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Jessica F. Sparks, MA

University of Florida
College of Journalism and Communication

I am a journalist-turned-academic currently working toward a Ph.D. in mass communications at the University of Florida. My areas of interest include open records, open government, college media, news production, media trust and media credibility. 

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Research and Scholarship

I am currently working on my dissertation, which focuses on techniques to foster media trust among audiences. I have published work on the readability of partisan media and the effect on the pandemic on college media outlets. Additionally, I have an active research agenda focused on open records, media trust, podcasts and social media, as well as college media independence.

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Teaching Portfolio

I've been teaching at the collegiate level since 2009, when I was a graduate assistant at Ball State University. In 2014, I started working full-time at Savannah State University as an instructor. In 2015, I was hired into a full-time tenure-track position as an assistant professor of journalism. In 2018, I was appointed track coordinator for the journalism concentration in the Department of Journalism and Mass Communications. 

   In 2020, I started in the Ph.D. program at the University of Florida, where I served as teacher of record for two reporting courses in the Department of Journalism.

   I've earned certifications in virtual education from the University of California- Irvine, through Coursera.  I have also earned online instructor certifications at Savannah State University and the University of Florida. I am also certified and practiced in conducting study abroad courses through the University System of Georgia.  

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