BEA2026

Liberal arts colleges provide unique opportunities and challenges for student media. Learn how one advisor oversees student TV, radio, and an online newspaper, and how students are gaining experience through cross-training. Discover how collaboration, community engagement, and AI use enhance content creation, and explore how partnerships, including one with the New York Islanders, have created student-centered experiences. Finally, discover how cross-department collaboration is equipping students with valuable skills for today’s media.

Moderator: Chad Whittle, Georgia College & State University
Panelists: Bradley L. Weaver, Westminster College; The Relevance of Well-Rounded Student Media
Kaley Martin, Using Intro Media Courses for Cross-Disciplinary Recruiting

The panel discusses supervising senior students' capstone projects, showcasing their multimedia projects and discussing the journey we took together along the term/year; helping them find their voices and tune their angles, overcoming obstacles, finding the balance between supporting them and yet giving them enough autonomy and space to find their way independently ahead of graduation to prepare them for the industry they're joining in just a few weeks time.

Panelists will discuss how they try to create a newsroom environment with an editorial leadership team, small teams to tackle episodes/verticals, and the work is expected to reach a professional quality that most students have not experienced in classes.

Moderator: Nadine El Sayed, The American University in Cairo
Panelists:Lauren Bavis, Syracuse University
Dwyane A. Cheddar, at the Department of Communication at Oakwood University and the Director. of the Oakwood. University Broadcasting Network (OUBN)
Jayne Cubbage, Bowie State University
Susan G. Reid, Georgia State University
Todd O'Neill, Middle Tennessee State University

This panel of industry professionals demonstrate how to create compelling narratives, leverage strategic marketing, and utilize technical excellence to transform ordinary podcasts into standout media experiences. Rather than treating these elements as separate skill sets, the session demonstrates how their integration creates podcasts that not only captivate audiences but build sustainable, growing communities.

Moderator: Brenda K Jaskulske, University of North Texas
Panelists: Valerie GELLER, Geller Media International
Gagan Nirula, National Association of Broadcasters
Josh Miely, National Association of Broadcasters,
Michael Khatcheressian, Coaster Radio podcast
Sandy Warr, City St George’s University

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

Steve Anderson & John Woody are the first recipients of the BEA Lifetime Achievement in Scholarship Award. In this session, we'll have a conversation with John about his career progression alongside the rise of technological innovations that have defined modern storytelling. We will discuss key moments in the growth of the field while offering some insights he has gleaned about academia and BEA over the course of his long and successful career.

Professional productions provide opportunities for students to move beyond the classroom and immerse themselves in real learning environments. By participating in live broadcasts, studio productions, documentary work, film productions, and other industry-level projects, students gain hands-on skills that reinforce theory and coursework. This panel brings together faculty who have integrated students into their professional productions. Attendees will learn how these experiences prepare students for careers in a rapidly evolving media landscape.
Moderator: Michael Crews, Georgia College & State University
Panelists: Valerie Turco, SUNY New Paltz
Nick Artman, Slippery Rock University
Heather Elliott-Famularo, University of Connecticut
Hussein El Moataz, American University in Cairo

Research Symposium: Communicating in an AI Driven World: The Impact of AI on Creators and Consumers of News and Entertainment -- Session 1: AI, Education, and Human Meaning-Making

Artificial intelligence is changing the way the world interacts with machines and people, as well as how media organizations operate. As society grapples with the use of AI, those in the field of mass communication must consider the how the opportunities AI offers come with ethical ramifications. Professional organizations (RTDNA, PRSA, AAF, NAB) have adopted professional codes and guidelines for using AI in industry.

The 2026 BEA Research Symposium will examine AI research in mass communication. As AI is implemented, it is important to remember the human connection those working in the media industry bring to communicating information. Media professionals transmit information that is influenced by their broader understanding, shared background, and empathy. How can the media industry ethically adopt a technology that is disrupting how people seek, consume, and produce information?

