Dr. Ryan balances traditional academic research with professional/creative work. She considers herself first & foremost an oral historian/documentary filmmaker. These 2 areas are linked by an exploration of individual lives/experiences & a sensitivity to the needs of the narrator. Documentary film allows for the public dissemination of research considered crucial by oral history, inserting untold stories into the public record. She is exploring using emerging augmented reality & location-based storytelling in these projects. Another key area of research, visual communication, links to her documentary storytelling (how to tell a story in a visually compelling way). But she is also interested in understanding how we are drawn to & create meaning from visual representations, specifically photography. Increasingly, her work looks at the ethics and practice of image creation in online and other artificial spaces through artificial intelligence, deepfakes, etc. Her final research area is in television/multimedia news, exploring the news agenda, talent representation, & the shifting notion of a newscast of record in a news-on-demand world.
keywords
Visual studies, oral history, television news labor & practice, documentary film
APRD 7001 - ProSeminar in Mass Communication Theory 1
Primary Instructor
-
Fall 2020 / Fall 2021
Discusses prominent theoretical and methodological points of view in journalism studies and strategic communication that range from social science to critical studies to the humanities. The premise is that methods are driven by research questions, so there is no best way to conduct research. You should leave this course with an understanding of how to address various mass communication phenomena. Same as JRNL 7001.
APRD 7004 - Doctoral Professionalization Seminar
Primary Instructor
-
Fall 2019
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.
APRD 7021 - Environmental Journalism and Science Communication
Primary Instructor
-
Spring 2020
Focuses on mass communication of issues related to science and follows two lines of inquiry. The seminar takes a cultural perspective, and explores the concept of scientific uncertainty in media. It will use these as a springboard for examining how we use media to conceptualize science, environment, health, etc., and how that impacts the way we live on this planet. Same as JRNL 7021.
CMCI 6861 - Visual Communication
Primary Instructor
-
Fall 2022
Visual communication involves understanding both perception of messages and construction of them. Students analyze their visual thinking abilities and develop habits of visual analysis and criticism, as well as visual communication skills.
JRNL 3112 - Concepts in Visual Culture
Primary Instructor
-
Fall 2019 / Fall 2021 / Fall 2023 / Fall 2024
Studies the principles, theories and language of visual communication, emphasizing the evaluation and use of images in mass media. Designed to help students build theories and practices learned in previous classes and perfect their skills integrating words and pictures in communication to gain a greater appreciation of the visual world.
JRNL 3211 - History of Broadcasting
Primary Instructor
-
Spring 2021
Offers a broad overview of significant broadcast programs, the institutions and sociocultural and economic influences that have steered the course of radio, television and electronic media history in the United States.
JRNL 3231 - History of Documentary Film
Primary Instructor
-
Fall 2020 / Spring 2022 / Spring 2024
Explores the evolution of the documentary, both in feature films and on television, to understand how the genre offers both historical context and an understanding of the world in which we live.
JRNL 3402 - Social Media Storytelling
Primary Instructor
-
Spring 2018
Investigates the theory, ethics and best practices in storytelling across a variety of social media platforms including, but not limited to, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Medium and YouTube. Examines best practices for social media engagement. Students develop a story for multiple platforms and analyze the story performance in the sites and make recommendations for best practices.
JRNL 3651 - Media Law and Ethics
Primary Instructor
-
Fall 2023 / Spring 2024
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 4344 - Video Documentary Production
Primary Instructor
-
Spring 2020
Designed to give students the experience of researching, writing, shooting and editing their own documentaries. Same as JRNL 5344.
JRNL 4920 - Seminar in Honors Writing & Research
Primary Instructor
-
Fall 2022
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 / Spring 2020 / Summer 2021 / Fall 2021 / Fall 2023 / Spring 2024 / Summer 2024
Internship
JRNL 5344 - Video Documentary Production
Primary Instructor
-
Spring 2020
Designed to give students the experience of researching, writing, shooting and editing their own documentaries. Same as JRNL 4344.
JRNL 5512 - In-Depth Reporting
Primary Instructor
-
Spring 2021
Shows how to dig beneath the surface of issues and events. Focuses on research, interviewing, and writing.
JRNL 7001 - ProSeminar in Mass Communication Theory 1
Primary Instructor
-
Fall 2020 / Fall 2021
Discusses prominent theoretical and methodological points of view in journalism studies and strategic communication that range from social science to critical studies to the humanities. The premise is that methods are driven by research questions, so there is no best way to conduct research. You should leave this course with an understanding of how to address various mass communication phenomena. Same as APRD 7001.
JRNL 7004 - Doctoral Professionalization Seminar
Primary Instructor
-
Fall 2019
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.
JRNL 7021 - Environmental Journalism and Science Communication
Primary Instructor
-
Spring 2020
Focuses on mass communication of issues related to science and follows two lines of inquiry. The seminar takes a cultural perspective, and explores the concept of scientific uncertainty in media. It will use these as a springboard for examining how we use media to conceptualize science, environment, health, etc., and how that impacts the way we live on this planet. Same as APRD 7021.
