BEA2026

The annual BEA Board Awards Ceremony recognizes some of the best faculty and graduate student work in research, as well as our scholarship winners and the very best leadership and service to BEA. Join us at the ceremony to honor this year’s distinguished award recipients.

Host: Jennifer Meadows, Chico State University

Our 2026 Awardees include:
Distinguished Education Service Award Recipient: Rebecca Ann Lind, University of Illinois at Chicago
Lifetime Achievement in Scholarship: Shuhua Zhou, City University of Hong Kong
Lifetime Achievement in Creative Scholarship: Steve Anderson & John Woody, James Madison University

Outgoing Board Members & Editors:
Immediate Past President: Glenda Balas, University of North Texas – Dallas
Secretary/Treasurer: Kathleen Ryan, University of Colorado Boulder
District 3: Sara Magee Loyola University Maryland
District 7: Brian L. Shelton, Harper College

Festival of Media Arts Committee Chair: Heather Dunn, Arizona State University
Publications Committee Chair: Joe Blaney, Illinois State University
Research Committee Chair: Michel Haigh, Texas State University
Research Symposium Chair: Seungahn Nah, University of Florida

Kenneth Harwood Dissertation Award Recipient: Grace M. Provenzano, Arizona State University
Innovation in Teaching Award: Milton Santiago, Syracuse University
Library of American of American Broadcasting Foundation’s Broadcast Historian Award:  
Lauren Bratslavsky, Illinois State University and Elizabeth Peterson, University of Oregon; The Archivability of Television: Essays on Preservation and Perseverance 
The Leibner Cooper Grant for Creative Productions on the History of Media:  Danielle Beverly, University of Texas at Arlington; Eyes on the Prize Reclaimed 
Book Award: Margaret Peacock, University of Alabama; Frequencies of Deceit: How Global Propaganda Wars Shaped the Middle East
Textbook Award:  Chris Easterly, Regent University; Writing, Making, and Distributing Your Short Film: How the Short Film Can Advance Your Craft and Career

2026 BEA Research Grant Recipients:
Judy Watts, University of Kansas; Persuaded or Dissuaded from Entertainment? Exploring Media Storytelling Techniques and Audience Characteristics 
Nan Zheng & Chengqu Guo, James Madison University; Creator Logic and User Trust: Understanding News Engagement on Short-Video Platforms 
Lauren Smith, Rowan University; Gendered Aesthetics as Causal Agents: Visual Excitement and Cognitive Effects in Olympic Broadcasts 
Gregory Pitts, Middle Tennessee State University & Madeleine Liselblad, California State University, Long Beach; News slanting: The Federal Communications Commission versus George A. Richards’s Goodwill Stations, Inc.

2026-2027 BEA Scholarship Recipients & AERho class of 2025 will also be recognized.

This extended high density session highlights the breadth of recent research and teaching about race and media, with extensions into gender and class. Panelists will present brief overviews of their original research or teaching techniques, and then open to further discussion with the audience. Topics include identity-focused news sites, news coverage of Muslim women activists, the ambiguous Latina in Barbie, arguments about Native American mascots, Black identity in The Blackening, explainer podcasts in teaching, African American and African Immigrant perspectives on casting in Black historical films, and race and class in Abbott Elementary.

Moderator: Brad Gorham, Syracuse University
Panelists:
Christopher S. Josey, University of Missouri, Tanner Smith, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign & Julius Matthew Riles, University of Missouri; Breaking the model: Examining the content of Asian American identity focused news sites

Meriem Mechehoud, Independent Scholar; Framing Muslim Women Activists Abroad: Audience Perceptions and the Power of Stereotypes

Arthur D. Soto-Vásquez, University of Nevada, Las Vegas & Raisa F. Alvarado, California State University, San Bernardino; The Ambiguous Latina in Barbie

C. Richard King, Columbia College, Chicago; Seances and Spiritualists: Undead Indian Mascots and Rhetorics of Resuscitation

Derek Blackwell, Prairie View A & M University & Gretta Blackwell, Prairie View A & M University; “You Got Some ‘Splaining To Do”? Exploring the Pedagogical Potential of Explainers in Media Studies Classrooms

Adelaja Oriade, Denison University; Contesting Authenticity: African American and African Immigrant Audience Perspectives on Casting in Black Historical Films

Betsy Pike, Ball State University & Robert Alan Brookey, Ball State University; Class is Not Dismissed: Abbott Elementary and Approaches to Inequality

Andrew C. Billings, University of Alabama & Yifan Wu, University of Alabama; Fairness or Fear?: Media Coverage of Trans, Intersex, and Sex-Tested Female Athletes

Respondent: Rebecca Ann Lind, University of Illinois at Chicago

This panel will explore the content of the 100 Best Black Podcasts as well as their creators based on the list generated by FeedSpot. In addition to exploring the hosts and content, we'll explore metrics for the top performers via social media metrics such as Facebook, Twitter and IG followers. Panelists also will explore various formats and key topics that range from "The Read," which focuses on hip-hop and pop culture, to "Black Girl Finance" for "money minded sisters."

