Dr. Art Raney recently delivered a keynote address at the 2015 International New Media Forum in Shanghai, China. This was the second time the event has been held and the second time he has been given this honor. The forum was sponsored by Shanghai Jiao Tong University and the International Communication Association.

One of only four U.S. scholars invited to present at the forum, Dr. Raney discussed the potential for inspiring media content to serve as a socially beneficial counter to possible negative effects of media technology use, such as cyberbullying and lowered self-esteem. His talk, titled “Reconstruction through Disruption? Considering Media’s Capacity to Inspire Prosociality,” explored the tension in the forum’s theme of “Disruption and Reconstruction: Communication in the Internet+ Age.” He based his address on his current research project on inspirational media sponsored by the John Templeton Foundation.

“I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to meet with communication scholars from various universities in China and to discuss research and other academic collaborations,” Raney said.

Additionally, Dr. Raney participated in a panel discussion with faculty and students from China and Hong Kong about academic publishing. FSU’s Dr. Laura Arpan was also a panelist at that event. 

To learn more about the 2015 International New Media Forum, click here. Additionally, to learn more about Dr. Raney’s research with the John Templeton Foundation, click here.