media studies

CMCI Now: Summer 2025

Amanda J. McManus — Mon, 09 Jun 2025 19:31:13 +0000

CMCI Now: Summer 2025 Amanda J. McManus Mon, 06/09/2025 - 13:31

Read the latest issue of our award-winning magazine.

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Announcing the spring 2025 dean's list

Regan Widergren — Thu, 22 May 2025 17:45:29 +0000

Announcing the spring 2025 dean's list Regan Widergren Thu, 05/22/2025 - 11:45

More than 250 CMCI students were named to the dean’s list for the spring semester. To qualify, students must complete at least 12 credit hours of CU Boulder course work for a letter grade and achieve a term grade point average of 3.75 or better. Each receives a notation on their transcripts and a letter from the dean. Congratulations to all honorees!

Lucia Abdelwahed
Kit Achar
Karynna Agena
Quinn Ahrens
Lucy Alagna
Kelli Alexander
Max Altman
Alyssa Alvarez
Trinity Alvord
Bridgette Anderson
Ella Anderson
Sofia Anerousis
Lila Angelopoulos
Vicky Angelova
Josh Archie
Liliana Arguello
Annie Armstrong
Remy Arnold
Jake Arriola
Leah Axelrode
SJ Bacallao
Roxanne Bachana
Emily Badeaux
Alexia Bailey
Mason Bailey
Kaylee Baker
Loren Baker
Owen Balboa
Kayla Baldobinos
Maddie Baldwin
Tyler Bales
Emilie Barbattini
Katie Barcroft
Jenna Baro
Jackson Basch
Ellena Bassoukos
Anna Bauer
Aden Baumgarten
Klaire Bautz
Katie Baxter
Taylor Beamer
Juliana Beans
Ryan Beebe
Kayla Beebower
Chase Beloff
Logan Benson
Carolina Benun
Parker Berkheimer
Tommy Berman
Sam Berry
Adrianna Bhan
Tommy Bittner
Katie Bixler
Miley Black
Sophia Bobier
Lauren Bogdan
Anvitha Bompalli
Matthew Boothroyd
Sarah Boothroyd
Jack Boruchov
Joshua Botnick
Grace Boyea
Norah Brady
Bella Branz
Antonio Bravo
Elizabeth Brechtel
Mateo Brenes
Audrey Brice
Logan Brinker
Samantha Brouhard
Eva Bruce
Ryan Bruins
Tessa Buchanan
Renee Buchenroth
Juliana Buck
Ashley Budy
Harper Bunn
Griffin Burrows
Parker Burt
Ella Buss
Tawfiq Byard
Noelia Caballero
America Cabral
Emma Cain
Haely Callahan
Lourdes Camarillo
Carli Camens
Carson Campbell
Abby Cannon
Evan Caplan
Rhiannon Cargo
Sarah Carleo
Jessie Carlin
Mitchell Carswell
Madison Cashin
Kathryn Castanoli
Mia Castro
Zachary Chagnon
Izzie Chan
Connor Chase
Jesus Chavez
Hayden Chedid
Avery Childs
Angelina Christos
Megan Chung
Madi Ciampi
Malaya Cimino
Abi Clayton
Cash Cleveland
Kay Clifford
Annalia Clifton
Avery Clifton
Emme Clymer
Morgan Coffin
Jacqueline Cohen
Blair Coldrick
MacKenzie Cole
Sarah Connor
Breah Conradson
Ainsley Coogan
Connor Cook
Georgia Cook
Sophie Coombs
Diego Cordero
Kyndal Corkins
Jennifer Corley
Gilberto Corral
Maddy Corzine
Lucas Coulter
Emily Couto
Bailey Craig
Elizabeth Cropper
Finn Crowder
Gavin Crowson
Charlotte Croy
Kaylie Cunningham
Kelajanae Curry
Lilly Curry
Tess Curry
Lauren Curtiss
Dana Cutti
Liz Cutting
Teresa Da Silva
Clara Dailey
Abikael Daniel
Katherine Davis
Maddie Dawson
Monse Diaz
Jacob Dilling
Sydney Dobriner
Connie Dolati
Luke Donis
Emily Doskow
Sydney Dossa
Sean Dougherty
Daniel Doupe
Averie Dow
Kayla Drumke
Emma Dudley
Wyatt Duesenberg
Beckett Dumo
Hannah Duthie
Ryan Duval
Ryan Dye
Ansley Edelbrock
Camryn Eickenberg
Riley Eisenstein
Molly Elert
Jenny Ellis
Libby Emery

Sophie Englezos
Alex Ervin
Felix Estes
Nate Evans
Elena Exenberger
Sofia Faraci
Jenna Farber
Jessica Feenstra
Liam Fehlau-Barton
Mimi Feingold
Emmy Fettner
Alyssa Field
Trent Finnegan
Carolyn Fish
Maddie Fisher
Aidan Fliszar
William Flockton
Joe Fogler
Ethan Fong
Hayley Forstot
Rhen Fowler
Aiyana Fragoso
Devin Friedman
Isabelle Friedrich
Carolyn Fuller
Alexia Funk
Liam Gallagher
John Galloway
Jacalyn Gamble
Bailee Gammel
Colter Gansmann
Claire Ganz
Emma Garavaglia
Tova Garfield
Prestin Garman
Kendall Garrido
Carly Gelfand
Callie Gendolfe
Max Genther
Emily Gesseck
Megan Elisabeth Gessner
Sydney Giardino
Orion Gibbs
Daniel Giberson
Tegan Gie
Lauren Gillespie
Graham Givan
Kate Gladheim
Mark Goetzler
Matthew Golden
Samantha Goldin
Max Gong
Silvana Gonzalez Ceballos
William Gooch
Julia Goodman
Max Goodman
Maxx Goodman
Salem Goodman
Ana Gordon
Richard Gorman
Abby Graham
Chloe Graham
Nora Graham
C.J. Grandi
Mia Graziano
Alyssa Green
Elijah Grice
Erica Griffiths
Asher Grinsztein
Caitlin Grossman
Rio Groves
Olivia Gryson
Kaitlyn Gunter
Leila Gurland
Robyn Gusek
Owen Guzik
Darien Gyselen
Ella Hack
Trey Haggarty
Paxton Haines
Caroline Hallett
Alsa Halquist
Nate Hankins
Mackenzie Hanlon
Audrey Hansen
Kaylee Hansen
Eden Harari
Greta Harder
Elspeth Harkey
J.T. Harland
Wilson Harper
Maeve Harrington
Ella Harris
Kelly Hartigan
Nick Haseman
Josie Hayes
Madison Hays
Grace Heligman
Stevie Hemans
Isabella Hernandez Jeppesen
Allyson Hernandez
Emily Herrmann
Anna Herth
Carter Hessen
Jason Hetzel
Kainoa Hiatt
Tyler Hibri
Cassidy Hill
Grace Hilliard
Patrick Hillmeyer
Thomas Hinton
Hannah Hoffman
Jimmy Holda
Dylan Hommes
Kenadee Hood
Jordan Houten
Samantha Hruska
Ainsley Hubert
Jane Hulse
Ellie Hultgren
Wyatt Humble
Caitlin Humphrey
Drew Insco
Maren Jacobson
Emma James
Alana Jenks
Aaron Jensen
Annika Jobanputra
Andy Johnson
Jamison Johnson
Oliver Johnson
Neda Jonaitis
Marley Jones
Gianna Jordon
Max Julian
Laura Jumper
Taylor Kahn
Nina Kanavati
Divya Kandala
Chase Kanger
Caroline Karp
Peyton Karp
Bailey Karraker
Peri Kay
Matthew Keane
Megan Keenan
Charlotte Keller
Emma Kelly
John Kelly
Mira Kelly
Charlotte Kendall
Riley Kenny
John Kerklo
Josh Kesner
Amy Kibort
Meika Kinsey
Myra Kirk
Marin Kirkman
Skylar Kisiel
Avery Kissinger
Kayla Klein
Isaac Kliska
Leia Kliska
Spencer Klomp
Kendall Knudsen
Oliver Kochenderfer
Maggie Kocher
Davin Kontny
Rian Korb
Claire Kraft

