Murrow News

The Edward R. Murrow College of Communication at Washington State University announces five new faculty members.

Jordan Foley and Tracy Simmons are now part of the Journalism & Media Production department and Justin Barnes, Wei Peng, and Margaret Ritsch join Murrow College’s Strategic Communication department.

Justin Barnes, most recently an instructor at Murrow College, has been hired as a scholarly assistant professor to continue teaching advertising and media planning. Before joining Murrow College last year, Barnes was a faculty member in the sport management program at WSU and at the School of Journalism and Mass Media at the University of Idaho … » More …

PULLMAN, Wash. – LGBT Latinx adolescents experiencing depressive symptoms may seek parental support differently than their non-LGBT Latinx peers, according to research from Washington State University’s Edward R. Murrow College of Communication.

Lead author and Assistant Professor at Murrow College, Traci Gillig, along with a team of researchers at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, found that LGBT Latinx teens experiencing more depressive symptoms were more likely to seek parental support than non-LGBT Latinx teens, according to their research, “Depressive symptoms and parental support-seeking in Latinx adolescents: Analyzing variation based on LGBT identity”.

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PULLMAN, Wash. – More than 25 faculty members and Ph.D. students from the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication at Washington State University will present research, participate in panels and accept awards at the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication’s all-virtual annual conference Aug. 6-9.

Murrow College received six awards this year and had 19 papers accepted to present, along with three faculty members participating in panels and discussions.

Ph.D. students, Yan Su and Danielle Ka Lai Lee, won the “Chaffee-McLeod Top Student Paper” in the Communication Theory and Methodology Division. Associate Professor Porismita Borah … » More …

WSU Everett faculty members from the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication, the Voiland College of Engineering & Architecture and the Carson College of Business observed that several industries challenge Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education to incorporate business and communication experiences to prepare students for the workplace. These recommendations encouraged WSU Everett faculty to design this experiential learning project for students, as highlighted in their research, “STEM-Oriented Alliance for Research (SOAR) An educational model for interdisciplinary project-based learning.” The study was presented at the 127th ASEE Annual … » More …

PULLMAN, Wash. – With social media use being as prevalent as ever, a new study from Washington State University’s Edward R. Murrow College of Communication shows that adolescents may share marijuana-related content on social media in an effort to fit in with their peers.

Led by Murrow College Associate Professor Jessica Willoughby, this recently published study, “An Exploratory Study of Adolescents’ Social Media Sharing of Marijuana-Related Content“, examined the types of marijuana-related content that adolescents are posting on social media and what factors may influence adolescents’ decisions to share marijuana-related content on social media.

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PULLMAN, Wash. – Frequent social media use can impact depressive symptoms over time for LGBTQ youth, according to research from a Washington State University communication professor.

Traci Gillig, an assistant professor in the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication at Washington State University, found that when LGBTQ adolescents attended a social media-free summer camp, they experienced a reduction in depressive symptoms, as outlined in her 2020 research “Longitudinal analysis of depressive symptoms among LGBTQ youth at a social media-free camp”.

According to Gillig, social media use may foster a positive sense of self and a perception of being valued … » More …

PULLMAN, Wash. – The Society of Professional Journalists announced the 2019 Mark of Excellence Awards national winners earlier this year, which included two students from the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication at Washington State University.

Connor Henricksen took first place in the Online Opinion & Commentary category with his piece “Anxiety shapes my life, but I’m not alone” and Jasmine Darakjy won the Television General News Reporting category with her story “From Puerto Rico to Washington, dogs find their forever homes”.

Murrow students Noak Schmick and Jakob Thorington finished as finalists in the Online Sports Reporting category with their story … » More …

PULLMAN, Wash. – With the Supreme Court’s recent ruling that workers cannot be fired for being gay or transgender, policies and opinions about the LGBTQ community are receiving worldwide attention. Research by a Washington State University professor examined the effects of TV portrayals of transgender individuals on peoples’ attitudes toward the transgender community.

Traci Gillig, an assistant professor at the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication at Washington State University, and a team of researchers at the Annenberg School of Communication & Journalism at the University of Southern California, found that exposure to transgender characters on television influences viewers’ attitudes and … » More …

PULLMAN, Wash.- Previous research by faculty members at the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication at Washington State University and the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communication at Penn State University found that celebrity disclosures of illness can be associated with increased information-seeking, screening behaviors or other potential health behavior changes.

Actor Tom Hanks became a celebrity face of the COVID-19 pandemic when he announced in early March that he and his wife, Rita Wilson, tested positive for the virus. The announcement came as Americans were trying to understand the novel coronavirus and its potential impacts. Although no direct correlation between Hanks’ … » More …

StoryCorps, the national nonprofit organization dedicated to recording, preserving and sharing the stories of people from all backgrounds and beliefs, will utilize a new virtual platform to record remote interviews in the Lewis Clark Valley from 07/08/20 – 08/07/20 as part of its Mobile Tour.

Now in its 15th anniversary year, the StoryCorps Mobile Tour has facilitated thousands of meaningful conversations between people who know and care about one another. To date, these face-to-face conversations have taken place in its Mobile Booth: an Airstream trailer outfitted with a recording studio. For the first time, to respond to the need for social distancing during the COVID-19 … » More …

PULLMAN, Wash. – During this pandemic when few parents can limit screen time, a new study shows that building critical media skills as a family can have a positive impact on kids’ nutrition without restricting their access to TV and computers.

The study, published in the journal Childhood Obesity on April 20, found that an education program that had parents and kids learn media literacy skills together not only helped children eat more fruits and vegetables but also improved communication between parents and their kids.

In response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Washington State University has made the decision to protect students and faculty by moving all on-campus courses online for the remainder of the Spring 2020 semester. As WSU makes this historic transition, one faculty member is offering her unique voice as a resource to fellow instructors.

By Emma Herro, Risk & Crisis Communication ‘20

Schools, educators and students are all adjusting to a new academic world because of COVID-19. Here at the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication, we are all coming together and adapting to a new way of learning.

Murrow News 8 (COMJOUR 465) is a newscast produced, written, anchored and crewed all by students at Murrow College. With WSU’s online transition, these journalism & media production students faced a challenge adjusting their in-studio show to be created remotely. Matt Loveless, a Clinical Assistant Professor at Murrow College, led the efforts in shifting to … » More …

By Kerry Colby, Marketing & Communications Coordinator

As people continue to navigate through constant news and updates surrounding the global pandemic, health communication is as crucial as ever. Thankfully, universities have already been making strides to implement health communication programs.

Last fall, the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication launched its online master’s and graduate certificate program in Health Communication & Promotion. Designed for those who work in communication fields and health sciences, the program is ideal for those seeking to refresh and update their skills or specialize in health communication and promotion according to Chelsea Newman, Clinical Assistant Professor at … » More …

The Edward R. Murrow College of Communication will honor Janie McCauley and Mark Wright as the 2020 Hall of Achievement Award recipients at the Murrow Symposium on March 23 at Washington State University’s Pullman campus. Every year, the Hall of Achievement at Murrow College honors and recognizes outstanding achievements of select graduates.

Janie McCauley, a 1998 Murrow College graduate, is a journalist for the Associated Press based in the Bay Area, where she covers the San Francisco 49ers, the San Francisco Giants, the Golden State Warriors among her other beats. McCauley joined the Associated Press bureau in Seattle in 2000, where she grabbed attention with … » More …