Student Research Examines the Power of Modern Media

Photo of Harlen Makemson, Professor, School of Communications

Examinations of TikTok and television – and how each medium interacts with its respective audience – are primary themes in the Spring 2026 issue.

The emphasis on TikTok underscores its increasing prominence in today’s media landscape. Kyra Briggs studies how users on the platform responded to the Idaho college student murders, focusing on emotional expression, narrative construction, misinformation, and collective sensemaking. Using semi-structured interviews, Avery Ferguson explores how women ages 18 to 25 perceive the “clean girl aesthetic” on TikTok and how it affects their well-being, self-esteem, and lifestyle choices. Elizabeth Walker uses qualitative content analysis of 100 videos on the platform to examine how Gen Z expressed nostalgia, emotional memory, and generational identity through references to 2016.

Several studies focus on how television programs meld with fan culture. Delaney Guidi demonstrates how popular film franchises borrow principles from sports merchandising to create team identification and also notes that the strategies of fan-made merchandise may differ in their attempt to create a sense of authenticity. Shelby Keel uses qualitative discourse analysis to explore how institutional framing and participatory fan discourse elevated the reality show phenomenon “Scandoval” into a commercially and culturally significant event.

Meanwhile, Jenna Moylan analyzes four contemporary animated television shows for trans characters’ narrative role, the centrality of transness, and the visual legibility articulated by trans characters’ designs. In addition, Evelyn Ealey’s study suggests that television series before 2000 have more negative portrayals of the Strong Black Woman archetype, while modern television series embrace the archetype in a way gives characters complexity and depth.

In addition, Halli Harwood examines how three cruise lines frame port communities through excursion descriptions, revealing selective framing of destinations that often results in limited DEI representation.

These articles, produced in collaboration with faculty mentors, each represent exceptional achievements in undergraduate research. Please enjoy their work.

Harlen Makemson
Professor
Editor, Elon Journal