Julia Kramer
Riley Krane
Ella Krelovich
Carey Kronhart
Oona Krukowski
Maria Kuhn
Samuel Kurtz
Brayden Kurzawa
Matt Kushel
Alex LaMotte
Amy Labontu
Ruby Laemmel
Ella Landry
Jeffrey Lange
Sydney Lannin
Gabi Larocque
Drew Lasky
Daniel Laverty
London Lawrence
Sarah Lawrence
Camille Leach
Aubrey Leneweaver
Ava Leonard
Rae Leonovich
Brian Leuthold
Claire Levitt
George Lewis
William Lewis
Jasmin Lin
Isabelle Lingo
Mia Lioudis
Alexander Lipka
Owen Lockwood
Luke Lommatzsch
Leif Lomo
Skyler B. Longerbone
Deborah Loseke
Katelyn Love
Stella Lowery
Anna Lynch
Abigail Macha Astorga
Hannah Magee
Maxwell Majors
Mel Malloy
Kea Margolis
Isabella Marquez
Ella Marrufo
Andrew Marsh
Jillian Martellaro
Stella Martens
Maggie Marusin
Carolyn Mason
Jake May
Alden Mazur
Nick McCarthy
John Mcdermott
Riley Mcdermott
Sheila Mcdonnell
Delaney Mckernan
Emori Mcquigg
Ashley Mead
Sam Meldner
Alex Melvin
Ella Melvin
Gabby Mendoza
Keala Mermel
Maya Merta
Aiden Meyer
Jackson Meyer
Kristee Mikulski
Vera Milam
Brooklyn Miller
Clementine Miller
Creed Miller
Logan Nicole Miller
Morgan Miller
Kendall Millward
Ally Milton
Samantha Mims
Macy Mohlenkamp
Camryn Montgomery
Gigi Montgomery
Jayla Montoya
Clare Moore
Theo Moot
Adrien Morlet
Joe Morris
Mia Mosebrook
Lexi Moyers
Gabriel Mrochek-Moore
Eva Muise
Clare Murphy
Kailey Murphy
Lia Murphy
Rue Murray
Aahana Nandy
Corey Neumeier
Danielle Nguyen
Rebecca Niewood
Tatum Novak
Lila Nuttle
Julia Maria Nyberg
Rory O'Flynn
Maggie O'Brien
Nora O'Connor
Brinley O'Neill
Gabriella Olson
Kellen Olson
Sofia Olsson
MariaJoan Olugbode
Karina Opalski
Alexandra Organa
Annika Ort
Max Osterman
Cate Ousey
Emmett Owenby
Josie Pachla
Lauren Palmer
Katy Parks
Jackson Parrish
Giovanna Pascucci
Haley Patterson
Frankie Patton
Cassidy Payne
Sienna Peck
John Penney
Jaclyn Pereira
Kennedy Perez
Quetzal Peterson
Bell Piccirillo
Evan Piekos
Alexandra Pollard
Zoe Polzin
Ashley Pomeroy
Elizabeth Pond
Daniel Potochnik
Izzy Poulios
Ivy Powell
Gavin Poxson
Bradley Pratt
Dylann Pratt
Addisson Pribble
Grace Ptak
Taylor Pulley
Jaden Quinn
Noor Rajpal
Mia Ramundo
Ella Rapp
Maya Raulf
Madelyn Ray
Rachel Ray
Kuba Raymond
Alex Redding
Cameron Reed
Molly Reed
Katrina Reghitto
Katie Reuter
Brody Rhodes
Leslie Rivera
Rida Fatima Rizvi
Eliza Roberts
Isabel Robison
Kate Robson
Kate Rogers
Audrey Rolstad
Brynna Roscoe
Jenna Rose
Eli Rosenthal
Sam Russo
Emme Rutherford

Catherine Rutman
Jessica Ryanczak
Tanvi Sabharwal
Amelie Sadler
Madde Salter
Jack Samet
Gabriela Sampson
Anya Sanchez
Kayla Sanchez
Kevin Sanchez
Milan Sasaki
Kate Schaefer
Bella Schaffer
Jackson Schalow
Christopher Schilling
Gavin Schleich
Addie Schneider
Samuel Schneider
Jaimie Schoenke
Tyler Scholl
Sydney Schrader
Abbie Schreiber
Teagan Schreiber
Emerson Schroeder
Erin Schwaninger
Aubrey Schwartz
Ben Schweiger
Ella Scolnick
Grace Scott
Madeline Scripp
Olivia Scussel
Mayla Seliskar
Max Shaffer
Krish Shah
Julia Sharkowicz
Natalie Sheehan
Mackenzie Shelswell-White
Jenna Shenbaum
Daniel Sher
Amanda Sherter
Ryan Shigley
Cody Shoelson
Teva Shonfeld
Kennedy Shorett
Zoe Showalter-Flowers
Anika Siethoff
Jordan Sigel
Harrison Simeon
Abby Sinberg
Hailee Singer
Leo Singer
Abby Sinno
Emily Sloboda
Marie Slotnick
Ryan Smith
Lucy Snow
Joe Solari
Matt Solari
Sevi Solari
Sailor Sorensen
Lainey Sparks
Jessie Spires
Matthew Spivack
Hayden Spracklin
Allie Stamper
Bella Stamper
Emma Stanfill
Lola Stanley
Nick Starr
Ashlin Stasswender Swasey
Katie Stephens
Sarah Stern
Blake Stiewe
Schaefer Still
Zoe Stillman
Ava Stoller
Mary Strasser
Aliza Strear
Natacha Suarez
Mae Sweetland
Leah Szabo
Sophie Szabo
Harper Tagg
Ben Tal
AJ Tannenbaum
Jack Tannenbaum
Annie Tanner
Miguel Tanner
Natalie Tapia
Hailey Taylor
Morgan Elizabeth Taylor
Sarah Taylor
Cecelia Tecu
Jordan Teicher
Caleb Thomas
Emma Thomases
Asia Tippetts
Brooke Tolstoi
Grace Toomey
Zohair Toor
Clio Torrance
Alexa Tovar
Elizabeth Travia
Carlos Trigo Beyer
Sarah Trunsky
Ricky Tuka
Jazzy Tung
Carson Turk
Zoe Turner
Emma Tutaj
Katelyn Tyree
Jesse Uzansky
Christian Valentino
Jade Valentino
Allie Van Ness
Kade Van Steenvort
William Vander
Michael Vanner
Celia Vargas
Wyatt Vattano
Alessandro Villalpando
Holden Vincent
Kiara Rose Wade
Jada Walker
Mantrez Walker Walker
Queena Wang
Lauren Ward
Ashley Warren
Ryder Ryder Watkins
Luke Watson
Leila Watters
Liam Watters
Tayte Webster
Ellery Weil
Jenna Weil
Sam Weingart
Sami Weinstein
Morgan Weiss
Sophie Wendt
Samuel White
Tess White
Ella Whittall
Elle Whittier
Riley Wiener
Triny Willerton
Jackson Williams
Mars Williams
Trevor Williams
Delaney Willing
Sammie Jean Willoughby
Georgia Wilson
Liv Wilson
Emma Winkelbauer
Nils Wolf
Lily Wright
Ty Wurtz
Chloe Yearous
Ashley Yi
Fnan Yonas
Hannah Young
Lily Young-Stallings
Arwyn Zaleski
Emma Zande
Emma Zawatski
Rachel Zing
Jack Ziporin
Chase Zobrist
Vega de la Vega

