Ed Madison | University of Oregon (original) (raw)

Papers by Ed Madison

Annals of the International Communication Association, Apr 1, 2020

Reimagining Journalism in a Post-Truth World

Amidst ""alternative facts"" and ""post-truth"" politics,... more Amidst ""alternative facts"" and ""post-truth"" politics, news journalism is more important and complex than ever. This book examines journalism's evolution within digital media's ecosystem where lies often spread faster than truth, and consumers expect conversations, not lectures. Tthe 2016 U.S. presidential election delivered a stunning result, but the news media's breathless coverage of it was no surprise. News networks turned debates into primetime entertainment, reporters spent more time covering poll results than public policy issues, and the cozy relationship between journalists and political insiders helped ensure intrigue and ratings, even as it eroded journalism's role as democracy's ""Fourth Estate."" Against this sobering backdrop, a broadcast news veteran and a millennial newshound consider how journalism can regain the public's trust by learning from pioneers both within and beyond the ...

Humboldt Journal of Social Relations

W ith a focus on Josephine County in southern Oregon, this essay explores how media industry clos... more W ith a focus on Josephine County in southern Oregon, this essay explores how media industry closures, consolidations, and cutbacks are adversely affecting coverage of regional and local news in many parts of the country, and the communities served. It addresses how numerous journalism schools are expanding their programs to fill the void. Specifically, the article explores how the School of Journalism and Communication (SOJC) at the University of Oregon established an experimental class of undergraduates to cover such stories, and why. The author is a professor in multimedia journalism at the SOJC and oversaw a team of a dozen student journalists who covered Josephine County as a special assignment. S ecessionists envision the State of Jefferson as an autonomous province carved from rural communities now part of southern Oregon and northern California. Real or imagined, the State of Jefferson is located at the center of an ideological divide. Events unfolding in Josephine County, Oregon, which borders California, focus on the plight of social services. The issues at stake also provide a lens for examining the state of regional journalism. Josephine County made national headlines in spring 2013 when National Public Radio (NPR) and the New York Daily News picked up a story about a local woman's desperate call to 911. In a documented audio recording, she was heard panicking as her ex-boyfriend forced his way into her home. Due to budget cuts, the operator told her there were no available officers on duty to respond. Her request for help went unanswered, and she was raped (Hastings, 2013; Templeton, 2013). The incident is just one example of how this southwestern Oregon community is grappling with maintaining public safety amidst political debates about tax increases, small government, environmental protection, and timber subsidies. Burglaries are up 70% and theft nearly 80%, as legislators attempt to address social service issues that will determine Josephine County's future (Johnson, 2013). What that future holds is uncertain. Media scholars join other social scientists in posing a related and unanswered question: how can communities like Josephine County come to consensus about such complex matters when regional news organizations-charged with keeping the public informed-are also cutting back? With a focus on Josephine County, this essay explores how media industry closures, consolidations, and cutbacks are adversely affecting coverage of regional and local news in many parts of the country and the communities served. It addresses how numerous journalism JEFFERSON AND REGIONAL JOURNALISM

Science identity is an important factor underlying successful science learning and achievement in... more Science identity is an important factor underlying successful science learning and achievement in K-12 and postsecondary learners. Ecological perspectives have expanded our understanding of science identity development, yet the interactive role of the microsystem, macrosystem, and chronosystem has been understudied. The COVID-19 pandemic context provides a unique opportunity to examine the interlocking social and historical influences on science identity development among racially diverse adolescent youth. The present study, conducted during the height of the pandemic, examined how 38 American high school students across grades 9–12 (34% Hispanic, 23% Multiracial, 16% Black) reflected on their science identities and futures after watching digital storytelling videos of mentored science learning activities. Reflexive thematic analyses of focus group data revealed the salience of interpersonal relationships, the challenge in successfully pursuing social and emotional goals in the imme...

Journal of Applied Journalism & Media Studies

Journal of Intelligence

Although the purpose of schools can be (and has been) debated, one common goal that most people a... more Although the purpose of schools can be (and has been) debated, one common goal that most people agree upon is that schools can and should play a role in preparing young people for the complexities of the future. This goal is somewhat paradoxical in that the future is unknown. So how might schools prepare young people for the unknowable? The prototypical response has been to design learning experiences based on what is already known in the hope that the knowledge, skills, and experiences in school will be durable enough to equip students for navigating the complexities of the problems they will encounter in the future. Consequently, most of what students learn in schools is predetermined. Although we recognize that some of these experiences can be beneficial for helping students in the future, we assert in this concept paper that schools can (and need to) get smarter about the kinds of educational experiences that students engage with if we are to prepare them for addressing the unce...

