the case ruled Crystal Cox is not entitled to protections afforded to journalists. Courts have not been definitive in their determination of whether bloggers should be

The State of the News Media report drives home what we in the communications industry, whether we like it or not, already know: new media provides countless channels for people — who traditionally turned to newspapers, television, and radio for news — to consume information. The resulting impact on the industry has been seismic. But, all should not appear so

Blogs raise many challenging legal issues, including those involving defamation, privacy, and the legal definition of a blogger. From a legal perspective, emerging new media, which includes blogs, is rapidly evolving. The law has yet to catch up with the pace of new media and the issues they present. Courts handling new media cases have attempted to apply preexisting laws,

Who knew that a 140 character tweet could lead to a $50,000 defamation lawsuit for a Chicago woman? Amanda Bonnen wrote the tweet in reference to a battle with her landlord over alleged mold in her apartment. (I’ve learned you can never use alleged enough.) Horizon Group Management filed a lawsuit against her, claiming that her statement damaged the company’s

Now that Walter Cronkite is gone, is there another news anchor who might be worthy of the being called “The Most Trusted Man in America.” Brian Williams? Matt Lauer? Charles Gibson? Nope! Think Jon Stewart. Stewart’s show that mocks traditional newscasts and how stories are reported has attracted a huge following since its debut nine years ago. Now, The Daily

In the late ’90s when I was studying abroad in Europe, one of my communications professors assigned a term paper that was to focus on our predictions of the Internet’s future. Until a recent spring-cleaning — a purging of sorts — at my parent’s house, I had all but forgotten about my eight-page attempt to make sense of the emerging

It’s not just journalists who should take pause to reflect on the contributions of Walter Cronkite. All communications professionals can learn a valuable lesson from Cronkite’s matter-a-fact style, a signature of a truly credible man. A 1973 U.S. poll named him “The Most Trusted Man in America.” So, how do you get people to trust you and your message? A