More than 250 CMCI students were named to the dean's list for the spring semester.

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2025 William W. White Outstanding Seniors

Regan Widergren — Tue, 29 Apr 2025 17:46:43 +0000

2025 William W. White Outstanding Seniors Regan Widergren Tue, 04/29/2025 - 11:46

Each year, the CMCI student with the highest GPA in the class receives the William W. White Outstanding Graduate Award.

Sarah Carleo, Department of Advertising, Public Relations and Media Design

After graduating, Sarah will work as a public relations assistant for Next PR, in Colorado Springs.

Graduating from college represents proof of growth. CU has been a tool to stretch myself, and I think I’ll carry a lot of that in the future.”

Meet Sarah

Additionally, each department in the college chooses an exemplary student whose academic merit, professional achievement and service to CMCI. These students are recognized as William W. White Outstanding Seniors.

Celia Frazier, Department of Journalism

Celia is a finalist for Report for America, which she hopes gives her additional opportunities to do local journalism that makes an impact.

Getting to know people and their work so intimately is a reminder of how complex the world is, and how important it is that we have journalists to help the public understand this complexity.”

Meet Celia

Andrew Johnson, Department of Advertising, Public Relations and Media Design

After graduating, Andrew will return to BBH USA, in New York, in an account management and client services role.

I remember the first night I attended an Ad Club meeting—I finally felt like I found something I was passionate about. I left the meeting and called my mom immediately, and told her ‘Mom, I found out what I want to do with my life.’”

Meet Andrew

Ruby Laemmel, Department of Media Production

Adventures are one of Ruby’s biggest sources of inspiration for documentary and other projects, so she plans to travel internationally after graduation. Mexico, Japan and Costa Rica are all on her list.

At CU, I surrounded myself with bright and lively people. Spending time with my herd was never dull; someone was always laughing. In the past year, I have grown tremendously, and I cannot thank the people closest to me enough for their endless love and support.”

Macy Mohlenkamp, Department of Communication

Macy has spent the last year as an undergraduate intern with the communications team at CU Athletics team, and hopes to stay on as a communications associate.

Six months before I started my internship, I had been extremely nervous about what I was going to be doing after graduation. But once I was in that press box, I felt so much more sure of myself.”

David LaPaglia, Department of Information Science

David’s CMCI experience in three words: Grow. Discover. Experience. After graduation, he will be joining the Makse Group, an IT consulting company, as a technology consultant.

The information science department ignited a passion within me to discover the truth around us—a curiosity I will carry into my future.”

Rachel Zing, Department of Media Studies

Rachel’s CMCI experience in three words: Busy. Transformative. Fun.

College is a great time to figure out what you like, both academically and in extracurriculars. There’s no shame in trying a bunch of different things until you find what actually brings you joy.”

Congratulations, CMCI Forever Buffs!

View the 2025 Graduation Celebration

William W. White Outstanding Seniors are chosen by department faculty to recognize academic merit, professional achievement and service to the college.

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Courting justice

Joe Arney — Fri, 04 Apr 2025 19:34:51 +0000

Courting justice Joe Arney Fri, 04/04/2025 - 13:34

Video evidence appears in 80 percent of criminal cases, but a lack of consistent guidelines means there’s no standard for how media are presented in court. A workshop led by CMCI faculty may change that.

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A body camera strapped to the chest of a police officer. Video appears in about four of five criminal cases, but no standards governing video exist in the U.S. justice system—and the problem is growing more complex, thanks to generative artificial intelligence.

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Announcing the fall 2024 dean's list

Regan Widergren — Sun, 12 Jan 2025 14:38:04 +0000

Announcing the fall 2024 dean's list Regan Widergren Sun, 01/12/2025 - 07:38

CMCI students who have completed at least 12 credit hours of CU Boulder course work for a letter grade in any single semester and achieve a term grade point average of 3.75 or better are included on the dean’s list. They receive a notation on their transcript and a letter from CMCI Founding Dean Lori Bergen. Congratulations to all honorees!

