Somava Pande

Biography

Biography

Somava Pande (Ph.D., Washington State University) is a Scholarly Assistant Professor at Washington State University. Her work broadly focuses on intercultural communication and social influence. Her research centers on the analysis of ethnic and mainstream media discourses. She has also worked extensively on diaspora and marginalized people identity politics from a critical perspective. In addition to several book chapters, her peer-reviewed work has been published in the Journal of International and Intercultural Communication, Journal of Information, Communication and Ethics in Society, Latino Studies, and International Communication Research Journal. Before attending school in the United States, she worked as a journalist in India.

Education

• Ph.D., Washington State University, December 2016.
• M.A., Washington State University, July 2012.
• PGDM Mass Communication and Journalism. Jadavpur University, February 2003.
• B Sc., Major Economics- Honors, Calcutta University, August 2000.

Classes Taught

• COM 421 – Intercultural Communication and Globalization.
• COM 471 – Stereotypes in Communication.
• COM 321 – Intercultural Communication.
• COMSTART 326 – Organizing for Social Change.
• COMSTART 324 – Reasoning and Writing
• COM 300 – Writing in Communication.
• COM 138 – Introduction to Communication.
• COM 101 – Media and Society
• COM 105 – Communication in Global Contexts (Online Course).
• COM 102 – Public Speaking

Research Interests

My research centers on critical analysis of ethnic and mainstream media discourses. I have worked extensively on diaspora identity politics from a critical perspective. I am interested in the complexities of living in a multiracial/multicultural world where differently positioned subjects compete for advantage and control. I have also worked on understanding digital media. I have extensively investigated identifying the relationship between social media and the public sphere to understand the scope of the internet becoming a global public sphere.

Selected Publications

Pande, S. (2023). Community newspapers representation of the farm workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. International Communication Research Journal, 58(1),83- 100.

Drzewiecka, J. A., Hernandez, G. L., & Pande, S. (2019). Vulnerability, precarity and the people in debates over immigration in local newspapers. Latino Studies, 17(4), 448-466.

Pande, S. & Drzewiecka, J. A. (2017). Racial incorporation through alignment with whiteness. Journal of International and Intercultural Communication, 10(2), 115-134.

Pande, S. (2017). Ethics in citizen journalism: Incident of teenage girl molestation in India. Journal of Information, Communication and Ethics in Society, 15(01), 2-16.

Book Chapters

Pande, S. (2021). Ethics of reporting rape in India: A case study. In L T. Price, K. Sanders & W. N. Wyatt (Eds.), Routledge Companion to Journalism Ethics. Taylor & Francis.

Pande, S. & Bettis, P. J. (2016). In search of my niche: International Teaching Assistant’s negotiation with meanings of work. In S. Shenoy- Packer & E. Gabor (Eds.), Immigrant Workers and Meanings of Work: Communicating Life and Career Transitions. New York: Peter Lang Publishing, USA.

Conference Presentations

Selected Few

Pande, S. (November 2023). Frozen to death: Victims of human trafficking? Textual analysis of the narratives of the tragedy. Presented at the National Communication 109th Convention in National Harbor, Maryland.

Pande, S. (November 2022). The Hijab Controversy and the conception of the nation in India. Presented at the National Communication Association’s 108th Convention in New Orleans.

Pande, S. (November 2021). Community newspapers representation of the farmworkers during COVID 19 pandemic. Presented at the National Communication Association’s 107th Convention in Seattle.

Pande, S. (November 2018). Being (Un)Documented: Representation of migrants in Asian Indian ethnic newspapers. Presented at the National Communication Association’s 104th Convention in Salt Lake City.

Pande, S. (August 2018). Stuck in the myth of Model Minority: Representation of self in Asian Indian ethnic newspapers. To be presented at the AEJMC 2018 Conference.

Pande, S. (November 2017). “Documented or Not”: Media representation of national immigration debate in Asian Indian ethnic newspapers.” Presented in NCA 103rd Convention in Dallas, Texas, Nov 16- 19.