David Scott, Ph.D.
Professor Utah Valley University
- Orem UT
Scott is an expert in mass communication, communication theory, free expression, and media and culture
Biography
Areas of Expertise
Education
University of Georgia
Ph.D.
Mass Communication
1999
Links
Media Appearances
‘Mormon’ and ‘LDS’ are out; people react to edict from Pres. Nelson to use full-name of church
FOX 13 NOW tv
2018-10-08
Dr. David Scott, a professor of Communication, Religion & Media at Utah Valley University says the blogosphere has erupted since Nelson explained his reasoning.
Scott says church history shows the term, “Mormon,” is neutral and not meant to be disrespectful.
“Joseph Smith actually said that the word Mormon in reference to the Book of Mormon prophet that the term Mormon means 'more good',” said Scott.
Courses
Mormons Media and Culture
COMM 3780
Free Expression in a Democratic Society
COMM 3700
Articles
What Would Jesus Do in Cyberspace? A Comparison of Online Authority Appeals on Two LDS Websites Targeting Believers and Non-Members
Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought2018-01-01
How then does an international church use the internet to maintain authority when communicating to its flock? How does it use authoritative appeals to reach a generation of outsiders who often eschew denominational religion? This paper addresses these questions by analyzing how authority is constructed on two websites operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Defending the Family, Defending the Faith: An Analysis of The Family: A Proclamation to the World, Religious Identity, and the Politics of Same-Sex Marriage in a Mormon Community
Journal of GLBT Family Studies2017-05-24
In this article, we apply Peter Berger's theory of religion as a social construct to learn how The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormon Church) advances a heteronormative view of family relationships in the United States using a document titled The Family: A Proclamation to the World.
Dinosaurs on Noah’s Ark? Multi-media narratives and natural science museum discourse at the Creation Museum in Kentucky
Journal of Media and Religion2014-11-18
In recent decades, there has been growing interest in learning how museums reinforce and challenge popular culture. Scholars are beginning to examine the manner in which the use of objects, visual display, and media-saturated discourse in museums empowers their message. This study adds to this literature by examining the role of media, religion and the subjectivities of religious patrons in meaning-making practices at the Creation Museum in Kentucky. We learn that the museum's narrative resonates with the public memory regarding the role of traditional museums and a biblio-centric view of the world.
Communicating Jesus: The Encoding and Decoding Practices of Re-Presenting Jesus for LDS (Mormon) Audiences at a BYU Art Museum
Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought2013-07-01
When history is conflated with theology and technology (as might be the case in an exhibit featuring historical works of religious art), which perspective is dominant in the discourse of that exhibit?
Religiosity in South Park: Struggles Over Institutional and Personal Piety Among Residents of a “Redneck Town”
Journal of Media and Religion2011-08-16
This article offers a critical examination of the portrayal of religion in South Park, a top-rated animated program. A close reading of the program suggests that the series cannot be dismissed as merely vulgar humor aimed at antisocial adolescents. Instead, South Park resonates with a growing cultural animosity toward hypocrisy, religious hierarchy, and intolerance of many forms.
A Date with Science and Religion: An Analysis of the Encoding & Decoding Practices at the Dead Sea Scrolls Exhibit in Charlotte, North Carolina
Critical Studies in Media Communication2010-11-18
Museums are sites of contested meaning that bring together artifacts of the other with the sense-making practices of patrons. The Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit in Charlotte, North Carolina exemplifies a similar struggle as patrons negotiate between appeals to the authority of science and appeals to the authority of the Bible.
Matchmaker, Matchmaker, Find Me a Mate: A Cultural Examination of a Virtual Community of Single Mormons
Journal of Media and Religion2009-11-13
Cyberspace constitutes a place where people can build personal relationships and share norms or expectations that are meaningful and real for them (Paccagnella, 2002). Rooted in the social constructivist tradition (Berger & Luckmann, 1966), this study examines the role of religiosity and the Internet in the discursive strategies of single Mormons seeking relationships on the Web. The findings add to the literature addressing both virtual and religious communities by demonstrating how a virtual community is built and sustained by the religious discourse of its members.
Re-Presenting Mormon History: A Textual Analysis of the Representation of Pioneers and History at Temple Square in Salt Lake City
Journal of Media and Religion2009-11-13
This study applies a textual analysis of the marketing efforts and on-site representations of history at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah. Guided by the literature regarding museums as discursive constructs that at times sacrifice historic accuracy in order to appeal to visitors' expectations, this study demonstrates the role of pioneer mythology and the discursive construct of "museumness" at Temple Square as elements that contribute to the success of the square as a tourist destination.
Constructing Sacred History: Multi-Media Narratives and the Discourse of “Museumness” at Mormon Temple Square
Journal of Media and Religion2007-12-05
Two disparate streams of research (one emphasizing museums as texts, the other questioning the influence of religious institutions) suggest that as individuals participate in their own plausibility structures, they become resistant to hegemonic institutions attempting to “educate them.”
