Serena Miller Ph.D.

Ph.D., Media & Information Studies, Michigan State University
M.A., Journalism, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
B.A., Communication, South Dakota State University

Theory and Research Methods
Miller, S. (2026). Scale development and validity. L. Shen (Ed.). In Handbook of quantitative research methods in communication science vol. 1: Fundamental issues, measurement, and study design (pp. 177-198). De Gruyter Mouton.

Miller, S., Peng, Z., & Heo, R. (2026). Demographic data inclusion tenets in applied data practice: The utilization of the QuantCrit lens to capture demographic fluidness in context. Communication Methods & Measures, 20(2), 159-187. 

Miller, S. (2023). A framework for evaluating and creating conceptual definitions: A concept explication approach for scale developers. In L. Ford & T. Scandura (Eds.), SAGE Handbook of Survey Development and Application (pp. 9-22). Sage.

Lacy, S., Miller, S., & Lovejoy, J. (2023). Improving the creation of social science theory in journalism and mass communication scholarship. Journalism & Mass Communication Monographs, 25(2), 117-133.

Shin, S., & Miller, S. (2022). A review of the participant observation method in journalism: Designing and reporting. Review of Communication Research, 10, 114-145.

Carpenter, S. (2018). Ten decision steps in scale development: A guide for researchers. Communication Methods and Measures, 12(1), 25-44.

Academic Sociology of Knowledge
Miller, S. (2023). Reimagining tenure and promotion: The Creative Scholarship Pathways Framework. Review of Communication, 23(2), 98-121.

Miller, S. (2023). A review of U.S. tenure and promotion guidelines in media and communication and their support for engaged scholarship. Communication Education, 72(1), 96-98.

Miller, S. (2023). Creative scholarship: A conceptual definition. The Journal of Media Education, 14(1), 15-21.

Miller, S. (2022). The tenure and promotion standards used to evaluate creative scholarship in the media and communication fields. Journalism & Mass Communication Educator, 77(4), 376-392.

Miller, S. (2022). Teaching performance, service, and scholarship: The rewarding of U.S. media and communication faculty members’ teaching in tenure and promotion guidelines. Journalism & Mass Communication Educator, 77(1), 92-110.

Baykaldi, S., & Miller, S. (2021). Navigating the decisions and ethics of authorship: An examination of graduate student journal article authorship. Journalism & Mass Communication Educator, 76(1), 29–45. 

Miller, S., Cepak, A., & Peng, Z. (2020). Pedagogical approaches in teaching journalistic interviewing competencies. Electronic News, 14(2), 78-96.

Carpenter, S., Grant, A.E., & Hoag, A. (2016). Journalism Degree Motivations (JDM): The development of a scale. Journalism & Mass Communication Educator, 71(1), 5-27. 

Carpenter, S., Makhadmeh, N., & Thornton, L.J. (2015). Mentorship on the doctoral level: An examination of communication mentors’ traits and functions. Communication Education, 64(3), 366-384.  

Carpenter, S., Hoag, A., Grant, A.E., & Bowe, B. (2015). An examination of how academic advancement of U.S. journalism students relates to their degree motivations, values, and technology use. Journalism & Mass Communication Educator, 70(1), 58-74.

Carpenter, S. (2009). An application of the theory of expertise: Teaching liberal arts and skills knowledge areas to prepare journalists for change. Journalism & Mass Communication Educator, 64(3), 287-304.

Carpenter, S. (2008). A study of graduate student authorship in journalism and mass communication journals: 1997-2006. Journalism & Mass Communication Educator, 63(3), 224-240.
 

Alternative Approaches Toward Journalism
Cox, J., Miller, S., & Shin, S. (2026). The news sourcing practices of solutions journalists in Africa, Europe, and the United States. Journalism Practice, 20(3), 843-859.

Shin, S., & Miller, S. (2025). The News Engagement Process Model: Theorization of audience and journalist interactions. International Journal of Communication, 19, 2508–2532.

Miller, S., Shin, S, & Cox, J. (2025). Explaining the practice acceptance of solutions journalism through an analysis of journalists’ adherence to solutions journalism. Journalism Practice.

Miller, S., Shin, S., & Cox, J. (2024). The Problem-Solving Solutions Journalism Model: Treating news audiences as problem solvers in solutions journalism. In J. Kuypers (ed.), A future for the news: What’s wrong with mainstream news media in America and how to fix it(pp. 171-194). Lexington. 

Miller, S. (2019). Citizen journalism. In M. Karlsson, H. Örnebring, M. Carlson, Y. Chan, S. Craft, H. Sjøvaag, & H. Wasserman (Eds.). Oxford research encyclopedia of communication - journalism studies (pp. 1-25). New York: Oxford University Press.

Boehmer, J., Carpenter, S., & Fico, F. (2019). More of the same? Influences on source use in for-profit and nonprofit news organizational content. Journalism Studies, 12(2), 173-192.

