NCA Inside & Out

In the Media

Paul Achter, University of Richmond, was quoted in a Reuters article about President Trump’s tone and how it might incite violence.

Jason Edward Black, University of North Carolina-Charlotte; Liahnna Stanley, University of South Florida; Janna Söder, University of Maryland; and Maggie Franz, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, discussed controversies surrounding the identities and legal standing of indigenous people in the Citizen Critics.

On the Nobody Listens to Paula Poundstone podcast, Jonathan Bowman, University of San Diego, offered tips on how to identify whether a person is lying.

Robin Boylorn, University of Alabama, was quoted in a BBC article about racial stereotyping in the lives of African-American women following tennis superstar Serena Williams’ argument with an umpire.

Ann Burnett, North Dakota State University, was quoted in a Star Tribune article about how written Christmas letters are a fading tradition. 

In a Kellogg Insight article, Noshir Contractor, Northwestern University, weighed in on how social scientists can more effectively apply their scholarship to solve global problems. 

Debbie Dougherty, University of Missouri-Columbia, was quoted and had research featured in a Science Daily  article on how social class affects the way the unemployed talk about food insecurity.  

Brooke Duffy, Cornell University, was quoted in an article by The Verge about her research on gender and social media jobs.

Arienne Ferchaud, Florida State University, commented on audience engagement on social media in an article in The Verge. 

Cara Finnegan, University of Illinois, was quoted in a New York Times article about the history of photography and presidential portraiture. 

A new book by Sharon E. Jarvis, University of Texas at Austin, and Soo-Hye Han, Kansas State University, exploring how journalists cover political campaigning and candidates was reviewed by Inside Higher Ed.

Robert Gehl, University of Utah, contributed an article to The Conversation explaining the ins and outs of the “dark web.”

Alan Goodboy, West Virginia University, authored an article in The Conversation in which he discusses how a professor’s attitude can affect students’ ability to learn.

Maurice L. Hall, College of New Jersey, wrote an article in Inside Higher Ed about how President Trump’s use of social media is overturning conventional wisdom of communication scholars. 

Kristen Harrison, University of Michigan, was quoted in a Futurity article on how children use technology to cope with a chaotic world.

Mark Hlavacik, University of North Texas; Rita Shah, Eastern Michigan University; Andrea Terry, Cal Poly; Heather Ashley Hayes, Whitman University; and Michael Steudeman, Penn State University, posted live reactions and commentary on campaign rhetoric on the Citizen Critics platform.

In a Trib Live article, Kathleen Hall Jamieson, University of Pennsylvania, was quoted on the differences of emotion based on gender during the Brett Kavanaugh hearing.

A new book by Kathleen Hall Jamieson, University of Pennsylvania, about the Russian influence on the 2016 presidential election was reviewed by The New Yorker. 

Susan Jasko, California University of Pennsylvania, was quoted in a FiveThirtyEight article about why meteorologists still use the Saffir-Simpson hurricane rating system despite its flaws. 

In an article by Pacific Standard, research by Sangwon Lee and Michael Xenos, both of University of Wisconsin-Madison, was quoted to reveal that Facebook use makes people less politically knowledgeable.

Martin Medhurst, Baylor University, was quoted in a Washington Post article about Trump’s changing tune after the midterm elections.

Jennifer Mercieca, Texas A&M University, was quoted in an article by Statesman about rhetorical techniques used by the President.

In a Wall Street Journal article, Mark Morman, Baylor University, weighed in on how fathers should talk to their sons about sex in the #MeToo era.

In an article by The Atlantic, Tiara Na’puti, University of Colorado Boulder, was quoted about the media coverage of a super typhoon that devasted the Northern Mariana Islands.

Richard Pineda, University of Texas at El Paso, was quoted in a National Catholic Reporter article about policies related to immigration and the border.

In a Mental Floss article, Mark Porrovecchio, Oregon State University, offered tips for winning an argument.

In a New Orleans Public Radio interview, Kristina Scharp, University of Washington, talks about navigating the holidays when one is estranged from their family.

In an essay in The Chronicle of Higher Education, Nikki Usher, George Washington University, posed the question of whether scholars should cite the works of those that are known serial harassers and sexists.

Mark Ward Sr., University of Houston-Victoria, was quoted in an Associated Press article about the launch of a 24-hour news channel by the Christian Broadcasting Network.

In a New York Times piece, David Zarefsky, Northwestern University, was quoted about the state of the journalism industry under the current Administration.

In Transition

Aaron V. Burton has been promoted to Associate Professor at Tiffin University.

