Future of Journalism is Interactive: Heidi Stevenson Feature (2025)

This feature story was written as a class assignment for JCOM 473: Strategic Science Communication.

This feature story profiles the University of Oregon undergraduate researcher Heidi Stevenson ahead of her presentation at the 2025 International Communication Association Conference in Denver. The article explores Stevenson’s research on interactive newsgames and the effects they have on comprehension and understanding of news storytelling.

Simone’s Session Notes: Entertainment PR Blog (2026)

This blog was developed as part of a class assignment for JCOM 372: Writing for Digital Audiences.

This blog analyzes public relations strategies used in the entertainment industry. Through my posts, I explore how artists, studios, and entertainment public relations professionals manage publicity, media storytelling, and audience engagement. This project allowed me to examine both current PR campaigns and historical case studies while developing my skills in social media writing and industry analysis.

Sample News Release (2026)

This news release was written as a class assignment for JCOM 371: Writing for Influence.

This is a sample news release of a theoretical mental health app developed by the University of Oregon and Duck Nest. I wrote this as an assignment for JCOM 371, Writing for Influence. This assignment required me to draft clear and concise messaging targeted at media outlets and stakeholders promoting the app’s features and social impact, emphasizing the organization’s singlemost important messaging. This assignment helped me practice audience-focused communication, strategic messaging and persuasive writing, vital skills in public relations.

Sample Writing Test (2026)

This writing test was written as a class assignment for JCOM 371: Writing for Influence.

This is a sample writing test that asks critical-thinking questions and summarizes business articles concisely. The third section includes a news release, a pitch email, and a sample social media post for a solar panel company. Through this assignment, I practiced clear, professional writing techniques accross multiple formats and platforms under a quick turnaround, applied strategic messaging practices, and further developed my skills in audience-focused communication.

Second Wave of Blaxploitation films: An analysis (2024)

This assignment was developed as a final project for CINE 399: Introduction to African-American Cinema.

This is my final project for CINE 399, analyzing trends in African-American cinema and how Black filmmakers depict culture, identity and social critique for wider audiences. This project allowed me to further develop skills in critical film analysis in academic contexts while using both historical and contemporary perspectives in cinema.

Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner Essay (2024)

This assignment was developed as a mid-term for CINE 399: Introduction to African-American Cinema.

This is my midterm essay for CINE 399, analyzing Sidney Poitier’s character in “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” and breaking down the film’s cultural impact and reception. I explored, through nuanced and articulate arguments, how African-American characters were represented in mainstream cinema during the mid-20th century.

Survey Analysis of Student Drinking Behaviors using Qualtrics (2025)

This analysis was developed as an assignment for JCOM 470: Research Methods in Strategic Communications.

This project involved analyzing student drinking behaviors at the University of Oregon using Qualtrics survey data. My team and I designed the survey, collected and interpreted quantitative results, and presented the findings in a slideshow format we created. I developed skills in research design, quantitative data analysis and clear communication of insights to stakeholders.

Content Analysis of Addison Rae and Olivia Dean’s Instagram Pages (2025)

This content analysis was created as an assignment for JCOM 470: Research Methods in Strategic Communications.

This project involved manually logging posts by Addison Rae’s and Olivia Dean’s Instagram accounts and categorizing them in Qualtrics to identify patterns in branding, messaging and audience engagement. Using research methods taught in class, my team analyzed visual themes, communication strategies and post frequency, and presented the findings in a slideshow format. This assignment strengthened my skills in social media analysis, data interpretation and research methodology through data-driven insights.

Nate Kersey Profile (2025)

This profile was developed as an assignment for JCOM 473: Strategic Science Communication.