With the increased growth of career opportunities in STEM fields, educators and policymakers have... more With the increased growth of career opportunities in STEM fields, educators and policymakers have sought to better understand the nature and development of students' motivation to pursue science academic and career pathways successfully. However, our understanding of motivational constructs such as self-efficacy has mostly been based on studies of predominantly White samples, neglecting the perspectives and experiences of students from historically marginalized groups underrepresented in STEM academic and career pathways. In the present study, we examined science motivation in six high school students of color who participated in a brief, near peer mentoring program with undergraduate mentors of color. Deductive and inductive coding of semistructured interviews with mentees and mentors revealed that science self-efficacy not only has a salient future-oriented component, but also centers around the importance of forming and maintaining interpersonal connections with others through proxy agency and help-seeking behaviors. These data point to the utility of a sociocultural perspective in expanding our understanding of self-efficacy-and motivational processes more generally-in a way that is more inclusive of the experiences of racial and ethnic minority youth.

Journal of Media Literacy Education, 2021

This study examines the experiences of 15 Latinx sixth-grade students in Los Angeles who particip... more This study examines the experiences of 15 Latinx sixth-grade students in Los Angeles who participated in a yearlong journalism-based media literacy program embedded in their social studies classes. Students researched, interviewed, wrote, and published articles on the Internet about social justice themes, like immigration, racism, and LGBTQ rights. The intervention uses critical pedagogy and social justice pedagogy. This study seeks to understand how key aspects of these philosophies emerge in students' reflections of their journalistic learning experiences. Deductive qualitative analysis of focus group data indicates that students experienced transformational, agentic experiential learning that allowed them to explore and question the world. The limited comments about funds of knowledge, local communities, and critical co-investigation suggest that these areas need additional attention during intervention implementation. The journalistic approach illustrates new ways educators can engage in critical and social justice pedagogy in middle school media education.

The Handbook of Media Education Research, 2020

Contemporary Educational Psychology, 2021

Abstract With the increased growth of career opportunities in STEM fields, educators and policyma... more Abstract With the increased growth of career opportunities in STEM fields, educators and policymakers have sought to better understand the nature and development of students’ motivation to pursue science academic and career pathways successfully. However, our understanding of motivational constructs such as self-efficacy has mostly been based on studies of predominantly White samples, neglecting the perspectives and experiences of students from historically marginalized groups underrepresented in STEM academic and career pathways. In the present study, we examined science motivation in six high school students of color who participated in a brief, near peer mentoring program with undergraduate mentors of color. Deductive and inductive coding of semi-structured interviews with mentees and mentors revealed that science self-efficacy not only has a salient future-oriented component, but also centers around the importance of forming and maintaining interpersonal connections with others through proxy agency and help-seeking behaviors. These data point to the utility of a sociocultural perspective in expanding our understanding of self-efficacy—and motivational processes more generally—in a way that is more inclusive of the experiences of racial and ethnic minority youth.

Reading & Writing Quarterly, 2019

Becoming a proficient writer is a core competency for effective communication and central to coll... more Becoming a proficient writer is a core competency for effective communication and central to college and career readiness for learners. Despite broad adoption of more rigorous standards and a push to incorporate writing across the curriculum, the majority of U.S. students across different grade levels fall short of grade-level expectations in writing. This study applies self-determination theory in the design and developmental research of an approach that integrates journalistic interviews and writing practices into typical middle school student English language arts/social studies curricula. In this mixed-methods study, 53 sixth grade students in rural (omitted for review) participated in journalistic learning once per week. The 36-week program applied self-determination theory to build dynamic opportunities for individual interest, collaboration, and self-direction, catalyzing students' self-determined motivation to write. Findings suggest students experienced regular opportunities to learn and apply skills in collaboration and self-direction and were prepared and satisfied learning those skills. On both quantitative and qualitative data, students reported positive perceptions and attitudes, high levels of individual interest and intrinsic motivation to engage and persist in journalistic research and writing, a flow experience in the writing process, high levels of autonomy to be self-directed, competency for critical thinking, and relational support from their teachers and peers as a result of their participation in journalistic learning. Comparing results from the early phase with results at the end, effects all trended in the positive direction with greater exposure and experience in the program. Becoming a proficient writer is a core competency for effective communication, contributing to one's ability to persuade, interpret, and express knowledge (Graham, Gillespie, & McKeown, 2013). Writing can enhance quality of life through self-expression and connect people through storytelling and empathetic sharing (Graham, 2006). Unfortunately, the majority of U.S. students fall far short of grade-level expectations in writing (National Center for Education Statistics, 2003; Salahu-Din, Persky, & Miller, 2008). Comparing the three "Rs" of reading, writing, and arithmetic, writing continues to be neglected most in educational policy, practice, and research (Puranik, Patchan, Lemons, & Al Otaiba, 2017). Teachers acknowledge that time allotted for writing instruction decreases sharply after third grade (Applebee & Langer, 2011; Gilbert & Graham, 2010). Moreover, an analysis of 2,400 syllabi from teacher preparation programs revealed significant gaps in how educators are trained to teach writing (Goldstein, 2017). A review of more than

