Skewes, Elizabeth

Research

research overview

Dr. Skewes conducts research in a variety of areas related to journalism. Her primary area of research examines media coverage of crime and crime victims, and she currently is working on a longitudinal study that examines how coverage of victims and killers involved in mass tragedies has changed since the mid-1960s. She also is examining how mass tragedy gets politicized, especially during an election campaign. This connects to her other area of research, which examines media coverage of U.S. presidential politics. Her research focuses on news coverage, but includes political information in popular culture and in online media.

keywords

political communication, media ethics, media sociology, journalistic practices

Publications

selected publications

book
- Message Control: How News is Made on the Presidential Campaign Trail 2007
chapter
- Media Scholarship in a Transitional Age 2017
- Global Media Ethics 2013
journal article
- Time Delays are Not Enough; Media Must Call Out Lies. Journal of Media Ethics: Exploring Questions of Media Morality. 97-99. 2018
- The Global President: International Media and the US Government.. Presidential Studies Quarterly. 622-624. 2015
- Ethical Orientations of Journalists Around the Globe: Implications From a Cross-National Survey. Communication Research. 641-661. 2012
- MAPPING JOURNALISM CULTURES ACROSS NATIONS A comparative study of 18 countries. Journalism Studies. 273-293. 2011
- MODELING PERCEIVED INFLUENCES ON JOURNALISM: EVIDENCE FROM A CROSS-NATIONAL SURVEY OF JOURNALISTS. Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly: devoted to research and commentary in journalism and mass communication. 5-22. 2010

Teaching

courses taught

APRD 4931 - Internship
Primary Instructor - Fall 2019 / Summer 2021
Internship course
APRD 7003 - ProSeminar in Mass Communication Theory II
Primary Instructor - Spring 2022
Continues introducing and discussing theoretical and methodological points of view in areas of communication, journalism and persuasion. Discusses the most important qualitative and quantitative methodological points of view, and from theoretical viewpoints that range from social science to critical studies. The idea is to develop an appreciation for theories and methodologies that can be employed depending upon the research question. Same as JRNL7003.
APRD 7004 - Doctoral Professionalization Seminar
Primary Instructor - Spring 2021
Introduces you to the university and gives you a chance to think out loud about what your academic future might look like. The course is designed to be responsive to your needs regarding your career, getting a job, getting tenure and teaching. In short, the course prepares you for a career in academia. Same as JRNL 7004.
CMCI 1020 - Concepts and Creativity 2: Media, Communication, Information
Primary Instructor - Spring 2019
Engages key principles and practices in the fields of media, communication and information. Emphasizes the analyses of new and old media, information technologies, verbal and visual literacies, communicative interactions and cultural practices through process-based learning and hands-on projects utilizing multiple modes of expression. Second course in two semester sequence required for all first-year CMCI students. Requires a grade of C- or better to count toward degree.
CMCI 3000 - Special Topics in CMCI
Primary Instructor - Summer 2023 / Fall 2023 / Spring 2024 / Summer 2024 / Fall 2024
Investigates special topics in media, communication and information at the upper-division level. May be repeated up to 6 total credit hours on different topics.

CMCI 3201 - The Politics of Media
Primary Instructor - Fall 2023 / Spring 2024 / Fall 2024
Explores the evolution of contemporary media from a non-partisan perspective addressing questions that include: what is media today, what shapes it, what role does it play in our democracy, and where is it going.

CMCI 3202 - Entrepreneurial Media
Primary Instructor - Fall 2023 / Spring 2024 / Fall 2024
Learn how to start and build your own business from concept to execution. This class will dive into the big ideas of business and the process of developing a product. By the end of class, students will know how to put an idea through the wringer, pivot (if needed), and execute their own concept at a high level.

CMCI 4931 - Internship
Primary Instructor - Summer 2024

COMM 3340 - Political Communication
Primary Instructor - Fall 2020
Explores the role of communication in politics, emphasizing how language drives policies and campaigns. Students learn communication strategies in order to craft innovative campaign messaging. Recommended prerequisites: COMM 1210 and COMM 1600.

COMM 4100 - Seminar in Honors Thesis Writing and Research
Primary Instructor - Fall 2021
Provides the opportunity for students writing an honors thesis to develop their understanding of the research process and to improve their research and writing skills.

COMM 4930 - Internship
Primary Instructor - Summer 2021
Studies are pursued in communication-related work experience projects that generally require 40 hours on the job per credit hour and evidence (e.g., journal, paper and employer evaluation) of significant learning. Recommended prerequisite: 57 hours of overall course work, 18 hours of communication course work completed, 2.50 overall GPA and a faculty sponsor. The 14-hour limit in the major applies to any combination of independent study and internship credit and does not count toward the 36 hours required for the major.

