Agenda Setting

For anyone curious about the impact that TV can have in raising awareness or setting the agenda for public conversation, there was an interesting series of TV shows that certainly had that effect recently...

• An older episode of House that showed on USA focused on a young couple that were actually half-siblings, due to the father of both kids having an affair. They grew up neighbors, fell in love, and then discovered over the course of the show that they were related.

• Private Practice had an episode where a young couple were half-siblings, without realizing it. They wanted to have the woman's tubes tied, so that they could stay together - they decided they weren't raised as brother and sister, so that'd be okay. Eventually it comes out that the guy actually knew they were brother and sister, at which point the woman decides staying together is a bad idea.

• Boston Legal featured a new episode that included a young couple who were both conceived when their mothers made use of the same sperm bank. The question arose about whether or not they might have the same father. (I won't spoil it.)

As I talked about these episodes in class with my first-year students, one of the students asked if this was something that was a big deal, something that has been happening a lot lately. I have no idea if it has been, but I can certainly see where anyone seeing all three of these TV shows in the span of about a week could think so.

There's not much more to it than that right now, but episodes like that are putting a number of important issues front and center - from genetic testing to the rights of children conceived via sperm banks - that hopefully can serve as educational if done accurately.

Kent State University Jobs

I took a few days off from the blog as I traveled back to the Midwest, a trip that involved my laptop hard drive dying as I was shutting it down to pack for the plane. (Excellent timing!) So as I get settled back in Austin, I wanted to just pass along this job posting from Kent State University:


Kent State University is looking to its College of Communication and Information to take the lead in spearheading the creation of a robust center of excellence in health communication and health information. This initiative is part of an overarching University-wide mission to become a world leader in interdisciplinary public health research and exploration.

As a result, the School of Communication Studies is seeking to add to its faculty three highly regarded and productive scholars to take the lead in shaping and implementing this initiative. In addition to the University’s strong commitment to this mission, Northeast Ohio boasts some of the most respected medical facilities in the country with which to partner. They range from the Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals to Akron’s Summa Health System and Children’s Hospital, with its world renowned burn center. In addition, Kent State University is part of a consortium of universities that comprise the Northeast Ohio Universities College of Medicine. The University’s effort is led by Provost Robert Frank, former dean of the College of Public Health and Health Professions at the University of Florida.

The School of Communication Studies is part of the College of Communication and Information, which also includes the schools of Journalism and Mass Communication, Library and Information Science, and Visual Communication Design, along with the M.A. program in Information Architecture and Knowledge Management. The College is Kent State University’s leading campus laboratory for interdisciplinary work. The College is led by Dean James Gaudino, former executive director of the National Communication Association.

Positions: Three open-rank faculty positions. We encourage applications from either individual scholars or existing research teams. We are open to creative hiring solutions.

Qualifications: We are seeking highly accomplished candidates with an outstanding record of grants and publications in health communication, with secondary expertise in mass communication, interpersonal communication, organizational communication, new communication technologies, information science, or visual communication design. Expertise in social science research methods and statistics is highly desirable. The Ph.D. or appropriate terminal degree is required.

Compensation: Salary is highly competitive and commensurate with rank and accomplishment. A competitive start-up package also is available.

The School: The School of Communication Studies comprises a close-knit faculty that places a premium on collaborative work at the intersections of traditional disciplines.

The Locale: Kent State University is located in the picturesque rolling hills of Northeastern Ohio. Kent, “The Tree City,” is conveniently located 15 minutes from Akron, 45 minutes from Cleveland and 30 minutes from the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. It offers a wonderful combination of college-town environment in close proximity to the cultural, dining and professional sports activities of major cities. The Cuyahoga Valley National Park has hundreds of miles of hiking, bicycling and bridle trails in the stunning Cuyahoga Valley.

A letter of application, vita and reference information should be sent to:

Dr. Stan Wearden, Director
School of Communication Studies
Kent State University
P.O. Box 5190
Kent, OH 44242-0001

Kent State University is an affirmative action, equal opportunity employer. Women and minorities are encouraged to apply. Hiring is contingent upon eligibility to work in the United States.