Newspaper Research Journal, 2016

Amid the newspaper industry’s financial struggles, legacy and start-up news organizations have fo... more Amid the newspaper industry’s financial struggles, legacy and start-up news organizations have found a considerable source of revenue in hosting public-policy events. This essay examines the growth of these journalism events and their implications for revenue growth and then presents a case study of Oregon news nonprofit InvestigateWest’s public policy events in May 2015.

Journalism & Mass Communication Educator, 2015

Digital publications now provide immersive interactive experiences for users of tablets and other... more Digital publications now provide immersive interactive experiences for users of tablets and other mobile media devices. The ever-changing technology challenges educators to adapt curricula to better prepare students for an uncertain future. This article chronicles the creation of award-winning OR Magazine at University of Oregon, which was acknowledged by Adobe in 2011 as the first student-produced digital magazine for the iPad. It explores best practices for establishing communities of practice within student work teams and for inspiring innovation.

Cultural Studies ↔ Critical Methodologies, 2015

This article explores media coverage of the Trayvon Martin case. It examines how Fox News and MSN... more This article explores media coverage of the Trayvon Martin case. It examines how Fox News and MSNBC commentators framed the story, as well as Ebony magazine’s editorial stance. The essay ties the Martin incident to W. E. B. Du Bois’s enduring work The Souls of Black Folk, which challenges narratives that frame race as a “problem.” In addition, the author shares his personal perspectives on race and parenting in the aftermath of the Zimmerman verdict.

Electronic News, 2014

Despite best attempts at journalistic objectivity, word choices made by the media convey meaning ... more Despite best attempts at journalistic objectivity, word choices made by the media convey meaning and can frame our interpretation of a story and its participants. When major news breaks, we look to the press to help us distinguish heroes from villains. However, the true nature of a person’s character isn’t always apparent––especially when our experience with him or her is mediated by the news production process. We’re consistently challenged to decide what to make of controversial figures. Is Julian Assange, the main figure behind WikiLeaks, an activist or a journalist? Is Edward Snowden, the exiled computer specialist who disclosed classified secrets, a whistle-blower or a traitor? The words the media use to describe these individuals influence public opinion, as established by media studies theories on agenda setting and framing. The Edward Snowden case is particularly intriguing. When a 29-year-old computer contractor leaps from obscurity into the world spotlight, we have only media narratives to inform our opinions. As a media scholar and journalist, I was prompted to check broadcast transcripts in the Lexis/Nexis database to see how the electronic press presented Snowden. I wanted to see if and how the narrative might have changed over time, and how national polls might also have shifted. News broke that Snowden was the source of National Security Agency (NSA) leaks on June 9, 2013, and immediately there was much debate about whether he was a ‘‘hero’’ or a ‘‘traitor.’’ By the middle of the month, Snowden weighed in with a self-assessment. ‘‘I am neither traitor nor hero; I’m an American,’’ he reportedly

Journalism & Mass Communication Educator, 2014

Increasingly, top-tier journalism and media schools are entering into partnerships with mainstrea... more Increasingly, top-tier journalism and media schools are entering into partnerships with mainstream media organizations to create and distribute student-produced content. While internships have long been a sanctioned way students learn professional practices, downturns in the economy have led to reductions in paid internship programs. On the rise are digital era practicums, which often challenge students to produce content that is on par with professional work. This investigates how students and educators at three universities experience and compare internships with practicums. It looks at benefits, costs, and concerns.

Journalism & Mass Communication Educator, 2017

This study used self-determination theory (SDT) to investigate the motivations for selecting a ma... more This study used self-determination theory (SDT) to investigate the motivations for selecting a major among mass communication and media majors at 18 colleges and universities across the United States. Specifically, 669 mass communication majors were queried on their intrinsic and extrinsic motivations for choosing a major, their degree of major satisfaction, and positive outcomes related to academic performance and overall well-being. As a whole, the findings suggest that students who select their major on the basis of its perceived ability to satisfy intrinsic needs tend to be more satisfied with their major selection and report higher levels of academic performance, career surety, and overall life satisfaction. These results are discussed in the context of both post-secondary mass communication programs and students' ability to successfully navigate the transition into professional life.