Loretta, Jimmy and Me

Loretta Lynn, music media superstar, famously coal miner’s daughter, has died at age 90. Because of the education profession and the push to increase the public visibility and awareness of the accomplishments and needs of American education, I met her at the White House during the administration of Jimmy Carter. Her passing brought back memories…

Increasing Access to Mental Health Services for Children

Mary Karapetian Alvord, PhD Resilience Across Borders, Inc. resilienceacrossborders@gmail.com Mental health needs far exceed the availability and affordability of services for many individuals and families.  Approximately 25% of youth meet the criteria for a mental health disorder, and only 1 in 5 children and teens receive the care they need.  It is particularly challenging for…

Media Psychology in Action: Personal Reflections

Pamela Rutledge, PhD, MBAMedia Psychology Research Center & Fielding Graduate Universitypamelarutledge@gmail.com The world is waking up to what media psychologists have known all along: Media is about people.  Media is the manifestation of human behavior, the result of collective and individual actions as people consume, interact, design, create, and connect across the spectrum of mediated…

Promoting Mental Wellness Through Media

Mary Karapetian Alvord, PhD Alvord, Baker & Associates, LLC MAlvord@alvordbaker.com Dissemination of accurate mental health information is critical for the well-being of the public.  Disseminating evidence-based information helps empower people to make informed decisions about personal mental health care and seeking professional services.  Mental health information facilitates the understanding of warning signs of difficulties and…

Pick a Side!

Allycin Powell-Hicks, Ph.D. Independent Consultant allypowellhicks@gmail.com “We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.”  The sentiment hangs heavy in the air, a specter from the past.  The Nobel Peace Prize recipient, activist, and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel’s (Wiesel, 2020) words are unfortunately all too…

When Real News is Fake

Roger Klein, PhD University of Pittsburgh rklein@pitt.edu Can real news be fake? Of course. While most news stories are based upon real events, I use the term “fake” here to suggest that with a variety of production strategies, purposeful exaggerations, and other intentional decisions by management, producers, and reporters, the end product—what the audience sees…