This week we wind down our "Talking Mass Communication Perspectives" season of Special Topics in Media. Garret Castleberry and Season 13 guest host Annabeth Fehrle reflect on how technologies challenge traditional educational systems, spring-boarding conversation out of Brian Gilchrist's essay, "The Smartphone as Permanent Substitute Teacher," which is featured in the academic anthology Communication Theory and Millennial Popular Culture (Roberts, 2016). Reading Reference: Bri...
Welcome to the "Talking Mass Communication Perspectives" season of Special Topics in Media. Once again Garret Castleberry is joined by Season 13 guest host Annabeth Fehrle to discuss Multistep Flow Theory and how it functions as a part of #Hashtag Advertising strategies. Reading Reference: Andrew Sharma & Chrys Egan. "Hashtag Television Advertising--The Multistep Flow of Millennial TV Usage, Commercial Viewings, and Social Media Interaction". In Communication Theory and Millennial P...
Welcome to the "Talking Mass Communication Perspectives" season of Special Topics in Media. This week Garret Castleberry and Season 13 guest cohost Annabeth Fehrle discuss Muted Group Theory and how it can be interpreted within the narrative framework of a trio of Disney-Pixar animated feature films: Brave (2012), WALL-E (2008) and The Incredibles (2004). Reading Reference: Bruce W. Finklea & Sally Bennett Hardig. "Seen but Not Heard--Exploring Muted Group Theory in The Incred...
Welcome to the "Talking Mass Communication Perspectives" season of Special Topics in Media. This week host Garret Castleberry is joined by Annabeth Fehrle to discuss Fantasy Theme Analysis and how it applies to two politically oriented TV programs, ABC's Scandal (2013-2018) and NBC's Parks & Recreation (2009-2015). Reading Reference: Fogle, Krystal. "Knope vs. Pope: A Fantasy Theme Analysis of Scandal vs. Parks & Recreation". In Communication Theory and Millennial Popular Cultur...
Welcome to the "Talking Mass Communication Perspectives" season on Special Topics in Media. This week we tackle Disney, Hegemony, and the role that Critical Theory plays in shaping our views of the world. Reading Reference: Applequist, Janelle. ""Let it go, let it go"--Hegemony and Counter-Hegemony in Disney's Frozen". In Communication Theory and Millennial Popular Culture: Essays and Applications. Roberts, K. G. (Editor). New York: Peter Lang, 2016. Host: Garret Castleberry, An...
A New Season begins! What is on deck? Who is covering it? And why should you listen! Reading Reference: Roberts, Kathleen Glenister (Editor). Communication Theory and Millennial Popular Culture: Essays and Applications. New York: Peter Lang, 2016. Host: Garret Castleberry, Annabeth Fehrle Producers: Garret Castleberry, Will McMurry (Audio Engineer), Alli Garner (Cover Art), Austin Foster (Music) Ways to Connect with us online: Follow and engage with Special Topics in ...
Closing out our Internship Interview Series, host Garret Castleberry visits with graduating senior and MACU's Men's Baseball pitcher Jacob Mallozzi, a student athlete blurring the lines between reporter and player. Jacob talks about his Texas roots and how this background provided the basis for his journeyman shifts in degree focus and professional outlook. This May, Special Topics in Media is proud to recognize college students demonstrating excellence through participation in internsh...
Winding down this month's Internship Interview Series, host Garret Castleberry visits with junior Kaetlen Schier, a student athlete "thriving in the chaos" of work-life balance. Kaetlen talks about the value available when students seek internships that align with areas of passion and/or study;; in this instance interning with a men's semi-pro volleyball organization as the club's social media coordinator. This May, Special Topics in Media is proud to recognize college students demonstra...
Rounding the corner with May's Internship Interview Series, host Garret Castleberry connects with junior Brady Allen, a missions-minded media production specialist interning in areas that connect lighting, audio, and multimedia production in cooperation with a multi-campus ministry organization. This May, Special Topics in Media is proud to recognize college students demonstrating excellence through participation in internship partnerships. Throughout the month we will spotlight one-on-...
Continuing May's Internship Interview Series, host Garret Castleberry connects with sophomore Jared Hinkle, a burgeoning videographer and social media coordinator affiliated with Major League Fishing who travels the country by day while casting lines that deepen his social media imprint by night. This May, Special Topics in Media is proud to recognize college students demonstrating excellence through participation in internship partnerships. Throughout the month we will spotlight one-on...
