News

The MESA Group and NSI published the Quick Look titled "Understanding Mass Self-Communication." This Quick Look discusses a new form of communication within networked societies—Castells’ so-called mass self-communication. This report highlights how barriers between old and new media are disappearing as increasing technological access creates new forms of labor, challenges traditional understandings of the communication process, and empowers individuals to make otherwise inconceivable system-wide impacts.

The MESA Group published the research report titled "Mexican and Northern Triangle Perspectives on Migration: Identifying and Assessing Strategic Narrative Alignment." This report presents an investigation into the underlying catalysts, structural challenges, associated opportunities, as well as the narrative packaging and surrounding discussions concerning migration coming from the Northern Triangle of Central America (El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras). Read the report here.

The MESA Group and NSI published 3 Quick Looks:

·       Propaganda: Indexing and Framing and the Tools of Disinformation: This Quick Look details the distinction between misinformation and disinformation; exploring how the latter is used in the digital era and the challenges posed to government systems as a consequence. Tips for countering and recognizing disinformation are offered throughout.

·       Inoculation Theory- This Quick Look explores the distinction between active and passive refutation within Inoculation Theory. While “dosing” negative information and modeling counterarguments can effectively inoculate communities from outside influence, teaching critical awareness and information literacies is seen as a superior approach.

·       Communicative Power in a Globalized “Network Society”- This Quick Look outlines Castells’ argument that the forces of globalization have created an interlinked global network of systems favoring communication as a form of power. The foundational sources of power are discussed in relation to social systems, offering the reader a conceptual roadmap of the impacts of communication across modern interlinked globalized networks.

The MESA Group published the Quick Look titled, "Influencing Public Behavior: Takeaways from Public Communication Scholarship." This report draws on a number of theoretical perspectives that guide our understanding of what constitutes effective communication within the public sphere and presents key takeaways that specifically address behavior change.

Dr. Hinck, Dr. Utterback, and Dr. Cooley publish an article in the Conversation discussing foreign media coverage of the US Presidential debate. Read more here.

Dr. Skye Cooley, Dr. Asya Cooley, and Linda Schlegel (Goethe University Frankfurt, GNET) participated in the CVE Roundtable at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy. 

Dr. Skye Cooley discusses the narrative theory during the Straight Talk About Research (STAR) series at Oklahoma State University (OSU).

Dr. Skye Cooley presented the MESA Group's research project at the Great Power Competition and Conflict Conference organized by the Ohio State University Mershon Center for International Security Studies. 

Dr. Asya Cooley and Dr. Skye Cooley attended the Global Ties 2020 U.S. National Meeting in Washington, DC and presented the MESA Group project titled "Visions on Future of the Global Order: Towards the Need for Great Diplomacy." Together with five School of Media and Strategic Communications (SMSC) students and Dr. Jami Fullerton (Director of Graduate Programs, School of Global Studies and Partnerships and Professor and Peggy Welch Chair in Strategic Communications), they attended conference sessions and various U.S. Department of State events.