Special Topics in Media
Special Topics in Media Studies is a lecture-based podcast that tackles media history one artifact at a time. Each season of the series we will investigate a different mass media theme, medium, or programming genre. While our focus is educational (it is an academic podcast after all), we tailor our conversations toward a broad audience of media enthusiasts.
Episodes
In this early interlude within our Special Topics in Media "2025 Summer Movie Season", host Garret Castleberry accesses sentimental bias to recall his "Top 5 First-Run Summertime In-Theater Heart-Pounding Experiences". It's a Top 5 Countdown to help listeners cool off during the dog days of summer.
Hosts: Garret Castleberry
Producers: Garret Castleberry, Will McMurry (Audio Engineer), All...
The extended "2025 Summer Movie Season" wrap-up conversation starts here! Host Garret Castleberry is joined by media scholar Kyle Hammonds to list, rate, and respond to the films that ushered in the summer movie season back in April.
Hosts: Garret Castleberry
Producers: Garret Castleberry, Will McMurry (Audio Engineer), Alli Garner (Cover Art), Austin Foster (Music)
Recommended Screenings (Garret): ...
As we get set to premiere our "2025 Summer Movie Season", host Garret Castleberry ushers in a secondary moviegoing conversation that strikes at the heart of memories, movies, and personal preferences. It's a Top 5 Brainstorm to coincide with the dog days of summer.
Hosts: Garret Castleberry
Producers: Garret Castleberry, Will McMurry (Audio Engineer), Alli Garner (Cover Art), Austin Foster (Music)<...
The cinema harvest is nearly here! Tune in to our "2025 Summer Movie Season" preview event. Host Garret Castleberry and Kyle Hammonds dart under the velvet rope, cut through the concession lines, and sneak into their local theaters to dive in and dissect which movies are making waves in summer 2025.
Hosts: Garret Castleberry
Producers: Garret Castleberry, Will McMurry (Audio Engineer), Alli Garner ...
This week we wind down our "Talking Mass Communication Perspectives" season of Special Topics in Media. Garret Castleberry and Season 13 guest host Annabeth Fehrle reflect on how technologies challenge traditional educational systems, spring-boarding conversation out of Brian Gilchrist's essay, "The Smartphone as Permanent Substitute Teacher," which is featured in the academic anthology Communication Theory...
Welcome to the "Talking Mass Communication Perspectives" season of Special Topics in Media. Once again Garret Castleberry is joined by Season 13 guest host Annabeth Fehrle to discuss Multistep Flow Theory and how it functions as a part of #Hashtag Advertising strategies.
Reading Reference: Andrew Sharma & Chrys Egan. "Hashtag Television Advertising--The Multistep Flow of Millennial TV Usage, Commercial Viewings, ...
Welcome to the "Talking Mass Communication Perspectives" season of Special Topics in Media. This week Garret Castleberry and Season 13 guest cohost Annabeth Fehrle discuss Muted Group Theory and how it can be interpreted within the narrative framework of a trio of Disney-Pixar animated feature films: Brave (2012), WALL-E (2008) and The Incredibles (2004).
Reading Reference: Bruce W. Finklea & Sally Bennett Hardig. &q...
In this summer interlude, host Garret Castleberry looks back at the past year's programming themes, while setting the stage for ongoing programming to come.
Host: Garret Castleberry
Producers: Garret Castleberry, Will McMurry (Audio Engineer), Alli Garner (Cover Art), Austin Foster (Music)
Ways to Connect with us online:
Follow and engage with Special Topics in Media on Twitter at @podcast_topics.
"Li...
Welcome to the "Talking Mass Communication Perspectives" season of Special Topics in Media. This week host Garret Castleberry is joined by Annabeth Fehrle to discuss Fantasy Theme Analysis and how it applies to two politically oriented TV programs, ABC's Scandal (2013-2018) and NBC's Parks & Recreation (2009-2015).
Reading Reference: Fogle, Krystal. "Knope vs. Pope: A Fantasy Theme Analysis of Scandal v...
