Fall 2012 Editor's Note
Posted in 2012 Journal | Tagged Editor's Note
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Technology, whether that be social media or a pen, lets us capture a moment – and communication allows us to intervene in it. To put this another way, communication enables us to analyze our current circumstances; envision, and constitute new realities. It is therein that the power of interdisciplinary communication studies lies—the ability to seize a wide range of contexts and often inextricably-linked topics under one common thread.
I am proud to say that this issue of gnovis truly exemplifies the cross-disciplinary value of communication studies. It clarifies what communication scholars actually do, valorizes their unique perspectives, and puts at ease the affectionate but hesitant family and friends who still wonder how exactly communication studies can apply to the ‘real’ world. Allow me to briefly introduce to you our authors and their paper topics, which further illustrate my claim.
In Self Reflexive Whiteness, Dan Leberg unpacks the representation of ‘whiteness’ as evidenced through the narratives surrounding white rappers. In Walmart’s Struggles in India, Mallika Padmanabhan explores the crucial cultural contexts which dictate Walmart’s future business success in India. In Health Care Reform vs. Obamacare, Jaesik Ha analyzes the differences in Obama’s health care initiative coverage by liberal and conservative US media outlets. In An Analysis of Key Players in SOPA and PIPA, Jeremy Pesner examines the development of the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and Protect IP Act (PIPA) as evidenced through the various stakeholders. And in News and Soap Texts, Mark Cabling investigates the nuanced ways news and soap opera audiences ‘read’ their respective media texts.
With that, my gratitude goes out to our fantastic gnovis staff, peer reviewers, and Editorial Board who made this issue possible. As always, special thanks go to my partner in crime, Managing Journal Editor, Sarah Inman. And best wishes to our future Editor-in-Chief, Kassie Barroquillo and future Managing Journal Editor, Katharine Armstrong—to many successful moments captured through communication.
Last but not least I hope that you, the reader, enjoy this issue and of course, we welcome your thoughts.
Katerina