Moderator: Seungahn Nah, University of Florida

Almost Human, Not Quite: Exploring Human Responses to Physical AI
Michael Lee, Ball State University & Hyungseok Jang, Ball State University

‘T.O.M.I.! Pull up drone footage’: Children’s responses to AI-integrated storytelling in tackling climate literacy in an African cartoon
Twange Kasoma, Appalachian State University

Discourse on an AI Society in Media Education: Netnographic Analyses of Media Educator Conversations on AI “Best Practices”
Adam C. Earnheardt, Youngstown State University & Mary Beth Earnheardt, Youngstown State University

Moderator: Seungahn Nah, University of Florida

Synthetic Realities in Political Deepfake News: Exploring AI-Generated Disinformation Consumption
Miao Guo, University of Connecticut; Carolyn A. Lin, University of Connecticut & Brett Andrew Williams, University of Connecticut

Trusting the Machine: The Authenticity Model for Trust Building in Journalism During the Rise of Artificial Intelligence
Sarah Fisher, Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi

Talking About AI: Family Communication Patterns and AI Attitude Agreement
Huma Rasheed, University of Pennsylvania; Robert Lance Holbert, University of Pennsylvania & Brandon Harrison & University of Pennsylvania

Moderator: Seungahn Nah, University of Florida

Reshaping News Production Time: Temporal Experiences and Professional Practices of Journalists in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
Jing Fang, Communication University of China

The Role of AI and Automation in Transforming Journalistic Labor, Economic Structures, and Inequality in the News Media Environment
Azade Asadi Damavandi, Bowling Green State University

Simulated Homelands: AI-Generated Video as Exilic Resistance in Eritrean Diaspora Media
Yonatan Tewelde, Penn State Harrisburg

Showcasing your most innovative teaching ideas. As part of our quest for the most innovative teaching ideas, we present “BEA Ignite” – where you can share your best classroom project/exercise/ideas. Following the traditional “ignite” format, presenters get 5 minutes and 20 slides to share their passionate teaching idea. The seven best “ignite” ideas were selected to make their presentations “live” during this BEA2026 session.

Andrew David, Moderator/Host
Michael Bruce, Producer

Lauren Bavis, Syracuse University - How PR and Journalism Students Collaborate on “Both Sides of the Podium”

Kara Gould, Samford University - Using Informal Debate within Panel Discussions to Encourage Student Engagement in the Classroom

Christine Guest, Ithaca College - Co-Lab with Yamdu: Unlocking TV/Film Team Teaching

Angelica Kalika, University of Colorado Boulder - Beat the Machine

Teresa Puente, California State University - Long Beach - Creating a Social Video Awareness Campaign

Danna Ramos, University of the Incarnate Word - Pop Culture Broadcast

Lakshmi N Tirumala, Drake University - Voice Before Camera - Teaching Media Students to Speak Story First

As AI transforms media industries and education, institutions are moving beyond speculation into concrete action. This panel highlights official courses, minors, policies, and institutional initiatives already shaping AI literacy. With a focus on media literacy, panelists will share how colleges and organizations are formally addressing generative AI to prepare students for critical engagement with emerging technologies.
Moderator: Teresa (Terry) Filipowicz, Pima Community College
Panelists: Tom Hallaq, Kansas State University
Milton A Santiago, Syracuse University
Chris Strobel, Northern Kentucky University

This panel will consider the appeal, utility and marketability of non-linear narratives.  This is Phase 2 of a 3 year look at such narratives. Previously we defined and explored different framings to help engagement with this approach.
Next year the panel will look more specifically at how to help students write for and film a nonlinear short.

Moderator: Raymond Anderson, University of Guam

Panelists:
Raymond Anderson, University of Guam; Look Again: The Utility of Non-linear Storytelling
Non-linear storytelling exists because of several key advantages for the creators and the industry they serve. But it also provides benefits to the audience and the broader culture, with cross cultural allure. We will explore non-linearity’s roots, presence and challenges. Consideration for its place in the classroom is also discussed.

Jonathan Mason, Rowan University; “You’re Doing What?”: The Challenges of Marketing & Distributing Non-Linear Narratives
This segment looks at the push and pull between artistic freedom and commercial reality: the thrill of fractured, time-bending storytelling on one side, and the headaches it causes for distributors, programmers, and streamers who have to frame it for audiences trained on straight-line narratives. We’ll dig into how these projects are pitched and sold, how marketing tries to give audiences a way in without flattening what makes them unique, and why some non-linear films manage to catch fire while others never quite find their crowd.

Khaled AlqahsKuwait University;The Appeal of Non-Linear Narratives in Arab Cinema and Television
This presentation explores the appeal of non-linear storytelling in Arab cinema and television, focusing on how these narratives engage audiences beyond conventional linear structures. By disrupting chronological order through flashbacks, parallel plots, and circular openings, Arab filmmakers and television writers create works that reflect the complexity of lived experience while heightening curiosity and emotional impact. Such approaches not only challenge audiences to piece together meaning but also offer distinctive cultural resonances tied to themes of memory, identity, and social change. The session highlights how non-linear structures enrich Arab visual storytelling and expand its creative possibilities.

