Myiah Hutchens

Myiah Hutchens, University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications (UFCJC) Public Relations Associate Professor, has been named Interim Chair of the Public Relations Department. She has served as Associate Chair since September 2021. Hutchens replaces former Department Chair Marcia DiStaso who was named UFCJC Associate Dean for Research. Hutchens…

Levels of political polarization continue to escalate in the U.S., causing an increasingly wide chasm between liberals and conservatives. Existing research suggests that this divide could be engendered in part because certain segments of the population rely heavily on partisan media outlets as a source of news. University of Florida…

University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications Public Relations Assistant Professors Jay Hmielowski and Myiah Hutchens are the co-authors of a blog “Conservatives Are More Likely Than Liberals to Exist in a Media Echo Chamber” posted on the London School of Economics US Centre’s blog on American Politics and…

This article originally appeared on the London School of Economics US Centre’s daily blog. As partisan news networks like Fox News and MSNBC have risen in popularity, so has the polarization of many Americans’ political views. In new research, Jay Hmielowski, Myiah Hutchens, and Michael Beam find that while both liberal and conservative media contribute…

Myiah Hutchens, University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications Public Relations assistant professor, will be speaking at the virtual Institute for Public Relations (IPR) Research Symposium on  “Expletives and Echo Chambers: Unpacking and Improving Political Communication” on Dec. 2 at 3:55 p.m. The online event is free and open…

University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications Public Relations Assistant Professors Jay Hmielowski and Myiah Hutchens are quoted in “In Volusia, Many Trump Supporters Still Refuse to Believe Biden Won” published in The Daytona Beach News Journal on Nov. 16. The article focuses on why people believe that Donald…

Myiah Hutchens, University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications Public Relations assistant professor, was quoted in “Dis-United States: Biden’s Team Faces Reality of Rule During Trumpism” published in the South China Morning Post on Nov. 16. The article focuses on the recent Presidential election and the impact of possible…

Myiah Hutchens, University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications Public Relations assistant professor, was featured in “Avoiding an Employee Election Meltdown,” a Peppercomm 2020 Election Playbook downloadable from peppercomm.com. In the handbook, she suggests three tips for civil discussions including allowing everyone to feel heard, avoiding repeating quips for…

Myiah Hutchens, Public Relations Department assistant professor, was interviewed on Sept. 22, 2020 about her research on political communication. Below the video is an edited transcript of that interview. Q: How did you become interested in studying political communication?  Myiah Hutchens: The reason I’m interested in political communication and how…

University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications Public Relations Assistant Professors Jay Hmielowski and Myiah Hutchens are the co-authors of a blog “Why Trying to Break People Out of the Echo Chambers Might Be Counterproductive” posted on the London School of Economics US Centre’s blog on American Politics and…

This article originally appeared on the London School of Economics US Centre’s daily blog. Concerns over political polarization has led to calls for people to reach out and talk to those with opposing views. But, in new research, Jay Hmielowski, Myiah Hutchens and Michael Beam find that these conversations may in fact be pushing people…

University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications faculty members who were part of a COVID-19 healthy behaviors research team were included in the opinion piece “Looking Out for One Another – Our Shared Responsibility” by UF Vice President for Student Affairs D’Andra Mull. It was published in The Independent…