Boehmer, J., Carpenter, S., & Fico, F. (2018). Filling the void: Non-profit news and factors affecting government conflict coverage. Digital Journalism, 6(3), 369-388. 

Carpenter, S., Boehmer, J., & Fico, F. (2016). The measurement of journalistic role enactments: A study of organizational constraints and support in for-profit and nonprofit journalism. Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, 93(3), 587-608.

Carpenter, S., Nah, S., & Chung, D. (2015). A study of U.S. online community journalists and their organizational characteristics and story generation routines. Journalism: Theory, Practice & Criticism, 16(4), 505-520. 

Chung, D., Nah, S., & Carpenter, S. (2013). Journalistic role conceptions and sourcing practices: A study of U.S. citizen journalists. Journal of Social Science, 29(1), 65-98. 

Carpenter, S. (2010). U.S. online newspaper and online citizen journalism publications: A comparison of content diversity. New Media & Society, 12(7), 1064-1084.

Carpenter, S. (2010). A study of journalistic and source transparency in U.S. online newspaper and online citizen journalism publications. In G. Monaghan & S. Tunney (Eds.), Web journalism: A new form of citizenship? Sussex Academic Press.

Carpenter, S. (2009). An examination of news quality and the extent to which U.S. online newspaper and online citizen journalism publications adhere to it. In J. Rosenberry & B. St. John III (Eds.), Public journalism 2.0: The promise and reality of a citizen-engaged press. Routledge. 

Carpenter, S. (2008). How online citizen journalism publications and online newspapers utilize the objectivity standard and rely on external sources. Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, 85(3), 533-550. 
 

Environmental Journalism
Walsh, J., Miller, S., Perrault, M., Lawrence, E., & Miller, C. (2025). Who is responsible? Examining the way U.S. newspapers in rural agricultural and ranching states cover water quality. Journal of Rural Studies, 120, 103862.

Miller, S., Takahashi, B., Heo, R., & Cottrell, J. (2025). Sustainability and environmental communities of practice’s impact on news content diversity. Journalism Practice, 19(6), 1175-1196.

Heo, R., Miller, S., Takahashi, B., & Cottrell, J. (2024). A content analysis of EPPM’s threat and efficacy information in environmental news: The impact of a community of practice and topic. Newspaper Research Journal, 45(3), 332-350. 

Walsh, J., Miller, S., Perrault, M., & Lawrence, E. (2024). Neutrality and impartiality in Midwestern U.S. newspapers: Community-oriented newspaper journalists reporting of environmental water problems in agricultural and cattle states. Journal of Communication in Healthcare, 17(2), 223-232.

Duan, R., & Miller, S. (2021). Media coverage of climate change in China: A comparative analysis of party-sponsored and market-oriented newspapers. Journalism, 22(10), 2493–2510.

Carpenter, S., Takahashi, B., Lertpratchya, A., & Cunningham, C. (2016). Greening the campus: A theoretical extension of the dialogic communication approach. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 17(4), 520-539. 

Carpenter, S., Takahashi, B., Cunningham, C., & Lertpratchya, A. (2016). Higher education and public communication campaigns: The roles of social media in promoting sustainability. International Journal of Communication, 10, 4863-488.

Professional Practice
Peng, Z., & Miller, S. (2023). Technological and perceptional predictors of news use on the WeChat mobile application. Journalism Practice, 17(3), 554-573.

Carpenter, S., Hoag, A., & Grant, A. E. (2018). An examination of print and broadcast individuals’ personality traits. Journalism and Mass Communication Educator, 73(2), 147-166. 

Carpenter, S., Peng, Z., & Cepak, A. (2018). An exploration of the complexity of journalistic interviewing competencies. Journalism Studies, 19(15), 2283-2303.

Carpenter, S., & Kanver, D. (2017). Journalistic expertise: A communicative approach. Communication and the Public, 2(3), 197–209.

Carpenter, S., Kanver, D., & Timmons, R. (2017). It’s about me: A study of journalists’ self-presentations of their visual and verbal selves. Journalism Practice, 11(10), 1246-1266.

Carpenter, S., & Lertpratchya, A. (2016). A qualitative and quantitative study of professional social media communicators: An extension of role theory to digital media workers. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 60(3), 448-464.

Carpenter, S., & Lertpratchya, A. (2016). Social media communicator roles: A scale. Social Media + Society, January-March, 1-11.

Lertpratchya, A., & Carpenter, S. (2015). Social media communicators’ motivations for professional engagement: A study of altruism, reciprocity, and reputation. PRism, 12(2).

Blom, R., Carpenter, S., Bowe, B., & Lange, R. (2014). Frequent contributors in U.S. newspaper comment forums: An examination of their civility and informational value. American Behavioral Scientist, 58(10), 1314-1328. 

Knight, M., & Carpenter, S. (2012). Optimal matching model of social support: An examination of how national product and service companies use Twitter to respond to the public. Southwestern Mass Communication Journal, 28(2), 21-35.