Alessandra Bautze, Georgia State University; Non-Linear Narratives as Anti-Hollywood: A Tool for Screenwriters
What is the appeal of non-linear narratives for screenwriters? How do screenwriters employ non-linear narratives to explore character motivations, interiority, and relationships? By framing non-linear narratives as “anti-Hollywood” (as delineated by Michael Z. Newman in his indie cinema viewing strategies), this presentation will examine these and other questions, arguing that non-linear narratives occupy a specific place outside of traditional Hollywood filmmaking, often in the realm of “Indiewood” (as delineated by Geoff King).

William Hanff, University of the District of Columbia; Fabula & Syuzhet in Transmedia Narratives and Non-Linear Storytelling
This presentation problematizes the structure of both linear and non-linear visual storytelling by applying the Russian Formalist ideas of narratology to contemporary media productions. Comparing and contrasting how different levels of ‘Suspension of Disbelief’ are challenged in different genres, formats, and ‘story presentations’—research from Vladimir Propp, Walter Benjamin, and Henry Jenkins can be deployed to explore and systematize non-linear narratives. From early beginnings of flashbacks and flash-forwards in early films, to non-linear gameplay, postmodern cinema, and V.R/A.R. applications the concepts of fabula (story content) versus syuzhet (story arrangement) remain central. Technological determinism of digital storytelling tools, and the relation to narrative form will also be explored.

University led student reporting programs provide high impact learning experiences for students AND trusted sources of information for local communities. In these programs student reporters (generally though classes or managed internships) cover local communities and their content is shared with media partners or distributed directly. These are programs where professionals edit and vet the student work and work with media partners to provide stories to meet local needs and to journalism standards.

The use of game engines, like Unreal, motion capture, camera tracking and LED volumes have changed the way the creative industries produce content and tell stories. As this technology filters down from large studios to everyday production houses, colleges and universities may still struggle with integrating virtual production into media curricula. This panel features strategies and best practices for getting started in virtual production, even on a budget.
Moderator: Gregory D. Newton, Ohio University
Panelists: Brian Plow, Ohio University
Kevin Burke, University of Cincinnati
Brian Mehrens, Southern Missouri State University
Richard Grunberg, Toronto Metropolitan University
Tommy Ting, Toronto Metropolitan University

Allan Wylie shares his unique journey into sports broadcasting and his passion for storytelling and sports debate.In this session, he will discuss overcoming roadblocks and low expectations . Through storytelling, explaining how he brings games to life with vivid detail , energy and emotion. Allan will discuss his love for sports debate and analysis breaking down moments that drive conversation among fans. Attendees will gain insight into building a voice in sports media. He will stress the importance of preparation and how his challenges become strengths.  No Sight but all Vision.

As the title suggests, this panel will offer some advice on how to teach media production effectively while keeping your budget under control. It can be done, especially if you can prioritize what's really essential to good teaching and learning.
Moderator: Robert jon Maass, Metropolitan Community College
Panelists: Lisa White, Borough of Manhattan Community College

While Joe Rogan and Marc Maron are often credited as trailblazers in podcasting, the groundwork for long-form, unfiltered audio conversations was laid earlier. In 2006, Howard Stern made the groundbreaking move from terrestrial radio to a new platform, Satellite, embracing a format that allowed for extended interviews and candid discussions on a wide range of topics. This transition not only transformed his own career but also reshaped the audio entertainment landscape—paving the way for the podcast era as we know it today. This panel will explore Stern’s pivotal role in redefining how audiences consume spoken-word content and why every podcaster owes part of their craft to his innovations.
Moderator: Lucas Cuny, San Bernardino Valley College
Panelists: Kevin Lyons, San Bernardino Valley College
Natalie McNair, San Bernardino Valley College

AI is here to stay. In 2026, virtually all digitally literate people would agree, even (or especially) including Generative AI. That being the case, is Amendment I to the U.S. Constitution, celebrating its 235th anniversary this year, here to stay as well? Does it still have relevance? Or even practical applicability? Those are the provocative questions this panel will explore.
Moderator: Carey Martin, Liberty University
Panelists: Cory Carpenter, Lander University; Wait, What? That's Not My Voice! First Amendment and Commercial AI Use
Stephanie A Longo, Penn State Scranton; Moving Toward AI Legal Standards
Adam Schwartz, Towson University; What We Don’t Hear: Audio Editing, AI, and Reframing the Truth
Heather Walters, Missouri State University; AI, Free Speech, & Uncertainty: An Analysis of Garcia vs. Character Technologies, Inc.