Florida A&M University (FAMU) School of Journalism & Graphic Communication (SJGC) faculty continue to make significant contributions to academic scholarship with their recent research endeavors.
Dean Mira Lowe, alongside colleagues, delved into the intricate world of social media portrayal in their collaborative research article, “Facebook Framing of the First Female U.S. Vice President: An Intersectional Approach to Analyzing Memes Depicting Kamala Harris.”
This study, published in the Howard Journal of Communication, examines the portrayal of Vice President Kamala Harris through the lens of intersectionality, shedding light on the multifaceted prejudices prevalent in media discourse surrounding her historic election in 2020.
Dean Lowe explained the importance of critically analyzing the framing of prominent figures like Vice President Harris, particularly in the digital sphere, to understand and challenge the underlying biases that shape public perception.
“Given the historic election of Kamala Harris as vice president of the United States in 2020, it was important to examine the framing of her in the media, particularly social media,” Lowe said. “The approach we took explored the intersections of her identities and shed light on the many forms of prejudice that overlapped or prevailed during and after her election campaign.”
In another groundbreaking contribution, SJGC Graphic Design professors Anosh Gill and Anthony Rundles collaborated on the research article, “The Challenges and Opportunities of Teaching Graphic Design at an HBCU,” published in the Journal of Media Education (JoME).
Their work focuses on addressing the unique challenges faced by graphic design programs in Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), ranging from resource scarcity to faculty shortages.
“Working with faculty is always exciting, ideas are exchanged, and collaboration brings new solutions,” said Gill. “Professor Rundles brought a fresh perspective and helped draft the paper in writing and research. Another Professor, Jeff Wilkinson from Journalism was our first advisor and editor. So, [the article] was a collaborative effort of three Professors.”
Rundles emphasized their commitment to nurturing a thriving community where creativity flourishes, industry collaboration thrives, and diversity enriches design education. Their research aims to empower students and cultivate a future where every graphic design graduate from HBCUs contributes their unique brilliance to the evolving canvas of design.
These recent publications underscore SJGC’s dedication to scholarly inquiry and its mission to advance knowledge and understanding in the fields of journalism and graphic communication.
