Promoting Integrity in the Face of Disruption: A Case for Expanding Communication Theory

Connolly-Ahern, Colleen, J. Suzanne Horsley, Shuning Lu, Yan Qu, Jordan Morehouse, Virginia Harrison, Chuqing Dong, Hye Jin Yoon, Yan Huang, Dean Mundy, & Sandra Boone (forthcoming), "Promoting Integrity in the Face of Disruption: A Case for Expanding Communication Theory," invited manuscript published in Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly.

Abstract: The inability to anticipate and address the current disruptive onslaught in communications has contributed to the erosion of trust in journalism, given rise to social media echo chambers, spawned “infodemics” that cause confusion during health crises, and precipitated the rise of “low information” voters. In 2023, The Arthur W. Page Center for Integrity in Public Communication published a call for original research that would expand existing communication theory or borrow theory from other disciplines that would help better explain and critique the current disruptive communication ecosystem. This forum represents the collective vision of the Page/Johnson Legacy Scholars.