Lucia Abdelwahed
Kit Achar
Shea Ackman
Lucy Alagna
Kelli Alexander
Ava Alms
Bridgette Anderson
Bryce Andrews
Sofia Anerousis
Vicky Angelova
Josh Archie
Jack Armstrong
Remy Arnold
Grace Atencio
Emily Badeaux
Rebecca Badeaux
John Baggs
Alexia Bailey
Elizabeth Baker
Loren Baker
Owen Balboa
Bella Baldecchi
Maddie Baldwin
Emilie Barbattini
Katie Barcroft
Tomas Barrientos
Ellena Bassoukos
Alyssa Bauer
Katie Baxter
Enya Bayaraa
Taylor Beamer
Lily Becker
Emily Beckwith
Ryan Beebe
Kayla Beebower
Savy Behr
Haya Ben Essa
Carolina Benun
Parker Berkheimer
Adrianna Bhan
Charlie Bickham
Thomas Bischoff
Tommy Bittner
Katie Bixler
Rylee Blake
Kenna Blank
Miranda Bleau
Carley Blim
Riley Blomstrand
Sophia Bobier
Anvitha Bompalli
Jack Bond
Sophia Books
Sarah Boothroyd
Hailie Borges
Jack Boruchov
Grant Bowditch
Sarah Brady
Elizabeth Brechtel
Mateo Brenes
Hannah Brennan
Audrey Brice
Logan Brinker
Erin Brinkman
Ava Brittelli
Katie Brooks
Samantha Brouhard
Addison Brower
Emily Brown
Lili Brownell
Benjamin Browning
Ryan Bruins
Morgan Bruun-Jensen
Rachel Bryant
Tessa Buchanan
Juliana Buck
Ashley Budy
Fatima Bugaighis
Harper Bunn
Ben Burleigh
Griffin Burrows
Brooke Bursteen
Parker Burt
Ella Buss
Noelia Caballero
Sophia Caldwell
Isabelle Calvanese
Carly Cambareri
Mackenzie Campbell
Abby Cannon
Sarah Carleo
Jessie Carlin
Clara Carlsson
Kaitlyn Carpenter
Juliana Carpinelli
Kelley Carr
Mitchell Carswell
Alexa Carter
Madeline Caruso
Madison Cashin
Kathryn Castanoli
Mia Castro
Zachary Chagnon
Izzie Chan
Jack Chandler
Jesus Chavez
Hayden Chedid
Avery Childs
Angelina Christos
Madeeha Chughtai
Megan Chung
Tanner Clark
Avery Clifton
Emme Clymer
Morgan Coffin
Jacqueline Cohen
Blair Coldrick
MacKenzie Cole
Sydney Coleman
Sophia Collins
Sarah Connor
Scott Connor
Breah Conradson
Ainsley Coogan
Georgia Cook
Jennifer Corley
Susie Cormack
Gilberto Corral
Maddy Corzine
Bailey Craig
Grace Crawford
Elizabeth Cropper
Gavin Crowson
Charlotte Croy
Eryn Cryer
Kelajanae Curry
Tess Curry
Evan Curtiss
Lauren Curtiss
Dana Cutti
Liz Cutting
Emma Czohara
Ella Elisabeth D'Orazio
Olivia D'onofrio
Maayane Dadon
Clara Dailey
Ava Dallal
Abikael Daniel
Lacey Daniell
Hannah David
Gabriella Davis
Katherine Davis
Sasha Davison
Weston Deaton
Hunter Dee
Lily Delgado
Ryan Dial
Zach Dial
Ben Dickson
Jacob Dilling
Sydney Dobriner
Campbell Dokken
Connie Dolati
Lexi Dolsak
Eric Donjuan
Emily Doskow
Sydney Dossa
Wylie Douglas
Daniel Doupe

Aspen Doust
Averie Dow
Brady Dowd
Veronika Drab
Baylee Drevno
Noah Drewes
Michael Drozd
Vaughn Duby
Jean Duffy
Hannah Duthie
Mattia Echchaibi
Ansley Edelbrock
Camryn Eickenberg
Jenny Ellis
Ryan Ellis
Libby Emery
Sophie Englezos
Felix Estes
Morgan Evans
Nate Evans
John Ewald
Ellie Exenberger
Reed Ezor
Sophie Faust
Trent Finnegan
Maddie Fisher
Katie Flecca
Aidan Fliszar
William Flockton
Joe Fogler
Hayley Forstot
Ellie Foster
Rhen Fowler
Helena Fox-Mills
Celia Frazier
Cayden Friedman
Isabelle Friedrich
Colette Gagliano
Evanie Gamble
Jacalyn Gamble
Bailee Gammel
Lydia Gammon
Katelyn Gardner
Prestin Garman
Audrey Geer
Carly Gelfand
Hannah Giacomin
Ellie Gianola
Tegan Gie
Peyton Gildersleeve
Lauren Gillespie
Marin Gloor
Max Goldin
Samantha Goldin
Arlie Goldman
Max Gong
William Gooch
Julia Goodman
Max Goodman
Salem Goodman
Keira Gould
Abby Graham
Chloe Graham
Nora Graham
Cj Grandi
Edson Graycar
Erica Griffiths
Leila Gurland
Darien Gyselen
Ella Hack
Marin Hackney
Max Hagen
Paxton Haines
Alisa Haley
Aedan Hall
Alsa Halquist
Norah Hampford
Roxie Hampton
Nate Hankins
Mackenzie Hanlon
Carson Hanna
Justin Hansen
Eden Harari
Greta Harder
J.T. Harland
Maeve Harrington
Myla Harris
Sabrina Harris
Alex Hartman
Kate Hartman
Nick Haseman
Ethan Hatch
Josie Hayes
Keeley Haynes
Madison Hays
Grace Heligman
Stevie Hemans
Sam Hengehold
Will Henrickson
Mel Henry
Carson Henthorn
Anna Herth
Jack Hertzenberg
Carter Hessen
Chloe Hessinger
Kainoa Hiatt
Tyler Hibri
Antonia Hidalgo
Cassidy Hill
Grace Hilliard
Norah Hively
Sophie Hodgson
Hannah Hoffman
Johnny Hoisington
Sam Hokkanen
Mira Hougen
Donavon Houston
Owen Houtakker
Emily Howard
Ava Howe
Hannah Howell
Samantha Hruska
Haley Hubbard Godfrey
Wyatt Humble
Caitlin Humphrey
Daniela Hunt
Reese Illston
Helen Ingle
Greyson Ittig
Max Jacobs
Reed Jacobs
Maren Jacobson
Emma James
Lauren Jeffrey
Alana Jenks
Aaron Jensen
Annika Jobanputra
Mia Jochamowitz-Endersby Chikhani
Andy Johnson
Carter Johnson
Casey Johnson
Liv Johnstad
Teegan Johnstone
Max Julian
Taylor Kahn
Ryan Kalin
Faith Kaplan
Peyton Karp
Bailey Karraker
Peri Kay
Vivian Keegan
Samantha Keenan
Rachel Kennedy
Rowen Kennedy
John Kerklo
Ella Kest
Amy Kibort
Hannah Kijner
Angela Kim
Andrew Kingsepp
Julia Grace Kirk
Skylar Kisiel
Charlotte Kleinert
Miles Klingbeil
Ava Knopping
Will Kopp
Julia Kramer
Riley Krane
Ella Krelovich
Katie Krochalis