JRNL 2000 - Writing for the Media
Primary Instructor - Fall 2020
Introduces students to writing news for a range of news media platforms, including print / online, broadcast, social media and more, and teaches them how to use the appropriate grammar and style conventions for those media types. Also introduces students to various types of stories, from breaking news to features to profiles, and to basic reporting skills. Students encouraged to take concurrently with JRNL 2001.

JRNL 3202 - Covering Political Campaigns
Primary Instructor - Fall 2018
Provides a blend of theoretical understanding and on the ground experience for students interested in learning about the forces that shape election coverage and the practicalities of reporting on the local and national races for public office.

JRNL 3221 - History of Digital Journalism
Primary Instructor - Fall 2020
Explores the history, economics and traditions of digital technologies. Addresses the interaction between digital technologies, culture and economy with particular emphasis on the effects on digital journalism. Concludes with a focus on how these concepts are embraced by new journalism market models.

JRNL 3651 - Media Law and Ethics
Primary Instructor - Spring 2018 / Summer 2018 / Fall 2018 / Spring 2019
Studies state and federal laws and court decisions that affect the media in order to develop knowledge of media rights and responsibilities and an understanding of the legal system. Provides students with an overview of the theories, ethics, codes, and analytical models that are used in journalism, and introduces students to a variety of ethical issues that can arise in journalism.

JRNL 4002 - Intermediate Reporting
Primary Instructor - Fall 2021
Builds on basic reporting, writing, and multimedia skills to produce text-story-centered packages on a variety of topics. Students develop beat reporting and enterprise skills, developing sources and progressive stories over the course of a semester.

JRNL 4802 - Feature Writing
Primary Instructor - Fall 2021
Provides practice in writing freelance articles. Considers types, sources, methods, titles, illustrations, and freelance markets. Students submit work for publication. Same as JRNL 5802.

JRNL 4874 - Special Topics
Primary Instructor - Fall 2020 / Fall 2021
Special Topics

JRNL 4920 - Seminar in Honors Writing & Research
Primary Instructor - Fall 2023 / Fall 2024
This course supports seniors accepted into departmental Honors Programs in developing the research foundation for their projects, whether they are scholarly, creative, or hybrid. Course topics include topic development, primary and secondary source research, and the writing of a scholarly literature review. Project and time management, planning for creative and scholarly field research, and peer support and editing are also emphasized. Formerly offered as a special topics course.

JRNL 4931 - Internship
Primary Instructor - Summer 2018 / Fall 2018 / Spring 2019 / Summer 2019 / Fall 2019 / Spring 2020 / Summer 2020 / Fall 2020 / Spring 2021 / Summer 2021 / Spring 2022 / Summer 2022 / Summer 2023 / Fall 2023 / Spring 2024 / Summer 2024 / Fall 2024
Internship

JRNL 5521 - Data Journalism
Primary Instructor - Fall 2021
Instructs students in data-driven investigative reporting. Includes hands-on, in-depth instruction in gathering data from census reports, commercial databases, information networks, and other sources, and utilizing statistical analysis software and spreadsheets to analyze the information in ways that can help deepen and strengthen journalistic stories on a wide variety of subjects.

JRNL 5802 - Feature Writing
Primary Instructor - Fall 2021
Provides practice in writing freelance articles. Considers types, sources, methods, titles, illustrations, and freelance markets. Students submit work for publication. Same as JRNL 4802.

JRNL 5851 - Graduate Professional Project
Primary Instructor - Fall 2024

JRNL 7003 - ProSeminar in Mass Communication Theory II
Primary Instructor - Spring 2022
Continues introducing and discussing theoretical and methodological points of view in areas of communication, journalism and persuasion. Discusses the most important qualitative and quantitative methodological points of view, and from theoretical viewpoints that range from social science to critical studies. The idea is to develop an appreciation for theories and methodologies that can be employed depending upon the research question. Same as APRD 7003.

JRNL 7004 - Doctoral Professionalization Seminar
Primary Instructor - Spring 2021
Introduces you to the university and gives you a chance to think out loud about what your academic future might look like. The course is designed to be responsive to your needs regarding your career, getting a job, getting tenure and teaching. In short, the course prepares you for a career in academia. Same as APRD 7004.

MDRP 7021 - Proseminar in Media and Communication Theory 2
Primary Instructor - Spring 2018

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Background

education and training

Ph.D., Syracuse University 2001
M.A., Ohio State University 1981
B.A., University of California-Los Angeles 1979

awards and honors

MaryAnn Yodelis Smith Research Award, conferred by Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, 2009
Payden Award for Faculty Excellence, conferred by College of Media, Communication & Information, 2008

International Activities

geographic focus

Australia Country
Austria Country
Brazil Country
Bulgaria Country
Chile Country

... more

Other Profiles

ORCID iD

http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3704-8668

VIVO

Positions

Research Areas