Diving deeper into May's Internship Interview Series, host Garret Castleberry sits down with graduating senior, MACU Women's Volleyball player, and recipient of the 2024-25 Media Production Award, Annabeth Fehrle. Annabeth discusses her passion for public speaking and how it translates into and out of the classroom. This May, Special Topics in Media is proud to recognize college students demonstrating excellence through participation in internship partnerships. Throughout the month we will sp...
Kicking off May's Internship Interview Series, host Garret Castleberry sits down with graduating senior, MACU Men's Baseball Pitcher, and recipient of the 2024-25 Communication Award Jordan Smith to discuss his transition from collegiate student athlete to junior varsity assistant coach. This May, Special Topics in Media is proud to recognize college students demonstrating excellence through participation in internship partnerships. Throughout the month we will spotlight one-on-one sit-downs ...
This May, Special Topics in Media is proud to recognize students demonstrating excellence through participating in internship partnership this year. Throughout the month we will spotlight one-on-one sit-downs with current and graduating students in the Media Production and Communication program at MACU. Host: Garret Castleberry Producers: Garret Castleberry, Will McMurry (Audio Engineer), Alli Garner (Cover Art), Austin Foster (Music) Ways to Connect with us online: Follow and e...
Vinylthon month is here! Which raises a fun question: How does vinyl intersect with other mass mediums? To connect the dots between vinyl and film history, Scott McMurry joins Special Topics in Media for a discussion about films that capitalize on the music craze. Celebrate "Vinylthon" by tuning in to the nonprofit event this April, or consider supporting vinyl radio through a subscription to the annual Vinylthon Zine, which celebrates "10 Years of Vinylthon" in 2025. Host: ...
Vinylthon month is here! Which raises an important question: What exactly IS Vinyl? To deepen listener appreciation for Vinylthon month, Scott McMurry joins Special Topics in Media for a discussion about what distinguishes vinyl from other forms of physically reproduced media. Celebrate "Vinylthon" by tuning in to the nonprofit event this April, or consider supporting vinyl radio through a subscription to the annual Vinylthon Zine, which celebrates "10 Years of Vinylthon" in 2025. ...
Vinylthon month is here! Which raises an important question...What IS Vinylthon? Joining us to discuss "Vinylthon" and more, Dr. Tim Craig (Warner University) joins Special Topics in Media for a discussion about the origins of Vinylthon, grassroots growth of this musical movement, and the ways in which it continues to diversify its programming strategies. Host: Garret Castleberry Producers: Garret Castleberry, Will McMurry (Audio Engineer), Alli Garner (Cover Art), Austin Foster (Mus...
Summer is a time to celebrate a great many things, and we are seasonally framing our favorite "cool down" treats for a hot sunny day at the movies . Host Garret Castleberry grabs his wallet, swipes his card, and collects enough goodies to count down a "Top 5 Summer Movie Snacks". It's a Top 5 Countdown to get the mouth watering. Email us your rainy day theater visits at specialtopicsinmedia@gmail.com, or tag us with a rainy day theater vlog on our Special Topics in Media Facebook page. Links ...
We're BACK! After a minor hiatus to update the power converters and reset the flux capacitor (movie logic excuses only), the 2025 Summer Movie Season resumes with an enriched look into the month of June. Host Garret Castleberry is joined by Kyle Hammonds to discuss key releases in June, a month full of genre surprises. Listen to hear which mainstream movies had their ticket stubs torn, and reach out to connect and let us know which June releases topped your radar in 2025. Hosts: G...
It's a mid-season interlude ripe with nostalgia! Helping transition from early to mid-summer focus, Special Topics in Media offers a "2025 Summer Movie Season" side story. Host Garret Castleberry sits down with scholarly cinephile Kyle Hammonds to unpack the phenomenon of retro film screenings. The duo examine a partial sample of recent rewatches while theorizing about how the phenomenon aids versus ails the in-flux movie theater business as well as an increased industry focus on the audience...
It's an early fall celebration! The rainy season arrived unexpectedly this August, and to commemorate the cool down, Special Topics in Media offers a "2025 Summer Movie Season" reprieve. Host Garret Castleberry dims the lights, curls up with a remote mic, and let's the thunder roll while recollecting a "Top 5 Rainy Day Movie Theater Drop-Ins". It's a Top 5 Countdown to help listeners stay dry. Email us your rainy day theater visits at specialtopicsinmedia@gmail.com, or tag us with a rai...