Carey Kronhart
Maddie Krozek
Oona Krukowski
Maria Kuhn
Samuel Kurtz
Matt Kushel
Alex LaMotte
David LaPaglia
Amy Labontu
Ruby Laemmel
Mia Lafayette
Raymond Lamlein
Ella Landry
Skyler Landry
Jonas Larson
Simon Lauritzen
Daniel Laverty
London Lawrence
Sarah Lawrence
Camille Leach
Juliette Leclercq
Lou Leclercq
Ava Leonard
Claire Levitt
Maya Levy
Jackson Lewis
Kara Liguori
Kya Lini
Mia Lioudis
Alexander Lipka
Leif Lomo
Skyler B. Longerbone
Lauren Lopez
Deborah Loseke
Linus Loughry
Janie Ludington
Anna Lynch
Zhehuang Ma
Taylor Madden
Mel Malloy
Emelia Mantz
Ella Marrufo
Jillian Martellaro
Stella Martens
Jackson Martin
Daniel Mattie
Maya Matus
Jake May
Alden Mazur
Audrey McClure
Matthew McGovern
Maddy McManus
John McDermott
Joey McDonald-Picolli
Fiona McGinnis
Tanner McIntosh
Sophie McKeown
Oliver McKinney
Jordan McPhee
Emori McQuigg
Sam Meldner
Alex Melvin
Ella Melvin
Gabby Mendoza
Nicholas Merl
Keala Mermel
Jackson Meyer
Julia Meyer
Leah Meyer
Olivia Meyers
Kristee Mikulski
Greta Milan
Clementine Miller
Creed Miller
Ellen Miller
Maggie Miller
Morgan Miller
Skylar Mills
Ally Milton
Samantha Mims
Amanda Mitry
Macy Mohlenkamp
Camryn Montgomery
Jayla Montoya
Jack Mooney
Clare Moore
Madison Moss
Mg Moulton
Lexi Moyers
Trevor Mueller
Brad Munson
Ally Murphy
Clare Murphy
Lia Murphy
Rue Murray
Addie Myers
Jacob Myers
Aahana Nandy
Presley Nemecek
Corey Neumeier
Hailey Newsum
Rebecca Niewood
Maggie O'Brien
Nora O'Connor
Emma O'Donovan
Brinley O'Neill
Gabriella Olson
Sofia Olsson
MariaJoan Olugbode
Karina Opalski
Alexandra Organa
Annika Ort
Max Osterman
Alina Ouligian
Emmett Owenby
Addison Paquin
Harley Parsons
Lauren Paschke
Giovanna Pascucci
Frankie Patton
Maya Paustenbaugh
Cassidy Payne
Madelyn Payne
Alicia Payrits
Sienna Peck
Kai Pelleriti
Caroline Pellerito
Tia Pepper
Quetzal Peterson
Amy Phillips
Rachel Pilik
Gibran Pillai
Valerie Pineda
Timothy Pivero
Macy Place
Jessica Plotkin
Ryan Podber
Katharine Polep-Sawyer
Brady Pollard
Ashley Pomeroy
Elizabeth Pond
Erika Port
Bradley Pratt
Dylann Pratt
Molly Precourt
Anna Prendergast
Addisson Pribble
Trevor Price
Grace Ptak
Jaden Quinn
Noor Rajpal
Mia Ramundo
Reece Randall
Olivia Randazzo
Andrew Rauber
Maya Raulf
Marissa Rauzi
Pauline Rawson
Rachel Ray
Quentin Rebholtz
Alex Redding
Cameron Reed
Molly Reed
Katrina Reghitto
Sebastian Gray Reid
Alexandria Reilly
Skyler Reneberg
Katie Reuter
Ella Revivo
Maddy Reynolds

Conner Richardson
Lauren Riley
Tessa Ring
Emma Ritter
Eliza Roberts
Ryan Robine
Berkley Robins
Aidan Robinson
Caniya Robinson
Justin Robinson
Michael Robinson
Isabel Robison
Kate Rogers
Audrey Rolstad
Avery Romig
Jenna Rose
Maddie Rosen
Alison Rosenbaum
Miki Rosenberg
Eli Rosenthal
Sam Russo
Emme Rutherford
Jay-Henry Ryan
Tanvi Sabharwal
Jessica Sachs
Joaquin Salinas
Luke Samiee
Charlotte Sample
Yahir de Jesus Sanchez Diaz
Anya Sanchez
Kayla Sanchez
Lydia Sarbacker
Tori Sarver
Milan Sasaki
Sophie Savage
Isaiah Saya
Riley Schermerhorn
Francesca Schiavitti
Gavin Schleich
Addie Schneider
Jaimie Schoenke
Tyler Scholl
Teagan Schreiber
Emerson Schroeder
Erin Schwaninger
Jonah Schwartz
Grace Scott
Olivia Scussel
Paige Searl
Mayla Seliskar
Iris Serrano
Max Shaffer
Ruby Shapiro
Julia Sharkowicz
Shubham Sharma
Natalie Sheehan
Jenna Shenbaum
Daniel Sher
Amanda Sherter
Lauren Shindler
Kennedy Shorett
Zoe Showalter-Flowers
Anika Siethoff
Matthew Silver
Olin Silverman
Harrison Simeon
Finley Simon
Leo Singer
Abby Sinno
Ryan Sklover
Emily Sloboda
Marie Slotnick
Chloe Grace Smith
Marlee Smith
Ryan Smith
Jake Snedeker
Lucy Snow
Ava Soares
Matt Solari
Sevi Solari
Sailor Sorensen
Lainey Sparks
Jessie Spires
Emma Stanfill
Lola Stanley
Rylie Stark
Reese Starr
Ashlin Stasswender Swasey
Alexander Stein
Katie Stephens
Zoe Stillman
Braden Stirrett
Ava Stoller
Mary Strasser
Aliza Strear
Elizabeth Suffian
Lucy Suja
Daniel Sullivan
Olivia Sullivan
Livi Sweeterman
Miles Swope
Sadie Symonds
Leah Szabo
Harper Tagg
Miguel Tanner
Sarah Taylor
Cecelia Tecu
Mandi Thoman
Emma Thomas
Emma Thomases
Sage Thompson
Leslie Tingley
Grace Toomey
Zohair Toor
Clio Torrance
Rylie Trager
Katy Tran
Eliza Travelstead
Eduardo Trejo Trinidad
Clara Trezise
Ricky Tuka
Jazzy Tung
Emma Tutaj
Katelyn Tyree
Zoe Usher
Jesse Uzansky
William Vander
Celia Vargas
Sydney Venetsanopoulos
Téa Giselle Villarreal
Holden Vincent
Chloe Walsh
Liam Walsh
Elsa Warlick
Ashley Warren
Luke Watson
Aaron Wechsler
Noelle Weeger
Jr Weeks
Jenna Weil
Sami Weinstein
Holly Weiss
Morgan Weiss
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William Wetzel
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Jake Williamson
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Public defenders: Is the PBS, NPR model better than commercial media amid polarization?

Anonymous — Tue, 22 Oct 2024 21:08:50 +0000

Public defenders: Is the PBS, NPR model better than commercial media amid polarization? Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 10/22/2024 - 15:08

By Joe Arney

If you get your headlines from NewsHour or stream Fresh Air on your ride to work, you have a little-known Colorado experiment to thank.

In the 1930s, the Rocky Mountain Radio Council wanted to reach every student working in mountain mines, to ensure they received the same public education opportunities as in Denver. The group hit on program transcriptions that could be relayed over the air—basically, pressing shellac records—so that a student working in remote Golconda Mine, in Hinsdale County, benefited from the same curriculum as his peers in Denver.

That local consortium eventually became the Public Broadcasting Service. And the focus on public education that gave it its start continues to differentiate the mission of public news networks.

“It was just by chance that I moved out here, and so I loved finding out that the inception moment for all noncommercial media was actually the mining communities,” said Josh Shepperd, an associate professor of media studies at the ��Ƶ’s College of Media, Communication and Information.

