Camp Quill and Writing Progress

Tranquil porches and lots of writing. I returned from Camp Quill with gold stars and finished writing projects.

Camp Quill, a writing camp, was just what I needed mid-summer. As I pulled into the retreat's parking lot outside of Marble Falls, Texas, I checked my email to find a rejection of a manuscript. It was not the way I had hoped to start, but I added the project to my list.

Dr. Cristi Horton, Dr. Kay Colley and me

Our kick-off keynote, Dr. Edward Janak, was fantastic and helped me immediately reset and reboot. He delivered 11 timely tips for us as we began a writing journey, tying each suggestion to his start in construction. Follow him on LinkedIn — I'm hopeful he'll share all of them there. His reset included thinking of the joy and not necessarily the pressures. He suggested being mindful of your space and environment for writing. The Ranch Retreat created the perfect environment for my writing. I claimed a rocking chair on the porch and typed in cadence with the rain. I also loved being in the vicinity of others typing diligently on their projects. Writing felt more communal and not so lonely.

Me and Junior

A friend likes to tease me that I still crave gold stars. I do. ⭐ So, I brought gold stars to share, and guess what? I'm not the only one. Writers placed their gold star stickers on laptops, phone covers, and their t-shirts. Each one took three stars to go, to self-administer when they accomplish their 30-day, 60-day, and 90-day writing goals.

Me finding writing joy 

A big thank you to Dr. Lora Helvie-Mason and the Morrows (Dr. Chris and Dr. Becky) for organizing an awesome retreat. I also want to give a shout-out to Chef Suki for the amazing food that kept us focused during our writing blocks, because we knew a fabulous and nourishing spread was on the other end of the timer. 

JSMS rides into the archival sunset

Cover of the first issue. 

From 2012 to 2025, the Journal of Social Media in Society has been home to social media research. When we started the journal, finding a home for a project focused on social media and specific platforms was a tougher search. With social media entering its 20s, journals are receptive to articles and scholarship in this area. As such, we have decided to shutter the journal.

So, so, so many people were involved in the creation and continuation of JSMS. Some of our reviewers have been with us since the beginning. That is an amazing service lift, and we are ever grateful for all of our reviewers. Associate editors were added as we plodded along, and they were instrumental in our forward momentum. We have had wonderful editorial assistants, both doctoral and master's students. Our authors always impressed me with their work, but also their kindness. Founding a journal has been a ride, and I am filled with gratitude for the journey. The masthead for the journal is now located in our archived site: https://thejsms.blogspot.com.

ARCHIVE

You can still access all of the fantastic research published in the journal in our online archive. We are also in the process of archiving it with the Public Knowledge Project. OJS/PKP has been a wonderful partner in the publishing process.

TOP TEN

JSMS had 1.1 million abstract views and 893,000 article downloads. To celebrate the 13-year run, we have tallied the most PDFs downloaded and created our Top 10 list. 

1. Parasocial Interaction in the Digital Age:  An Examination of Relationship Building and the Effectiveness of YouTube Celebrities Vol. 7 No. 1 (2018)
2. Scrolling, Simping, and Mobilizing Vol. 12 No. 1 (2023)
3. The Evolution of Social Media from 1969 to 2013: A Change in Competition and a Trend Toward Complementary, Niche Sites Vol. 3 No. 2 (2014)
4. Internet Dependency and Academic Performance Vol. 4 No. 1 (2015)
5. The Development of Parasocial Interaction Relationships on YouTube Vol. 7 No. 1 (2018)
6. Using the PAD (Pleasure, Arousal, and Dominance) Model to Explain Facebook Attitudes and Use Intentions Vol. 6 No. 1 (2017)
7. An Analysis of George Floyd-themed Memes Vol. 10 No. 2 (2021)
8. Twitter, Social Support Messages, and the #MeToo Movement Vol. 7 No. 2 (2018)
9. Effects of Parasocial Interaction with an Instafamous Influencer on Brand Attitudes and Purchase Intentions Vol. 10 No. 1 (2021)
10. The Looking Glass Lens: Self-concept Changes Due to Social Media Practices Vol. 4 No. 1 (2015)

Research Extravaganza

One article to proof. Then another. And a third. It was a busy winter break checking page proofs for research articles, but I am ever thankful for published scholarly work! My research focuses on helping public relations practitioners and educators navigate digital spaces, concerning technology developments (such as generative AI), organizational listening, and ethical concerns. 

GenAI in the Public and Nonprofit Sectors
Jacqueline Lambiase, Rosalynn Vasquez, and I asked nonprofit and public sector communicators about their planning, training and policies related to GenAI use. The TL;DR version is that 85% were using GenAI in their professional work, but very few had training, discussions, or ethical guidelines. There was a disconnect between what they thought was most important related to AI ethics and what they believed their bosses' main concerns were. We developed a 10-point model for the ethical adoption of new tech for public relations practitioners, as well as adapted an ethical sensitivity scale for public relations.

Maben, S. K., Lambiase, J., & Vasquez, R. A. (2026). Self-starters and lone rangers: Municipal government and nonprofit PR practitioners’ approaches to AI training, ethics, and policy-making. Public Relations Review, 52(1), Article 102664. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2025.102664

Early Coverage of ChatGPT
Lora Helvie-Mason, Prairie Parnell, and I wanted to document how the advent of ChatGPT was covered in the higher education press, specifically The Chronicle of Higher Education.  Using qualitative analysis, we reviewed the initial articles, letters, and briefs written by staff and guest writers for agenda-setting on the technological advancements in generative artificial intelligence (AI), specifically ChatGPT. Primary themes identified in the articles included AI as a tool, AI’s interplay with education, faculty agency and implications, and surveilling students and examining academic integrity. The tone was categorized as informational, instructive, and cautionary. 

Maben, S. K., Helvie-Mason, L. B., & Endres-Parnell, P. (2025). The Chronicle of Higher Education’s initial coverage of the advent of ChatGPT: Navigating generative artificial intelligence. Southwestern Mass Communication Journal, 41(2). https://doi.org/10.58997/vsk7tp50

Emojis in Organizational Social Media Messaging
In a quasi-experimental study with Chris Gearhart, we found that messages with emojis were considered more competent, attention-getting, and engaging than messages without. Emoji sequences also tested well. 🐸💜💥Context matters, and serious messages should proceed with ⚠️ caution. We didn't find much difference between perceptions based on age, gender, education, etc. 

Gearhart, C. C., & Maben, S. K. (2026). Stakeholder Perceptions of Emoji Appropriateness in Organizational Social Media Messages. International Journal of Strategic Communication, 1–23. https://doi.org/10.1080/1553118X.2025.2596006