Welcome to the "Talking Mass Communication Perspectives" season on Special Topics in Media. This week we tackle Disney, Hegemony, and the role that Critical Theory plays in shaping our views of the world.
Reading Reference: Applequist, Janelle. ""Let it go, let it go"--Hegemony and Counter-Hegemony in Disney's Frozen". In Communication Theory and Millennial Popular Culture: Essays and Applica...
A New Season begins!
What is on deck? Who is covering it? And why should you listen!
Reading Reference: Roberts, Kathleen Glenister (Editor). Communication Theory and Millennial Popular Culture: Essays and Applications. New York: Peter Lang, 2016.
Host: Garret Castleberry, Annabeth Fehrle
Producers: Garret Castleberry, Will McMurry (Audio Engineer), Alli Garner (Cover Art), Austin Foster (Music)
Ways to Connect with us ...
Closing out our Internship Interview Series, host Garret Castleberry visits with graduating senior and MACU's Men's Baseball pitcher Jacob Mallozzi, a student athlete blurring the lines between reporter and player. Jacob talks about his Texas roots and how this background provided the basis for his journeyman shifts in degree focus and professional outlook.
This May, Special Topics in Media is proud to recognize college s...
Winding down this month's Internship Interview Series, host Garret Castleberry visits with junior Kaetlen Schier, a student athlete "thriving in the chaos" of work-life balance. Kaetlen talks about the value available when students seek internships that align with areas of passion and/or study;; in this instance interning with a men's semi-pro volleyball organization as the club's social media coordinator.
T...
Rounding the corner with May's Internship Interview Series, host Garret Castleberry connects with junior Brady Allen, a missions-minded media production specialist interning in areas that connect lighting, audio, and multimedia production in cooperation with a multi-campus ministry organization.
This May, Special Topics in Media is proud to recognize college students demonstrating excellence through participation in internship...
Continuing May's Internship Interview Series, host Garret Castleberry connects with sophomore Jared Hinkle, a burgeoning videographer and social media coordinator affiliated with Major League Fishing who travels the country by day while casting lines that deepen his social media imprint by night.
This May, Special Topics in Media is proud to recognize college students demonstrating excellence through participation in internshi...
Diving deeper into May's Internship Interview Series, host Garret Castleberry sits down with graduating senior, MACU Women's Volleyball player, and recipient of the 2024-25 Media Production Award, Annabeth Fehrle. Annabeth discusses her passion for public speaking and how it translates into and out of the classroom.
This May, Special Topics in Media is proud to recognize college students demonstrating excellence through pa...
Kicking off May's Internship Interview Series, host Garret Castleberry sits down with graduating senior, MACU Men's Baseball Pitcher, and recipient of the 2024-25 Communication Award Jordan Smith to discuss his transition from collegiate student athlete to junior varsity assistant coach.
This May, Special Topics in Media is proud to recognize college students demonstrating excellence through participation in internship par...
This May, Special Topics in Media is proud to recognize students demonstrating excellence through participating in internship partnership this year. Throughout the month we will spotlight one-on-one sit-downs with current and graduating students in the Media Production and Communication program at MACU.
Host: Garret Castleberry
Producers: Garret Castleberry, Will McMurry (Audio Engineer), Alli Garner (Cover Art), Aust...
Celebrating independent bookstore week, Special Topics in Media host Garret Castleberry sits down with indie book store aficionado, universal book lover, and nonfiction author J Hall to discuss the release of his newest book College Unpacked: A Practical Guide to Choosing, Preparing For, and Excelling in College. The book provides a user-friendly guide to the increasingly complex process of applying to colleges and universities.
Thi...
Vinylthon month is here! Which raises a fun question: How does vinyl intersect with other mass mediums?
To connect the dots between vinyl and film history, Scott McMurry joins Special Topics in Media for a discussion about films that capitalize on the music craze.
Celebrate "Vinylthon" by tuning in to the nonprofit event this April, or consider supporting vinyl radio through a subscription to the annual Vinylthon Zine, wh...
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