Last year, Shepperd published Shadow of the New Deal: The Victory of Public Broadcasting. It’s notable as the first academic attempt to present communication studies and public broadcasting as historically connected enterprises, and it comes at a time when criticism of the media—especially related to politics—is running especially hot. Shadow has since won the Book Award from the Broadcast Education Association and has been a finalist or runner up for prizes from four other organizations, including the American Journalism Historians Association and Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication.

Not necessarily better—but different

“This book isn’t about saying one mode of media is automatically better, or that public media is perfect or a corrective to commercial media,” he said. “But I do think public media is different because of its mission to provide a forum for every kind of voice.”

“Everyone keeps saying public media is too state based, but commercial media seems to be much more of a mouthpiece for politicians right now.”
Josh Shepperd, associate professor, media studies

That’s different from most commercial media, “where the ethics are really tertiary to how the industry works. If there’s an audience for it, it’s good,” he said. “The idea that there is a necessity for every voice to be placed equally within a community is very important, even if I’m not sure that public media is always successful.”

In some countries, “public media” raises the specter of propaganda, like TASS or Xinhua. In the United States, PBS is insulated from such a threat, since affiliate stations don’t receive direct funding from the government.

“That doesn’t mean they aren’t political, because they are,” Shepperd said. But, he said, an endless news cycle revolving around politics and partisanship has warped the relationship between government and independent media: “Everyone keeps saying public media is too state based, but commercial media seems to be much more of a mouthpiece for politicians right now.”

Spend a few minutes watching Fox News or MSNBC and you won’t disagree. For Shepperd, it’s another effect of a polarized media market “where people think through the abstractions of their gatekeepers’ framing, instead of just looking at what’s in front of them in their own lives,” he said. “We allow issues of public interest to become obscured by demographic affiliations as we increasingly become categories and brands instead of people.”

How we got to that point is part of Shepperd’s next project, which will examine the history of decision-making at media industries to better understand the mechanisms radio, television and digital players use to make tough calls about programming and advertising.

It’s a different thrust, but one that still hearkens back to his interest in uncovering and preserving the history of communication studies, which Shepperd called the only discipline that hasn’t completely traced its own history.

An accidental pathway

“You can’t have a discipline that doesn’t know why it exists,” he said. “Understanding that history gives us a sense of why we ask and answer the questions the way that we do, and helps us answer questions about the ethics of the discipline.”

Shepperd got into this work almost by accident. He was studying theories around public life and civil society when a professor at the University of Wisconsin Madison, where he earned his PhD, inspired him to pursue his nascent interest in public broadcasting.

“She told me it was good to think about these ideas, but that you could actually have evidence, too,” he said. “In other words, the idea that how it works is just as fair of a question as how it should work.”

He was able to put Wisconsin’s extensive archives to work for his thesis, which paved the way for the book project. Shepperd is now co-writing the official history of NPR and PBS for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

It’s fitting work, as before Shepperd dove into this subject in earnest, “no one in the history of film and media studies or communication studies had ever asked where public media came from in scholarship,” he said. Commercial media, by contrast, has been widely examined by experts and thought leaders, “and the idea that we wouldn't apply the same kind of investigation to the public system, I think, is an ideological issue that we need to face within communications research.”

A CMCI thought leader has documented the history of public media—an important lesson in understanding how broadcasting works and could be improved amid partisanship.

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Recycle, reuse—rethink? How a fresh approach to storytelling could put plastics in their place

Anonymous — Thu, 17 Oct 2024 13:43:37 +0000

Recycle, reuse—rethink? How a fresh approach to storytelling could put plastics in their place Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 10/17/2024 - 07:43

By Joe Arney

We’re going about environmental storytelling all wrong.

When Rachel Carson published Silent Spring in 1962, it became a rallying point for the nascent environmental movement—not because it was a scientific book (though it is), but because of its haunting opening pages that described a town where the birds and bees had vanished, fish were gone, fruit wouldn’t blossom, and disease ran rampant.

That scene moved people to ban pesticides and rethink humanity’s role in the larger environment. But, Phaedra C. Pezzullo said, until we figure out how to tell stories about today’s environmental crises—like plastic pollution and climate change—all we have are data that, alone, fail to move people to action.

“What many people are arguing is that the climate crisis is a crisis of imagination and of communication,” said Pezzullo, a professor of communication and media studies at the ��Ƶ’s College of Media, Communication and Information. “The idea is, we struggle to grapple with what is the climate—I can’t touch it, I can’t see it—so how do we tell stories that empower people, instead of only getting caught up in the data?”

Interdisciplinary insights

Pezzullo’s interdisciplinary approach to the problem of plastics—the science of microplastics permeating the human body and the way of explaining that crisis in a way that inspires people to demand action—has helped her see a need for a fresh approach to how we talk about such complex problems.

It’s partly what moved her to start a podcast series, Communicating Care, and her most recent book, Beyond Straw Men: Plastic Pollution and Networked Cultures of Care, which was published last year. The book has generated significant attention as the media struggles to cover the plastics problem; since the summer, it has won three significant prizes from the National Communication Association: a Diamond Anniversary Book Award, the James A. Winans-Herbert A. Wichelns Memorial Award for Distinguished Scholarship in Rhetoric and Public Address and, significantly, the Tarla Rai Peterson Book Award in Environmental Communication, named for a prolific scholar who Pezzullo met years ago at a conference.

“It’s an honor to have this book recognized and affirmed by my colleagues with expertise in environmental studies, rhetoric, and across the entire field of communication,” Pezzullo said.

In some ways, Beyond Straw Men and Pezzullo’s search for impactful storytelling is the kind of scholarly work that’s uniquely possible at a place like CMCI. The college was created to address the complex challenges of today’s interconnected world, which require interdisciplinary perspectives to effectively engage.

It’s an approach that resonates with partners outside the university. In her role as director of CU Boulder’s graduate certificate in environmental justice, Pezzullo has been working with Colorado’s Department of Public Health and Environment to help update its quantitative database of communities most affected by environmental damage. Undergraduates in a new class she’s teaching, Advanced Topics in Storytelling, Culture and Climate Justice, are updating story maps to help the state assess how the message it’s spreading about climate impacts local communities.

At CMCI, expertise in ‘how to move people’

“These stories need to be assessed so they can figure out if they are empowering residents,” she said. “Are they rich enough, compelling enough, moving enough? Or did we lean too hard on data that maybe is too dense for this audience?

“And that’s why the state would love more partnerships with people in CMCI who can help them build capacity for the storytelling component, because they spend so much of their own time in the weeds. There’s a thirst for research that understands the climate science, but also brings to the conversation an appreciation for how to think about audiences, context and how to move people.”

Part of that is finding ways to avoid confining stories about topics like pollution and climate to negative headlines, disaster movies, dystopian fiction and the like.

“We’re getting to the point with climate justice where you have to change attitudes, beliefs and the culture, and that means you need a range of stories—including comedies, as my colleagues I work with across campus have shown. We have to use a whole range of human emotions to change a culture.”