Moderator/panelist: Kim Fox of American University in Cairo. Other confirmed panelists: Dorothy Bland of the University of North Texas, Marquita Smith of the University of Mississippi. Up to two more panelists could be added, including a male podcaster who made the top 100 list. We are inviting John Allen Hendricks, a department and of mass communication at Stephen F. Ausin University in Nacogdoches and author of several books including Radio's Second Century and The Radio Station: Broadcasting, Podcasting, and Streaming.)
Moderator: Dorothy Bland, University of North Texas
Panelists: Kim Fox, American University in Cairo
Marquita Smith, University of Mississippi
John Allen Hendricks, Stephen F. Austin State University

Abstract: Inequalities in healthcare contribute to media distrust by crushing public faith in both health institutions and news reporting. This lack of trust is driven by historical abuses, ongoing discriminatory treatment, and imbalanced media coverage that often ignores and/or misrepresents the experiences of marginalized communities.
Moderator: Chalise Macklin, University of Memphis
Panelists: Dorothy Bland, University of North Texas
Brian Bentley, Clark Atlanta University
Vanessa Botelho, CUNY Newmark
Sharon Baldinelli, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

In journalism education, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) efforts once signaled progress — a commitment to amplifying marginalized voices, confronting bias, and broadening the lens of storytelling. So, what went wrong?

Critics charge that DEI initiatives in higher ed have overreached — stifling down-to-earth conversation with language-policing, "woke indoctrination," and fear of saying the wrong thing. When everything can be labeled a microaggression, are we still fostering dialogue — or just managing landmines? And where does viewpoint diversity fit in a space that claims to be inclusive but often feels ideologically narrow?

While some institutions are rebranding their diversity efforts, others are abandoning them altogether in the face of rising opposition. We’ll examine the pitfalls of diversity training done badly, where good intentions meet poor execution, and offer concrete strategies for doing better in ways that avoid playing into the hands of DEI opponents.
Moderator: Suzanne Lysak, Chapman University
Panelists: Elliott Lewis , Syracuse University
Cheryl L. Gardner, California State University, Fresno 
Jennifer Woodard, Middle Tennessee State University

Meaningful change begins with inclusive dialogue.  Come be part of a conversation centered on representation, equity, and diverse voices in media.

Join the Multicultural Studies Division meeting in Las Vegas to connect with colleagues, exchange new ideas, and help shape exciting initiatives for the coming year. These meetings are a welcoming space to build community, spark collaboration, and make your voice part of the conversation. Whether you’re a returning member or attending for the first time, this is a valuable opportunity to network with peers, share insights, and play an active role in your division’s future. We’d love to see you there.


Chair: Marquita Smith, University of Mississippi
Vice Chair/Paper Competition Chair: Tisha Mays, University of Toledo

As artificial intelligence reshapes media industries and higher education, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives face increasing political and legal challenges. This panel examines how DEI commitments are being tested across academia and industry, with attention to curriculum design, hiring practices, and evolving uses of AI. Panelists will share strategies for navigating contested definitions of diversity while preparing for a future where equity and technology intersect.
Moderator: Ryoya Terao, New York City College of Technology
Panelists: John J. Gallagher, Borough of Manhattan Community College
Kris Vera-Phillips, Southern Methodist University
Brittney Nix-Crawford, University of North Carolina Charlotte

Moderator: Tisha Mays, University of Toledo

Open Paper Competition
Open 1st Place: Mahitab Ezz El Din, Linnaeus University; Quran Burning Crisis: A Critical Discourse Analysis Study on the Coverage of Arab and Swedish News Media

Stephanie A. Longo, Penn State Scranton; Authentic Storytelling and the Future of Diasporic Tourism Marketing: The Italian American Experience

David Shabazz, Kentucky State University; Theon Greyjoy as a Symbol of African American Oppression: A Fantasy Theme Analysis

This panel examines the evolving landscape of Spanish-language media and its impact on higher education. Panelists will explore industry shifts, curriculum adaptation, financial pressures including federal funding cuts, and the growing scrutiny of bilingual offerings. They will discuss strategies to balance innovation, accountability, and community impact while preparing students and organizations to navigate rapidly changing industry, cultural, and financial realities.

Moderator: Teresa (Terry) Filipowicz, Pima Community College
Panelists: Glenda R. Balas, University of North Texas - Dallas
Jennifer Meadows, Chico State University
Raul Aguirre, REA Media Group

Diversity in media representation matters. Although we’ve made great strides in the depiction of gender, LGBTQ+, ethnicity, and body type in today’s media, stereotypes still abound, and today we face new challenges heretofore unforeseen. What exactly does the future hold? This panel seeks to promote discussion of prevalent and controversial issues related to depiction of the “Other” in media, and explores how we as educators can better teach them.
Moderator: Roger Allman, Grand Valley State University
Panelists: Jennifer Rachel Billinson, Syracuse University
Victor D. Evans, Seattle University
Alexandra M. Vilela, James Madison University

Back by popular demand, it's time for Closing Cocktails!  And we are heading back to the Westgate Hotel & Casino!  Meet us at ZEN (right in front of Benihana) for a drink to celebrate BEA2026.