Kathleen Stansberry
Assistant Professor of Media Analytics | Elon University
Elon, NC, UNITED STATES
Assistant Professor of Media Analytics with expertise in Social Media, Internet Issues and Data use.
Spotlight
Biography
Dr. Kathleen Stansberry is an assistant professor in the Media Analytics program at Elon University. She conducts research in digital analytics and data analysis, online communities, social media use and emerging media technology.
Dr. Stansberry holds a BA in American Culture from Vassar College and an MA and PhD in Communication and Society from the University of Oregon. Her professional experience includes nearly a decade of work in corporate, agency and nonprofit strategic communications, most recently as the online community manager for the International Society for Technology in Education.
Areas of Expertise (8)
Mobile Data
Social Web
Internet Privacy
Media Analytics
Social Media
Big Data
Public Relations
Influencer Metrics
Media
Publications:
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Education (3)
University of Oregon: Ph.D., Communication & Society, Public Relations 2012
University of Oregon: M.A., Communication & Society 2008
Vassar College: B.A., American Culture 2003
Links (2)
Media Appearances (9)
The FBI Declared QAnon a Domestic Terrorism Threat — and Conspiracy Theorists Are Psyched
Rolling Stone online
2019-08-02
Kathleen Stansberry, assistant professor of strategic communications, offered analysis about the danger that comes with the spread of conspiracy theories, particularly on social media.
America’s most-Googled romantic comedies, in one map
Vox online
2019-02-14
Kathleen Stansberry offered some insight into the methodology behind the article, which focused on which movies were Googled the most on a state-by-state basis.
#MeToo: Social media amplifies experiences, action
Burlington Times News online
2017-11-11
The recently explosive #MeToo social media campaign has united men and women to speak out and claim, using that hashtag, that they were once victims of sexual harassment or assault. Millions united behind the campaign, some people even sharing their stories while others simply wanted to bring notice to the movement.
Cleveland murder raises questions about violent videos on Facebook
CBS News online
2017-04-19
Facebook is under fire over how it monitors and removes violent videos on the site. As authorities fanned out across five states Monday in a massive manhunt for a man who uploaded to Facebook a video in which he appeared to shoot and kill another man, the social media site is once again facing questions about how it polices violent content, having taken more than three hours to remove the offending video.
Why you should not watch or share the horrific viral video of Robert Godwin's murder
NY Daily News online
2017-04-17
I have not watched the Facebook video that shows the final moments of the life of Robert Godwin, Sr., and I sincerely hope that you have not either. It's not that I'm immune to the morbid curiosity that has led thousands to watch as Steve Stephens terrifies and kills a 74-year-old man, but the interconnected nature of the social web means that every view, click and share of the video contributes to the perpetuation of inhumane content online.
You Are Helping Shape the Internet
Slate online
2016-11-16
For better or for worse, if you’re reading this, you’re participating in a vast sociological experiment. It’s easy to forget—or never realize in the first place—that the internet, or more accurately the web interface built on the internet infrastructure, is the world’s first true mass communication channel. Sure, television, radio, newspapers, and books played similar roles as tools to distribute media content from producers to audiences.
Special Report: What undercover apps are on your teen's phone?
WTVM online
2016-11-16
Apps used by teens can have dangerous consequences for everyone involved. So how do you know if your child is using a dangerous app or site? Dr. Kathleen Stansberry is an expert in the field of social media, apps and the internet.
Dark Apps: Sites parents need to know about
Cleveland 19 News online
2016-10-31
Parents need to be aware that truly dangerous apps exist and, believe it or not, are readily available to children. Dr. Kathleen Stansberry is an Assistant Professor with Cleveland State University who is an expert in the field of social media, apps and the internet.
The security risks of Pokémon Go, explained
PolitiFact online
2016-07-14
Pokémon characters are manifesting at the Republican National Convention zones in Cleveland. The "augmented reality" smartphone game was released eight days ago. Now a zillion adults share their obsession alongside kids who are too young to remember the original anime game from the ‘90s. People have been busted trampling through cemeteries chasing the colorful pocket monsters. The Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C. had to declare itself a Pokémon-free zone.
Articles (5)
A Motivational Perspective on Mass Communication Students’ Satisfaction With Their Major: Investigating Antecedents and Consequences
Journalism & Mass Communication Educator
Ed Madison, Toby Hopp, Arthur D. Santana, Kathleen Stansberry
2017 This study used self-determination theory (SDT) to investigate the motivations for selecting a major among mass communication and media majors at 18 colleges and universities across the United States. Specifically, 669 mass communication majors were queried on their intrinsic and extrinsic motivations for choosing a major, their degree of major satisfaction, and positive outcomes related to academic performance and overall well-being.
A Cavalier Approach to Public Relations: The Unconventional Image Restoration of LeBron James
CSSC
Kathleen Stansberry & Jessalynn Strauss
2016 In a widely panned 2010 television special, LeBron James announced that he would be leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers and “taking his talents to South Beach.” Criticized by many for exhibiting what was seen as uncouth and egotistical behavior, James and his personal and professional image were severely damaged by the fallout from the spectacle and subsequent posturing.
Identifying and engaging online influencers through the social web
PRism
Kathleen Stansberry
2015 Although widely recognised as a valuable communication tool, public relations professionals have struggled to engage with publics through social media. This study examines information flow in online, interest based networks that have developed through the use of social media. These online communities, which consist of Internet users who are highly engaged with a particular issue, exhibit characteristics of fan communities as evidenced by the development of shared values, language, and culture (Jenkins, 2006). Using online network mapping and qualitative data analysis, this study suggests that a small number of primary influencers from within online communities are central to information collection, collation, and distribution. In contrast to the linear models of information flow that have dominated public relations research, the findings suggests that a radial model of information flow can more accurately illustrate information dissemination in online, interest-based networks.
Assessment of a Diversity Assignment in a PR Principles Course
Communication Teacher
TD Gallicano, K Stansberry
2012 This study assesses an assignment for incorporating diversity into the principles of public relations course. The assignment is tailored to the challenges of using an active learning approach in a large lecture class. For the assignment, students write a goal, objectives, strategies, an identification of tactics, and evaluation plans for either low-income African-American women or low-income Hispanic women living in an urban food desert. Based on focus group data, this assignment appears to help students focus on lectures and retain the material a year after the assignment. With rare exception, the participants who completed the assignment had a better level of cultural understanding than participants who did not have the assignment, as measured by performances on a similar case study one year after the assignment.
Mapping mommy bloggers: Using online social network analysis to study publics
Prism Journal
Katie Stansberry
2011 The study of public relations is dominated by assumptions about publics. However, much of the research in public relations makes assumptions about the concept of publics without addressing the ambiguity of the term (Vasquez & Taylor, 2001).
Social