It also means those stories need broad appeal, so they aren’t just preaching to the converted.

“There’s a thirst for research that understands the climate science, but also brings to the conversation an appreciation for how to think about audiences, context and how to move people.”
Phaedra C. Pezzullo, professor, communication and media studies

“The argument of folks who are working on climate storytelling in the industry is any film or media content created for the present or the future that does not have climate change as part of its backdrop should be considered fiction, because it is a part of life,” she said.

The desperation to find the right storytelling techniques for plastics is easy to see in the endless drumbeat of bad news about plastics clogging rivers, causing floods; being burned, destroying air quality; and invading our drinking water, food supply and bodies. But like all good stories featuring hardship, this one has a protagonist we can easily root for.

“What I’m interested in right now is the idea of repair,” Pezzullo said. By that, she means material repair—in May, Colorado passed its third right to repair law, empowering consumers to fix, not flush, things like broken phones—but also repairing relationships, especially in the case of well-meaning partnerships where, say, an NGO promised a solution to a plastic problem in the global south that failed.

“How do we have accountability, but also find a way to forgive people for mistakes?” she said. “It’s very challenging right now to admit that people have made mistakes, and then—if they’re willing to do the work or willing to do the repair work, forgive them.

“And, of course, how do we repair the earth? That’s the most important question to me.”

A CMCI expert’s book has won a trio of awards for its attempt to change how we think about, and tell the story of, plastics pollution.

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Demonstrative democracy: At forum, students show energy, curiosity about engaging with politics

Anonymous — Wed, 02 Oct 2024 21:32:25 +0000

Demonstrative democracy: At forum, students show energy, curiosity about engaging with politics Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 10/02/2024 - 15:32

By Joe Arney
Photos by Arielle Wiedenbeck

In sports, it’s often said, offense wins games, but defense wins championships.

For Cody Walizer, when it comes to politics, that’s inverted—good defense can win a debate, but it’s offense that wins elections. And that’s unusual because of how little time candidates spend on offense when they are sparring onstage.

“When someone has an opportunity to build, to go on the offense, but choose to play defense, that’s a bad sign for their position,” Walizer, an assistant teaching professor of communication in the College of Media, Communication and Information, said. “It’s also a sign maybe they’re trying to play these political games, as opposed to being a good debater.”

Walizer was one of nearly a dozen panelists speaking at a voter engagement fair put on by CMCI, CU Student Government and the Office of the Chancellor, in association with CU Boulder’s Conference on World Affairs. ��Ƶ 150 students attended on Tuesday night to ask questions about politics and elections, register to vote, and learn how to become involved in local elections.

Walizer was invited to participate because of his expertise in debate. He captained his high school debate team and has extensive experience coaching debaters, and said, “I can very firmly state that I have never seen a presidential or vice presidential debate that was a good debate.”

That’s because politicians rarely play offense, which Walizer described as constructing arguments and showing why your side is right. Instead, they play defense—deconstructing arguments and saying why the other side is wrong.

Three panels answered questions submitted by students ahead of time, which covered issues such as the role social media plays in political messaging, how ideology plays out with voters, and how students can involve themselves and help ensure electoral integrity.

Not taking sides

Leah Sprain, an associate professor of communication and director of the university’s Center for Communication and Democratic Engagement, co-moderated the event and frequently praised the quality of questions that students contributed.

Sprain studies democratic engagement, particularly how to support the ways people come together to make decisions on public issues—enabling participation, designing better meetings or rethinking civic norms. When she has worked to help other groups structure their meetings more effectively, she found participants may assume more knowledge about a particular issue than they actually possess.

“They wanted to hear more about how this election would have consequences throughout their lives,” Sprain said. “They were asking about how to make sense of politics, versus just taking sides on issues. That surprised me.”

Of nearly 200 student registrants, dozens submitted questions, “which is a proportion of interest you don’t typically see, especially when some people are registering for things like extra course credit.”

Some of the liveliest discussion concerned social media’s capacity for good and harm, through generative artificial intelligence, advertising and the like. Sandra Ristovska, associate professor of media studies, and Alex Siegel, associate professor of political science, said elections have always been shaped by new technologies. Siegel said the railroad and telegraph helped create a national audience for Abraham Lincoln by offering more timely coverage of the Lincoln-Douglas debates.

“They were asking about how to make sense of politics, versus just taking sides on issues. That surprised me.”
Leah Sprain, associate professor, communication

Bogus content isn’t new, Ristovska said, and recent research suggests we’re good at not letting it influence how we vote, but in India’s elections earlier this year, “deepfakes did contribute to sexual harassment of women, the intimidation of journalists and the intimidation of human rights activists in the country,” she said. “We need to be paying more attention to those things.”

Michaele Ferguson, an associate professor of political science, talked about an essay she has students write at the start of her undergraduate course on modern ideologies. Each student describes his or her ideology; she consistently finds students support a mix of free-market economics and social justice issues, like reproductive and LGBTQ+ rights.

That’s not a coalition you typically see in the United States, she said, as those issues are claimed, respectively, by the right and left of the spectrum. Ferguson said she’s intrigued by Vice President Kamala Harris’ attempt to signal support for both camps “as a way to peel away voters who would otherwise sit out elections or vote Republican.”

“It’s really exciting to me to see her doing the very thing that my class exercise would tell you is the strategy to win an election in the United States.”

Other presenters included Chuck Plunkett, director of CU News Corps; Toby Hopp, associate professor of advertising; Patrick Deneen, a visiting scholar at the university’s Benson Center for the Study of Western Civilization; Molly Fitzpatrick (PolSci’11), Boulder County clerk; and junior Grace Covney, a tri-executive with CU Student Government.

Learning to lead through government

Tyler Rowan, another CUSG tri-executive and a junior studying international affairs, said he hoped the energy of the room translated into active participants in the election.

He got into student government not for partisan reasons, he said, but because “I wanted to make the most out of school and learn how to lead. Student government has taught me that—it’s taken a majority of my time, but I’m very passionate about it and it’s the best decision I ever made.”

That youthful energy was exciting for Walizer to see, as well.

“The emotional intelligence students need to have to be asking things about how do I engage in politics in a way that’s healthy, how do I have conversations with my roommates in a way that’s respectful—those are not things I’ve seen asked in a situation like this before,” he said.

In addition to being open to all CU Boulder students, the discussion was livestreamed to audiences at Colorado Mesa University, in Grand Junction, and Fort Lewis College, in Durango. It was followed by a live viewing of the vice presidential debate between JD Vance and Tim Walz.

Lori Bergen, founding dean of CMCI, kicked off the event by encouraging students to seek out difficult conversations as a way to learn and grow.

“On our campus, we really are in a place where difficult conversations can and should occur,” Bergen said. “When we approach those with courage and curiosity and care and consistency, that’s when learning and growth and progress really happen.”

CMCI faculty panelists praised students for raising thoughtful, serious, nonpartisan questions about how to be active citizens.

