Research News
New research reveals best practices for newsrooms on TikTok
Learn how to create successful, platform-specific content By Austin Fitzgerald TikTok has exploded as a source of news for young people, and its rise offers key insights for news organizations looking to adapt to changing audience habits. New research from Kaia Tran, MA ’25, highlights how to create news content that resonates with TikTok users. … Continued
Cristina Mislán awarded $15,000 Research Council grant
By Emily Early COLUMBIA, Mo. (April 15, 2026) — Cristina Mislán, an associate professor at the Missouri School of Journalism, has received a Research Council grant of $15,000 from the University of Missouri. The grant will fund her ongoing project, “Living and Dying on Sacred Ground: Existential Recovery in Southern Louisiana and Puerto Rico,” where … Continued
Women of Mizzou: From the J-School to careers fueled by a passion for storytelling
By Helton Walker You never know where a journalism career will take you. As Co-President for Women in Media and a member of the Honors College, I have fallen in love with the inherently interdisciplinary aspect of journalism–researching stories, developing campaigns and incorporating storytelling into topics ranging from business to medicine to engineering. I particularly … Continued
Missouri School of Journalism student wins Top Student Paper at AEJMC Southeast Colloquium for third year in a row
Anna Sago (left) and Jared Schroeder Associate Professor Jared Schroeder also won the conference’s Top Faculty Paper award in the law and policy division By Austin Fitzgerald For the third straight year, a Missouri School of Journalism student has won the Top Student Paper award in the law and policy division at the AEJMC Southeast … Continued
How news audiences really perceive bias
Nick Mathews finds that bridging the gap between news media and the public is not as simple as tiptoeing around political flashpoints By Austin Fitzgerald COLUMBIA, Mo. (March 3, 2026) — It’s an inescapable fact: public trust in news media remains at a historic low point, driven in large part by perceptions that news organizations … Continued
Mizzou students work to support company’s quest to modernize cervical cancer care
Journalism students Ayesha Khan (left) and Josie Menley create content for Mission-Driven Tech, a health care technology company founded by Eve McDavid, BJ ’08. Public Relations Student Society of America members conduct research and create content for alumna’s medical technology company By Cary Littlejohn Contact: Cary Littlejohn, carylittlejohn@missouri.edu Photo courtesy of Emily Gerhart Sydney Brown didn’t just want to gain … Continued
Inside the business of obituaries in weekly newspapers
Study shows that paid obits bring in little income but are nearly universal By Hannah Artman and Nick Mathews Hannah Artman is a post-doctoral research fellow in local news at the Missouri School of Journalism. Nick Mathews is an assistant professor at the Missouri School of Journalism who specializes in local news and the economics … Continued
Shuttered opinion pages. Obscene letters to the editor. Researchers at Missouri School of Journalism ask: What does it all mean?
Nick Mathews By Austin Fitzgerald COLUMBIA, Mo. (Sept. 26, 2025) — The relationship between news and opinion has never been a more hot-button issue. From national news powerhouses to smaller community newspapers, news organizations are re-evaluating how — and if — they publish opinion content. Tracking this trend is a team of researchers led by … Continued
Jared Schroeder and team at Missouri School of Journalism protect free speech in journalism with updated legal guide, research
Jared Schoeder By Austin Fitzgerald COLUMBIA, Mo. (Aug. 14, 2025) — The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press (RCFP) has published 12 new entries in its anti-SLAPP legal guide, which informs news organizations on how to deal with frivolous, malicious lawsuits that seek to silence or discourage free speech. The entries were researched and … Continued
Missouri School of Journalism welcomes Haijing Ma as assistant professor of science communication
By Austin Fitzgerald COLUMBIA, Mo. (Aug. 6, 2025) — Haijing Ma is the newest assistant professor of science communication at the Missouri School of Journalism, adding further expertise to the School’s team of researchers working to improve and demystify public messaging about science and health. Ma comes to the School of Journalism from the University … Continued