News Archive

Communication student, Rayborn, helps increase trafficking awareness

“Barbie” movie extra. International magazine and runway model. World traveler. Communication and philosophy student at Mississippi State University. Rayborn, an MSU junior and native of Brandon majoring in Communication and Philosophy, is using her talents to build a nationwide platform for human trafficking awareness.

Aug 17, 2023

Dr. Uyanga Bazaa presents "Conceptual Definition, Operationalization, and Factors of Value Perspective"

Assistant Communication Professor Dr. Bazaa presented her paper titled "Conceptual Definition, Operationalization, and Factors of Value Perspective" at the 73rd International Communication Association's Annual Conference that will be held between May 25 and 29, 2023. Her presentation explores value congruence, as an antecedent of the organization-public relationships, benefits from a valid measurement scale to predict quality relationships between organizations and the public.

May 23, 2023

CO Connection: Bethany Shipp

Mississippi State University's Department of Communication Head Dr. Terry Likes interviews Bethany Shipp, Marketing and Communication Coordinator for MSU’s Office of Public Affairs. Shipp discusses her varied career path from her days from MSU as an undergraduate student, to working at Disney in Orlando, to the world of Public Relations. Shipp also discusses her love of dance to her leadership role with the PR Association of MS-Starkville chapter.

May 10, 2023

Communication students sweep PRAM Awards, Faculty also win PRism awards

At the April Public Relations Association of Mississippi annual conference, MSU swept most categories, with MSU senior communication and philosophy major Zoie Henson from Philadelphia winning PRAM Student of the Year, and MSU senior communication major Reagan Young from Chelsea, AL, winning PRAM Outstanding PR Student.

May 01, 2023

Dr. Uyanga Bazaa & co-authors publish article in Health Communication

Assistant Communication Professor Dr. Uyanga Bazaa and co-authors published #EndtheSTIgma: An Exploratory Analysis of the 2019 HPV Awareness Day Conversation on Twitter & Instagram in the April Health Communication journal. The current study explores the risk communication conversations on Twitter and Instagram in the context of the 2019 HPV Awareness Day, through the theoretical lenses of the stigma associated with HPV, HPV-related cancer, and the HPV vaccine.

Apr 12, 2023

Dr. Melody Fisher presents at 2023 PRAM conference

Associate Communication Professor Dr. Melody Fisher presented "Blurred Lines: Public Relations Ethics" at the 2023 annual PRAM conference. This interactive presentation took a case study approach to address public relations ethical dilemmas. Attendees learned best practices to maintain the integrity of the public relations profession and become responsible advocates for their organization and clients.

Apr 04, 2023

Christie Jones Lawrence wins 2023 PRAM Professional Achievement Award

The Public Relations Association of Mississippi honored the achievements of Mississippi’s best public relations professionals and students during their annual awards ceremony last week. The awards recognize outstanding work by Mississippians in the field of public relations and celebrate select individuals for their contributions to the profession. Christie Lawrence, President of Surge Advisors and past president of the Starkville-MSU Chapter is the 2023 PRAM Professional Achievement Award winner, the state’s top honor recognizing excellence in public relations.

Apr 03, 2023

CO Connection: Anna Wilkinson

Mississippi State University's Department of Communication Head Dr. Terry Likes interviews PRISM advisor and instructor, Anna Wilkinson. Anna talks about the student PR agency, how students get involved with PRISM, the real-world opportunities of working with actual clients, and the results and awards students have earned.

Feb 28, 2023

Untold history of marginalized groups in public relations field chronicled in Fisher's new book

Mississippi State Associate Professor Melody Fisher fills a void in social science literature about public relations history with her 2022 book highlighting the practices and scholarship contributions to the field by members of ethnically and racially underrepresented groups.

Jan 30, 2023

Karyn Brown & Dr. Melanie Loehwing present at Council on Colleges of Arts & Sciences

Karyn Brown and Dr. Melanie Loehwing presented ""Mentoring New Faculty: A Multi-Tiered Approach to Professional Development and Retention" at the annual meeting of the Council on Colleges of Arts & Sciences in Washington, D.C. The presentation focused on how mentoring new faculty members helps bring new faculty into the fold of the college and ultimately helps with faculty retention.

Nov 13, 2022

Karyn Brown presents at Council on Colleges of Arts & Sciences

Karyn Brown presented a three-hour branding workshop for deans of colleges of arts & sciences at the annual meeting for the Council on Colleges of Arts & Sciences. Her presentation titled, ""Branding Arts & Sciences--A Public Relations Approach to Promoting the Liberal Arts," helped deans consider the overall branding approach for their colleges.

Nov 12, 2022

CO Connection: Lynn Oldshue

Mississippi State University's Department of Communication Head Dr. Terry Likes interviews Lynn Oldshue ’91, (PR concentration) the gulf coast correspondent for Alabama Public Radio. She also reports for an independent newspaper in Mobile and tells stories of those in the south and around the world via Our Southern Souls. Learn more about Lynn’s experiences and advice she has for students.

Oct 18, 2022

MSU proves successful at annual CPRAM, SPRF competitions

Mississippi State students and staff members representing various colleges, departments and professional units took home numerous awards from recent College Public Relations Association of Mississippi and Southern Public Relations Federation annual competitions.

Oct 06, 2022

Dr. Heesook Choi presents “What Mobilizes Political Satire Viewers: The Role of Partisanship and Discussion Networks in the Effects of Political Satire Viewing on Political Participation"

Dr. Heesook Choi presented “What Mobilizes Political Satire Viewers: The Role of Partisanship and Discussion Networks in the Effects of Political Satire Viewing on Political Participation" at the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication convention held in Detroit in August. Within the framework of social identity theory, this survey study (N = 1,203) explores the role of partisanship in the selection and processing of political satire and its influence on political participation.

Aug 03, 2022

Dr. Uyanga Bazaa & co-author present “#EAListen: A Thematic Analysis of a Successful Fan Activist Campaign" at ICA conference

Dr. Bazaa and her co-author, Megan Condis, presented their work “#EAListen: A Thematic Analysis of a Successful Fan Activist Campaign" in May at the 72nd Annual International Communication Association's conference in Paris, France. Fans are a special type of public that is of great interest to public relations researchers. Dr. Bazaa and her co-author analyzed tweets with the hashtag #EAListen to further understand online fan activism that happened to occur during the peak of Black Lives Matter movement in the United States. The authors discovered Simmers (people who play the Sims, a real life simulation video game) successfully pressured Electronic Arts (EA; the Sims developer) to ensure inclusion and diversity in their video game.

May 26, 2022