Consumers in the United States may need to adjust their food demand due to food insecurity caused by climate warming events. Research has focused on how climate change impacts food supply chains and distribution; however, there was little research on how consumers responded to these changes. This study analyzed how consumers across the United States responded to food insecurity caused by crisis events (i.e. pandemics and climate change), how consumers shifted from grocery store vendors to local food vendors, and if migration or food miles may increase based on potential food shortages. One study was initiated through survey and a one-factor, two-level between-subjects experimental design to assess perceptions of food insecurity and food purchasing behavior. Further, the survey was designed in Qualtrics and administered via Amazon Mechanical Turk and a regression analysis was run via SPSS. The study was targeted to people in urban and rural areas in the Midwest, South, East, and West regions of the United States. Furthermore, participants were selected between the ages of 18-65 and there was a sample size of 195 participants, of which were paid $1.00 each. In this research, we hypothesized that consumers would shift their food purchasing from grocery stores to local vendors in light of crisis events. Furthermore, we hypothesized that this shift in market demand may encourage food miles. Both hypotheses were proven to be true in the study.

The question guiding this exploratory qualitative research study is, “How has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted LGBTQ+ intimate communication and relationships?” LGBTQ+ scholarship and research has become increasingly prevalent in the communication discipline. Recently, more scholars have demanded that communication scholarship be conducted through an intersectional lens that analyzes multiple dimensions of social identities including LGBTQ+ identities. Queer Theory poses questions around gender, sexual, and romantic identities that can help expand our understanding of different forms of intimate communication. “Queering” interpersonal communication research involves challenging traditional understandings of communication within identities such as sexuality and gender at the individual and structural levels. An additional aspect to this research involves the highly contagious nature of the COVID-19 virus that has drastically transformed how individuals socialize and has largely been unexplored within the communication discipline. This research project not only expands our understanding of how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted LGBTQ+ intimate relationships and communication, but also proves valuable to Queering interpersonal communication scholarship. Data was collected through semi-structured one-on-one interviews with LGBTQ+ identified individuals in order to explore how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted their intimate communication and relationships. Interviews were transcribed and coded thematically and inductively. The transcriptions were analyzed through an interpretive narrative approach to highlight individual lived experiences of LGBTQ+ community members. Preliminary results reflect the unique ways in which the LGBTQ+ community has been impacted by social isolation and developed resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic through maintaining relationships and a sense of community through digital communication.

The 2020-2021 Senate elections in Georgia proved to be an historic moment in politics, with the state electing its first pair of Democratic senators since 2005, one of whom was Georgia's first Black senator. In the midst of a year plagued with news of police-related deaths of people like George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, activists and organizers like Stacey Abrams and LaTosha Brown toiled to mobilize Black voters in Georgia, with their work helping to both elect Joe Biden and place Democrats in control of the Senate. The current study analyzes the creative text of Facebook ads run by both presidential and Georgia senatorial candidates to determine how they discussed racial justice during the 2020 election season. Using methods of structural topic modeling (STM) and keyword search, this research will add to the pre-existing field of political ad analysis, specifically as it pertains to how politicians engage with topics like race and racial justice.

Netflix’s globalization allows viewers the opportunity to participate in cross-cultural consumption of worldwide digital entertainment media. Latin America is Netflix’s second biggest international market, producing twenty percent of its annual revenue—making Spanish content highly popular. This project focused on the distribution and consumption of Netflix’s Spanish television content to explore the implications of this cross-cultural media encounter. Making use of critical approaches to media studies and digital media in particular, this project consisted of two main parts: 1) Analysis of shows by genre produced by Spain and Mexico for distribution on Netflix, as these countries provide the most Spanish content on the platform. 2) A case study of television programming from Spain and Mexico that narrows the sample by focusing on two of the most popularly ranked shows on Netflix: Money Heist (2017-present) and Who Killed Sara (2021)? To analyze the portrayals of Spanish-speaking cultures in these shows, the project used the qualitative methodology of thematic analysis and employs critical theorist bell hooks’ (1992/2011) ideas of cross-cultural media consumption outlined in her essay “Eating the Other: Desire and Resistance.” By applying this method and theoretical approach to Spanish content on Netflix, this project tested the claim made by TV reviewers and media scholars that Netflix’s international programming provides an opportunity to challenge American imperial dominance of global media. Preliminary conclusions indicated that while audiences take pleasure in consuming a “digital Other,” European countries are associated with more credibility, prestige, and respect in the filming industry than Latin American productions.

Deaths from COVID-19 disproportionately killed minorities across the United States when compared to non-Hispanic whites. In the past health communicators have worked closely with minority populations to find culturally relevant and effective way to inform a variety of health campaigns. The current study focuses on creating culturally relevant ways to educate minority populations in Colorado about a COVID-19 antibody treatment. To do this, two Community Engagement Studios (CES) were conducted composed of community leaders and members (n=7) to 1) help identify barriers and facilitators for minority communities in Colorado, and 2) how barriers can be overcome. The CES provided critical insight into barriers that were considered insurmountable by the target audience, creating easily understood language, and receiving feedback on visual elements. These findings provide specific and actionable suggestions for improving communication to increase awareness and use of COVID-19 antibody treatments. Future efforts will focus on evaluating the reach and effectiveness of the resulting communication campaign.