Can Media Make Us Better People and Other Conversations About Inspirational Media
Episode description
We are so excited about Episode 2 of Season 3, but we have to let you know we had a few technical issues with this recording...so please hang in there. You don't want to miss this conversation.
Dr. Art Raney is the James E. Kirk Professor of Communication in the School of Communication at Florida State University (Tallahassee, Florida, USA). His research primarily examines how and why we enjoy various media entertainment content, with specific attention to the role morality plays in those processes.
Dr. Raney has a really interesting, non-linear pathway to his current role in academia, and this is one story you won't want to miss out on. Also, learn more about his time at UA through several degrees and more about how he found his niche in communication research.
In August 2015, Raney was a principal investigator on a three-year grant project funded by the John Templeton Foundation. Raney and his team examined how self-transcendent emotions—awe, elevation, and admiration—were elicited by and experienced with inspirational media content, such as meaningful and touching films, “good news,” and viral videos; they also explored how these experiences might promote character building, an “others-praising” perspective, prosocial behavior, and increased exposure to and sharing of the content. This gets very validating for all of us who feel the need to justify the time we spend with media!
He has written and published more academic journal articles and books than seems humanly possible, but if you'd like a complete list, check out his CV here: https://directory.cci.fsu.edu/files/2020/10/vita-raney-10-20.pdf
To see some of the groundbreaking books he has co-edited (ones that are considered essential in the discipline), check out these links:
To follow him on social media: Twitter: @artraney
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