Leland Spencer has been promoted to Associate Professor with tenure at Miami University.

Jennifer L. Walton has been promoted to Professor at Ohio Northern University.

New Books

Dennis Becker and J. D. Wallace, The Handbook of Communication Training, Routledge, 2019, 978-1138736528.

Elizabeth J. Natalle, Jacqueline Kennedy and the Architecture of First Lady Diplomacy, Peter Lang, 2018, 9781433141164.

Mark V. Redmond, Social Decentering: A Theory of Other-Orientation Encompassing Empathy and Perspective-Taking, De Gruyter-Oldenbourg, 2018, 978-3-11-051566-4.

Michel Walrave, Joris Van Ouytsel, Koen Ponnet, and Jeff R. Temple, Sexting - Motives and risk in online sexual self-presentation, Palgrave MacMillan, 2018, 978-3-319-71882-8.

Article Published

Cal M. Logue, retiree, University of Georgia, published an article titled "Public Debate on Abortion in Georgia in 1989," in the Journal of the International Public Debate Association, vol. 9, pp. 1-20.

Obituaries

Malcom Sillars (1928-2018)  – NCA President: 1980

Malcolm O. Sillars, longtime University of Utah faculty member and administrator, passed away in Salt Lake City on November 12, 2018 at the age of 90. Malcolm was a special man with an extraordinary career, loved for his kindness, humility, and dry humor. He was a first generation college student, who doubted his own abilities but was drawn to teaching and found a path through his talent for speech, drama, and debate. In high school, counselors and teachers advised Malcolm that high school teaching was likely out of his reach and discouraged his interest in debate, as the team was for “really bright students.” Malcolm persevered and exceeded expectations, winning the California state high school championship in two-person, policy debate during his junior year at Mark Keppel High School, and later, the Pi Kappa Delta debate national championship at Redlands College.

Malcolm received his M.A. from Redlands (1949) and PhD at the University of Iowa (1955), taught at Iowa State University (1949-53), California State University, Los Angeles (1954-56), San Fernando Valley State College (now California State University, Northridge; 1954-71), the University of Massachusetts (1971-74), and University of Utah (1974-98). Malcolm served as acting President of Valley State (1969-70) during a tumultuous period of anti-war and civil rights protests, following the resignations of three presidents in a single year. Preceding incidents included a demonstration with over 400 arrests and student-led occupation of the administration building, with the former President held captive. Malcolm left a sabbatical to take the acting president position, explaining to the LA Herald-Examiner in typical self-deprecating fashion that, “they asked 67 other people first, people who had enough sense to turn it down.” Malcolm’s remarkable composure when speaking to angry crowds and willingness to establish open, frank lines of communication with any group helped calm the situation and broker a detailed plan acceptable to all sides. Malcolm’s approach (“I listen to them, and they listen to me”) was credited by the Herald-Examiner with bringing “order out of chaos, substituting reason and dialog for force.”

Malcolm was appointed Dean of Humanities at the University of Utah (1974-81), then returned to teaching as Professor of Communication at Utah until retirement. Mal and Char embraced the Utah culture, enjoyed the mountain lifestyle, became loyal Ute fans, and hosted many parties for their close network of friends in the Department of Communication. Although not a religious man, Malcolm read extensively about Mormon traditions and Utah history, reflecting his inherent curiosity about the human experience and respect toward all people.

Over the duration of his career, Malcolm served as President of the Western States Communication Association and National Communication Association, was Editor-in-Chief of the Quarterly Journal of Speech, authored or co-authored books on public speaking, argumentation, and rhetorical criticism, and produced an influential program of scholarship on political rhetoric, value analysis, and social movements. He was a key organizer of the Alta Conference on Argumentation from its inception in 1979. As NCA member, Mal was not a fan of the convention theme, so NCA had its “no theme” convention in 1980 when Mal served as President and refused to have one. Although he made many professional contributions, teaching remained Mal’s first love. He was a beloved mentor for numerous students and left a deep footprint.

NCA Press Releases

National Communication Association Statement on Protection and Defense of Academic Freedom and Freedom of Expression for Communication Scholars
November 15, 2018 | New NCA Public Statement

National Communication Association’s 104th Annual Convention Highlights Communication Discipline Across a Variety of Issues
October 30, 2018 | NCA Event

How Will Political Rhetoric and Communication Influence the U.S. Midterm Elections?
October 16, 2018 | Experts advisory featuring Mary Stuckey, Mitchell McKinney, and Vanessa Beasley 

National Communication Association Announces 2018 Awards Winners for Outstanding Scholarship, Teaching, and Service
September 7, 2018 | NCA News