The School of Communication Studies Colloquium Series will continue on Friday, Dec. 4 at 4 p.m. in Taylor Hall, room 146, with a presentation by Dr. Cat Goodall, associate professor. The title of Goodall’s research is “Audience and Message Variables Moderating Emotional Reactions to Local News Coverage of Alcohol-Related Crimes, Accidents and Injuries.”
Goodall will discuss the role of fear and anger that comes from news stories, specifically in alcohol related crimes, accidents and injuries, and how people attribute the blame solely on individual or larger societal factors.
She explains this through a study that examines how news stories mention the role of alcohol as a contributing factor in crimes and accidents and how it can influence perceptions of personal and societal risks, as well as influence policy support to address the issue of drunk driving.Goodall says this research is important because it illustrates how audience members process and respond to news content about the role of alcohol in accidents and crimes.
“This research also begins to investigate how different features of stories can influence the likelihood of certain audience responses which is an important consideration for both news consumers and journalists,” Goodall says.
The School of Communication Studies Colloquium Series provides an opportunity for faculty and graduate students to foster intellectual and collaborative discussions, and to stay informed about current research efforts. All faculty and graduate students are invited to attend at no cost.
For questions or consideration for a future colloquium, contact Suzy D’Enbeau at sdenbeau@kent.edu.