Intercoder Reliability Calculation Tool

Anyone out there working on a content analysis project might be interested in a new online tool for calculating intercoder reliability - ReCal. Main features include:

• Calculates three of the most popular reliability coefficients for multiple coders: average pairwise percent agreement, Fleiss’ Kappa, and Krippendorff’s Alpha.

• Displays all possible pairwise percent agreements, making it easier to root out rogue coder.

• Accepts any range of possible variable values.

Check it out, this looks like a great tool.

Wayne State University: Assistant/Associate Professor of Communication

The Department of Communication at Wayne State University invites applications for a tenure/tenure track professor with specific research interests in Health Communication. Research interest in risk, communication, health and social marketing, patient/provider communication, health promotion, health information, health education, public health and/or community outreach are strongly desired. The successful candidate will work with the School of Nursing and the Department of Family Medicine and Public Health Sciences in interdisciplinary initiatives in the area of Health Communication.

Applicants must have a Ph.D. and an active program of scholarship and service as well as a strong record of teaching, and interest in both undergraduate and graduate (M.A. & Ph.D.) education. The successful candidates should also demonstrate an interest in securing external funding and in working with research teams. The successful candidate will also have the opportunity to work with researchers and students from across the university. For further information about the Department of Communication at WSU, please see http://www.comm.wayne.edu.

Applications are made through the WSU Online Hiring System at http://jobs.wayne.edu referring to posting number F94883. Applications should include: letter of application, curriculum vita and names and contact information for three references. A statement of teaching philosophy, evidence of teaching effectiveness, and samples of professional/ academic writing may be forwarded to:

Dr. Loraleigh Keashly
Health Communication Search Committee Chair
Department of Communication
585 Manoogian Hall
Wayne State University
Detroit, MI 48201
(313) 577-3221
ad8889@wayne.edu

Review of applications will begin December 1, 2008, and will continue until the positions are filled. WSU faculty will be available to meet with interested candidates for this position at the National Communication Association Convention. Additional information is available at: http://www.comm.wayne.edu. The Department of Communication is committed to building a diverse faculty and educating a diverse student population. We encourage candidates who can serve well in a dynamic, multicultural urban environment. Wayne State University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. Women and minority applicants are encouraged to apply.

DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATION: The Department offers programs leading to the BA, MA, and PhD in Communication with majors in communication, speech communication, communication education, media arts and studies, film studies, journalism, public relations, dispute resolution, and communication studies. The faculty comprises 24 full-time and 30 part-time members who serve a student body of approximately 600 undergraduates and 175 graduate students. The Department’s facilities include specialized student computer labs, oral communication labs, broadcast-quality video studios, and digital video editing suites. Students in the Department participate in professional internships with nationally affiliated broadcast media, national advertising and public relations firms, and major daily newspapers. In addition, Wayne State’s nationally ranked and recognized Forensics program is housed the Department.

THE COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY: The Department of Communication is one of five departments in the College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts; the other constituent units are the Departments of Art and Art History, Dance, Music, and Theatre. The College’s faculty offers degrees ranging from the BA and various undergraduate professional degrees through MA, M,us, and MFA degrees to PhD programs in both Communication and Theatre. Wayne State University is a research extensive, urban institution enrolling more than 34,000 students in 350 undergraduate and graduate programs offered through the university’s 11 schools and colleges. The campus in located in Detroit’s Midtown Cultural Center, and recent construction on the campus includes three new undergraduate dormitories. State of the art fitness center, and the University Bookstore and Welcome Center.

Wayne State’s neighbors in the Midtown Cultural Center include the Detroit Public Library, Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit Science Center, Charles Wright Museum of African American History, Detroit Historical Museum, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, and Michigan Opera Theatre. The nearby New Center and Downtown areas are also home to active theatres, galleries, professional sports stadiums, and entertainment venues ranging from Hard Rock Café to Detroit Artist Market and the Fox and Fisher Theatres.