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Influential media conference becoming a CMCI showcase

Anonymous — Wed, 14 Aug 2024 16:11:04 +0000

Influential media conference becoming a CMCI showcase Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 08/14/2024 - 10:11

By Iris Serrano

Empowered by social media and generative artificial intelligence, fake news is spreading faster than ever online—and it’s becoming harder to avoid, let alone identify.

Muhammad Ali hopes his research helps users battle back against malicious misinformation.

Ali, a PhD student studying journalism in the College of Media, Communication and Information at the ��Ƶ, analyzed how extremist organizations use stories and messaging on social media platforms to enforce their ideologies to individuals and networks.

“Platforms like Facebook and X are increasingly recognized as hotbeds for extremist narratives,” Ali said. “There is still a big gap in understanding the personal and psychological aspects of online radicalization, but the findings of this research show us how we can protect ourselves from propaganda.”

“The college does a great job promoting a diversity of viewpoints, research interests and intercollegiate venues.”
Kyle Harris

Ali was among the CMCI students and faculty recognized with best paper awards at the annual conference of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, which took place Aug. 8 to 11 in Philadelphia. All told, CMCI won five awards and presented 47 peer-reviewed papers at AEJMC.

“Our college was created to catalyze and nurture research like Muhammad’s, which doesn’t fall into any single category,” said Patrick Ferrucci, chair of the journalism department at CMCI. “The cross-disciplinary approach to our doctoral programs means our students are challenged to bring an unconventional approach to research and problem-solving. It was incredible to see that recognized over and over at this year’s conference.”

Another CMCI best paper publication also turned on social media trends. Kyle Harris, a PhD student in the advertising, public relations and media design department, co-wrote a paper on disability influencers and self-representation on Instagram with his mentor, Erin Willis, an associate professor. Their research, which conducted a visual and textual analysis of the narrative discourse of 14 influencers to see how they represent invisible and visible illness—won second-place honors.

“I owe a lot to the APRD department and CMCI for believing in me and my research and valuing my contributions, and providing the resources and support to shepherd the work of Dr. Willis and myself to the conference,” Harris said. “The college does a great job promoting a diversity of viewpoints, research interests and intercollegiate venues.”

A full list of CMCI presentations at AEJMC follows. Names in bold are CMCI faculty and students. In addition, many CMCI faculty and students in journalism, APRD and media studies moderated or served on panels, or led workshops, in addition to serving as heads of different divisions.

With multiple best paper awards, CMCI is building an impressive reputation at the annual AEJMC conference.

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Crushing creativity? That’s one way to think different

Anonymous — Fri, 21 Jun 2024 16:27:15 +0000

Crushing creativity? That’s one way to think different Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 06/21/2024 - 10:27

By Joe Arney

As a college student 20 years ago, Steven Frost had a poster of Apple’s “Think Different” campaign hanging in their Alfred University dorm room.

That campaign touted the company’s quest to be something other than a tech titan. It was about supporting creatives like Frost, who saw computers as tools to unleash their artistic potential. Advertising to support the campaign highlighted icons like Bob Dylan, Pablo Picasso and Amelia Earhart to celebrate the “crazy ones” whose vision and determination set them apart from the rest.

For Frost, one of Apple’s latest ads is threatening to undo a lot of the goodwill the “Think Different” campaign created in the artistic community.

The “Crush!” ad is 68 seconds of watching symbols of humanity’s creative achievements—sculpture, paint, music, film, video games, novels, photography—destroyed in an industrial compactor, which then opens to reveal the company’s shiny new iPad Pro.

“I can see the logic behind the ad,” said Frost, assistant professor of media studies at the College of Media, Communication and Information at the ��Ƶ. It looked to them like an attempt to play off the viral videos showing everyday objects crushed under car tires—“but in the current climate, this was a bad idea, and super tone deaf.”

“Everything exists in a context, and in the context of a place where A.I. is literally replacing creatives, this was not the moment for this ad.”
Steven Frost, assistant professor, media studies

The current climate, of course, is one where artists are forced to ponder a future where generative artificial intelligence can create screenplays, images, designs and so on with just a few user prompts. In May, the company took the unusual step of apologizing for the ad and reportedly canceled plans for a national television campaign.

“What’s interesting is, less than two months after the ad comes out, Apple announces they’re integrating ChatGPT into iOS,” Frost said. “Everything exists in a context, and in the context of a place where A.I. is literally replacing creatives, this was not the moment for this ad.”

Seeing the use case for A.I.

Frost is not only an expert in media studies, they also are a creator who works in both digital and physical media. They are an accomplished textile artist who brings a passion for weaving to classes as well as Slay the Runway, an annual fashion creation and exhibition event for Boulder-area LGBTQ+ teens.

But while they’re critical of the Apple ad, Frost is more upbeat on the use of generative A.I. than you might expect. In fact, they worked on a project in 2016 that put a novel twist on speed dating. Called “Screen Dating,” the exhibit featured 12 screens that participants could cycle through, interacting with “celebrities”—actually chatbots trained on the works of Gertrude Stein, RuPaul, Ta-Nehisi Coates and others—to see what it would be like to interact with an algorithm.

Notably, exhibit creators Frost and Joel Swanson—a faculty affiliate at CMCI—fed the chatbots text, rather than engage in the wide-scale scraping OpenAI and others have used to teach their chatbots.

“There are definitely reasons to be suspicious of it,” Frost said. “But while I know it’s a really unpopular opinion, in order to stay relevant, we all need to evolve. Otherwise, what happens to artists when we can just ask a machine to make a postcard, a poster? Those people are going to have to learn new skills, learn how to be part of a collaborative process with those machines.”

Transparency on teaching models

Part of that, of course, involves those technology companies being more honest about the tools they’re creating—their potential to displace creatives, yes, but also how they were trained. Frost envisions A.I. as a collaborative tool in line with The Jetsons or Knight Rider, as opposed to Black Mirror. It’s no surprise, then, that they want companies to be more collaborative, as well.

“What if tech companies were transparent about how and where their chatbot was trained?” they said. “It’s like if I’m buying junk food—if I see sugar free, I know it’s unhealthy, but it makes me consider that it was manufactured, that there was a process. So, for an A.I. model—what’s in it? Is it soy? Where was it grown?”

Collaboration with companies is also important, they said, because relying on regulation is not the only option.

“At this point, it’s more like thinking of different ways of approaching how those models are trained, and making sure that creatives whose works are getting pulled into these learning models get paid for the work they’ve done,” Frost said.

Perhaps that’s what most troubles them about that Apple ad. Because its tone reminded Frost of another commercial that seized the public imagination 40 years ago.

“The ‘1984’ ad was a breakthrough in that it reimagined what computers could be used for, and a literal breakthrough in that there’s violence and destruction at the center of it,” Frost said. “This ad is clearly referencing ‘1984.’ In a sense, they’re showing how far they’ve come and that they do all these things right, but the tone couldn’t be further from the young, upstart artist protagonist in the original ad.”

A creator and scholar says a much-hated Apple ad is standing in for a larger conversation about how tech companies build and deploy A.I.

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