Carpenter, S., & Blom, R. (2012). Morality, the news media, and the public: An examination of comment forums on U.S. daily newspaper websites. In B. St. John & K. A. Johnson (Eds.). News with a view: Journalism beyond objectivity. McFarland Press. 

St. Cyr, C., Carpenter, S., & Lacy, S. (2010). Internet competition and U.S. newspaper city government coverage: Testing the Lowrey and Mackay model of occupational competition. Journalism Practice, 4(4), 507-522.

Buis, L., & Carpenter, S. (2009). Health and medical blog content and its relationships with blogger credentials and blog host. Health Communication, 24(8), 703-710.

Schaudt, S., & Carpenter, S. (2009). The news that’s fit to click: An analysis of online news values and preferences present in the most-viewed stories on azcentral.com. Southwestern Mass Communication Journal, 24(2), 17-26.

Carpenter, S. (2008). Licensing rights, Medicare and quackery: How the New York Times portrayed chiropractic from 1960 to 1975. Chiropractic History, 28(1), 95-105.

Fico, F., Zeldes, G., Carpenter, S., & Diddi, A. (2008). Broadcast and cable network news coverage of the 2004 presidential election: An assessment of partisan and structural balance. Mass Communication & Society, 11(3), 319-339. 

Whitten, P., Dutta, M.J., Carpenter, S., & Bodie, G.D. (2008). News media and health care providers at the crossroads of medical adverse events. In K. Henriksen, J. Battles, M. Keyes, & M.L. Grady (Eds.), Advances in patient safety: New directions and alternative approaches. Vol. 1. Assessment. AHRQ Publication Nos. 08-0034-1. Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

Zeldes, G., Fico, F., Carpenter, S., & Diddi, A. (2008). Partisan balance and bias in network coverage of the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 52(4), 563-580.

Carpenter, S. (2007). U.S. elite and non-elite newspapers’ portrayal of the Iraq War: A  comparison of frames and source use. Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, 84(4), 761-776.

LaRose, R., Gregg, J., Strover, S., Straubhaar, J., & Carpenter, S. (2007). Closing the rural broadband gap: Social marketing the internet in rural America. Telecommunications Policy, 31(6-7), 359-373. 

Carpenter, S., Lacy, S., & Fico, F. (2006). Network news coverage of high-profile crimes  during 2004: A study of source use and reporter context. Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, 83(4), 901-916.

Note. Italicized Names = Faculty Mentoring Leading to Graduate Student Coauthorship

Undergraduate
Visual Storytelling: JRN 203
Online Spartan Newsroom, JRN 400
Broadcast News II, JRN 403
Public Relations Topics in Journalism, JRN 402
Images and Messages, JRN 445
Advanced Multimedia Storytelling, JRN 492

Masters
Multimedia Reporting I and II, JRN 800 and JRN 801
Journalism ProSeminar, JRN 802
Introduction to Quantitative Research, COM 803
Social Media News & Information, JRN821
Applied Research Methods in Journalism, JRN 816

PhD
Ways of Knowing, CAS 991
Content Analysis, CAS 992
Media Theory, JRN921
Media & Information Theory Building, ADV900
Scale Development and Reporting, CAS892
Scale Development and Survey Research, CAS 992

PI, Mass Communication and Society Division (Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication) (2024-2025). “An experiment testing audience’s perceptions of AI news anchors: Trusted news source or trusted impartial presentation style?”

PI, Women in Measurement ResearcHER award (2024-2025). “How data analysts Influence the ‘numerical pictures in people’s heads’: Guidance and ethical considerations when quantifying social and identity groups.”

PI, Michigan State University Institutional Diversity and Inclusion, Diversity Research Network’s Launch Awards Program (LAP, (2022-2024). “The Use of the Design Justice Framework to create diverse, equitable, and inclusive (DEI) data visualization guidelines.”

PI, Broadcast Education Association (2022-2023). “The media storytelling role in journalism.”

PI, MSU Department of Community Sustainability. (2019-2022). “Content analysis of sustainability in college news publications.”

PI, Broadcast Education Association (BEA) (2016-2018). “Defining creative scholarship in communication: An interview study.”

PI, Council of Communication Associations (2016-2018). Defining creative scholarship in communication: A content analysis.

PI, Knight Center for Environmental Journalism (2016). The crafting of ricing moccasins. 

PI, The Arthur W. Page Center (2015). Visual best practices in communicating sustainability: A cognitive science approach.

Newspaper and Online Division (Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication) (2015). A qualitative and quantitative study examining the state of journalistic interviewing.

The Office of Sustainability. (2014). The sustainability practices of U.S. universities.

The Arthur W. Page Center (2013). Roles of professional social media communicators: An examination of perceptions, conflict and identity.

National Academic Advising Association (2012). “Cultivation and expectancy value influences on college major choice: A study of communication undergraduates.”