In the News: Smith on coverage of mass shootings; Roberts on business; Woody Cooper on depression

Recent news media coverage featuring Webster University faculty members include:

Smith on KMOX about News Media Coverage of Shootings

Julie Smith was interviewed live on KMOX this summer to discuss how news media cover shootings, discussing the use of language, how "mass shootings" are defined, and why some shootings are considered major news while others are not covered at all.

Smith, a lecturer teaching media literacy in Webster University’s School of Communications, has partnered with the radio station on the KMOX Media Literacy Project. Her book, "Master the Media: How Teaching Media Literacy Can Save Our Plugged-In World” was selected by the Washington Nationals baseball team as the book of the month in September.

"The whole idea behind media literacy is asking the right questions," Smith said. "Who's presenting the message? Who wants my attention? Who profits from that attention?"

In the case of coverage of shootings, Smith pointed out that news media focus on "novelty" and incidents that run counter to common expectations. She referred to research at the University of Chicago that found that "newsworthy stories, stories that get a lot of coverage, typically break our assumptions that a place is safe, so shootings that take place in a church, school or mall, or some public place will get more coverage."

Listen to the entire discussion here.

Roberts in Business Journal, MoneyGeek on Business, Insurance

Joe Roberts was quoted by the St. Louis Business Journal about comments made by the CEO of Centene to consider relocating out of the state of Missouri. 

Separately, he was quoted in two pieces at Money Geek. The first was about how to balance risk with costs when searching for car insurance: The 10 Best Car Insurance Companies of 2021 (May Upd) | MoneyGeek.com. The second item covered what factors parents should consider when searching for insurance for their teen-aged drivers: The Best Cheap Insurance for Teens in 2021 | MoneyGeek.com

Roberts is a professor in Webster's George Herbert Walker School of Business & Technology and director of the Center for Innovation and Professional Development.

Woody Cooper on Depression in the Pandemic

Jameca Woody Cooper was quoted by WebMD about the next steps one should take after being diagnosed with depression.

“A lot of my patients talk about how their families don’t really believe in mental health issues like depression or anxiety,” Cooper says. “Sometimes they refer to baby boomer parents that say, ‘Just suck it up. Get over it. Just get enough rest. Just work harder.’ ... A lot of people’s families see mental health as a weakness.”

Woody Cooper is a licensed psychologist and faculty member in the Webster University School of Education.

Some people come from communities that don’t believe in mental health diagnoses, she added. “In their countries of origin there is no such thing as anxiety or depression or schizophrenia. They might call it something else, and they might lump all of them together.”

“We have to work hard to help people understand that mental illness has nothing to do with your character,” she adds. “It has nothing to do with your value as a human, your intelligence. It’s neurobiological.”

Read the full article here: What to Know When You're Newly Diagnosed With Depression (webmd.com)