Capitol News

Researchers in the Michigan State University College of Communication Arts and Sciences have been recognized as top scholars in the field of communication.

Danielle K. Brown, a journalist and researcher who uses her craft to foster racial justice, and Maria Lapinski, a leading scholar of health and risk communication, recently received honors from the International Communications Association (ICA), which aims to advance the scholarly study of communication by encouraging and facilitating excellence in academic research worldwide.

Danielle K. Brown

Brown, 1855 Professor of Community and Urban Journalism in the School of Journalism, was recognized as the Early Career Scholar by the ICA. She is MSU’s first recipient of this award, which honors a scholar no more than seven years past receipt of their doctoral degree. The recipient’s existing body of work must contribute to knowledge of the field of communication and show promise for continued development.

Brown, who is the founding director of the LIFT Project (Leaders Invested in Fostering Trust), was a strong contender.

“The LIFT Project focuses on trying to attack disinformation and misinformation about Black communities by creating new tools for journalism and newsrooms,” Brown said. “We work with communities around the Midwest to help understand their needs and desires around news and information and the spaces in which they think journalism might be able to bring news to them where they are. From there, we audit news coverage and identify spaces where journalism can fulfill the needs of the communities that are underserved or underrepresented.”

The project started in Minneapolis after George Floyd's death on May 25, 2020.

“After his murder, I was thinking about narrative change around protest because that’s what my core research was about for many years,” Brown said. “I realized that traditional training to fix the problem wasn’t going to actually work very well, so I was inspired to think more radically about our orientations for change in media and center communities when trying to make a difference.”

Brown’s interdisciplinary scholarship focuses on journalism, political science, sociology, media representations, narrative change, social movements, activism, identity politics psychology. Her work has been published in top-tier journals such as Nature Scientific American Nieman Lab Columbia Journalism Review Conversation

The ICA selection committee judges an early career scholar candidate on “the strength of their published work including its conceptual foundation argumentative clarity productivity at given career stage rigor produced so far promise existing serving springboard continuing scholarship.”

“It’s really fierce competition makes pretty dizzying mind know got it people amazing work,” Brown said “For me able have my work recognized this level something never expected most people study race racism know difficult subject approach personally but also difficult publish honor know made impact.”

Maria Lapinski

Lapinski professor communication director Michigan State University Health Risk Communication Center HRCC named fellow ICA

ICA Fellows honored distinguished scholarly contributions field MSU home largest network current past fellows

“This award recognizes portfolio scholarly work” Lapinski said “It focused research elements but acknowledges teaching service discipline university”

Lapinski appointment MSU AgBioResearch studies cultural norms values shape processes perceptions related health environmental issues

As director HRCC leads network over faculty members engage based education public engagement related risk reduction promotion

Lapinski's research funded organizations National Science Foundation World Health Organization National Institutes Health U.S Department Agriculture Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Carter Center Proceedings National Academy Sciences Human Communication Research Health Social Medicine others among journals published her work

“Communication research something passionate since first undergraduate class MSU” Lapinski said “The ways people communicate one another shapes decisions make taking care ourselves protecting environment around us Understanding process putting understanding practice continues excite me why love teaching much”

Despite singular honor named fellow quick appreciate largely collaboration colleagues HRCC

“I almost no projects ever done alone” Lapinski said “My career point facilitated mentorship colleagues students family friends didn’t get award own got help many people”

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