MARGOT SUSCA, PH.D. WASHINGTON, D.C. Email: margotsusca@gmail.com Twitter: @MargotSusca EDUCATION Ph.D. The Florida State University Tallahassee, Florida April 2012 • Doctorate Major: Mass Communication • Dissertation Title: “Why We Still Fight: Adolescents, Virtual War, and the Government-­‐
Gaming Nexus” M.S. B.A. Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism New York, New York May 2002 • Thesis Title: “Time’s Up: Struggling in the New Age of Welfare” University of Massachusetts at Amherst Amherst, Massachusetts May 2000 • Double Major: Journalism and Political Science ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS Professorial Lecturer Program Director American University School of Communication Washington, D.C. August 2013-­‐Present • Run the weekend master’s program in Interactive Journalism, where students learn fundamentals of multimedia reporting, visual storytelling and data journalism • Started a website for student Reporting work to highlight multimedia journalism • Teach undergraduate students from multiple disciplines HTML and CSS code for website design to optimize st
skills necessary in 21 century communication careers • Use social media to facilitate relationships with students and share content on issues related to classes including: digital technologies, emerging media trends, corporate media ownership, watchdog journalism, news ethics, communications writing, and media and society • Provide networking opportunities for students with journalists from the country’s leading publications and news outlets including NPR, Bloomberg, The Washington Post and The Tampa Bay Times • Serve on School of Communication committees addressing issues involving innovation in teaching, technology and scholarship • Developed curricula, lesson plans, syllabi, and student evaluation measures for the following courses: • Boot Camp for Journalists (COMM 624) • Contemporary Media Issues (COMM 538) • Journalism Ethics (COMM 504) • Children, Youth and Digital Culture (COMM 515) • Reporting (COMM 320) • Digital Skills (COMM 305) • Writing for Communication (COMM 200) • Understanding Media (COMM 100) Lead Instructor/Adjunct Professor The Florida State University School of Communication Tallahassee, Florida Susca CV 2 of 6 January 2008-­‐May 2013 • Guided undergraduate students from diverse socioeconomic and educational backgrounds through introductory and upper-­‐level mass communication courses, including those for the limited-­‐access Media Production program • Integrated communication theory with newspaper and multimedia journalism experience to provide students with real-­‐world applications of daily lessons • Developed curricula, lesson plans, syllabi, and student evaluation measures for the following courses: • Writing for the Electronic Media (RTV 3101) • Mass Media and Society (MMC 4602) • Media Ethics (MMC 4203) • Introduction to Mass Media (MMC 2000) • Public Speaking (SPC 2608) Adjunct Professor Florida A&M University School of Journalism and Graphic Communication Tallahassee, Florida January 2012-­‐June 2013 • Required use of multiple online and social media platforms for journalism students at the nation’s largest historically black university to emphasize the tools necessary in a contemporary newsroom • Facilitated mentoring and networking opportunities for students with print, online, and broadcast journalists from across Florida • Worked with campus newspaper editor to have students’ class stories about the 2012 job market published in a special online section • Provided one-­‐on-­‐one assistance with internship and job applications and interviews • Developed undergraduate curricula, lesson plans, syllabi, and student evaluation measures for the following courses: • Reporting and Writing I (JOU 2100) • Reporting and Writing II (JOU 3101) • Language Skills for Media Professionals (JOU 1005) Research Assistant The Florida State University School of Communication Tallahassee, Florida January 2008-­‐April 2012 • Recognized by the School of Communication as the top student researcher in the 2011-­‐2012 year • Developed an interdisciplinary approach to qualitative research projects that were presented at national conferences and published in a peer-­‐reviewed journal • Coded and categorized news stories on school shootings and the video game industry for critical qualitative data analyses • Conducted microfilm research on the history of the Women’s National Radio Committee • Work focused primarily on the following subjects: • Global media institutions • Video games and society • Media violence • Constitutional law • Federal Communications Commission regulation Teaching Assistant The Florida State University School of Communication Tallahassee, Florida August 2007-­‐December 2010 • Evaluated and assisted students in introductory and upper-­‐level mass communication courses Susca CV 3 of 6 Tracked attendance, assisted with research projects, and managed grade book for lecture classes with up to 150 students • Responsible also for occasional lecturing for the following courses: • Mass Media and Society (MMC 4602) • Media Ethics (MMC 4203) • Introduction to Mass Media (MMC 2000) Adjunct Professor Indian River State College Fort Pierce, Florida August 2006-­‐May 2007 • Taught a diverse population of students on Florida’s Treasure Coast mass communication theory, mass media history and current trends in mass media • Developed undergraduate curricula, lesson plans, syllabi, and student evaluation measures for the following course: • Introduction to Mass Communication (MMC 1000) PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE •
Reporter Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers Fort Pierce, Florida November 2003-­‐July 2007 • Recognized by the Society of Professional Journalists for investigative reporting on Florida’s high school graduation rates • Developed high-­‐level sources inside one of the nation’s fastest-­‐growing minority-­‐majority public school districts while breaking stories about failed busing policies, analyzing test scores for more than 40,000 students, and writing feature stories about students and teachers coping with back-­‐to-­‐back hurricanes disrupting the 2004 school year • Coordinated a team of three reporters and one photographer to produce a hurricane-­‐anniversary package for the front page and website • Completed E. W. Scripps Co. training courses on multimedia production and media law and Hechinger Institute on Education and the Media professional development seminars on pre-­‐Kindergarten education and No Child Left Behind policy Reporter Journal Inquirer Manchester, Connecticut June 2002-­‐November 2003 • Exposed corruption in municipal finances in news stories that the mayor cited as the sole reason for his loss in the following election • Uncovered secret payments to former city workers with stories that led to budget changes • Worked closely with editors and photography staff to ensure high-­‐level coverage of the police, education, planning, and legal beats in four Connecticut communities Public Information Coordinator U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development Amherst, Massachusetts June 1999-­‐July 2001 • Developed strategies to expand housing, business and community programs in southern New England • Networked with local, state, and national media outlets and politicians • Responsible for speech writing, press releases, and event planning in a three-­‐state region Susca CV 4 of 6 PEER-­‐REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS Proffitt, J. M., & Susca, M. A. (2015). A Shield to Legitimize Virtually Any Content: Tracking the Video Game Lobby’s Political Economic Power. Communication, Culture & Critique. doi: 10.1111/cccr.12105 Susca, M. A. (2014, September). Violent virtual games and the consequences for real war. E-­‐International Relations Journal. http://www.e-­‐ir.info/2014/09/24/violent-­‐virtual-­‐games-­‐and-­‐the-­‐consequences-­‐for-­‐real-­‐war/ • Invited submission Susca, M. A. (2012). Why we still fight: Adolescents, America’s Army and the Government-­‐Gaming Nexus. Global Media Journal, 20(12) [online]. Susca, M. A., & Proffitt, J. M. (2011). Patently offensive: What Pacifica tells us about regulating broadcast violence. Free Speech Yearbook, 45, 81-­‐94. REFEREED CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS Susca, M. A. "A Critical Legal Study of Minors’ Sex and Violence Media Access Rights Five Decades After Ginsberg v. New York" (2015). Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, San Francisco. Susca, M. A. “Here we go again”: Seven Decades of Debate But Still No Agreement Over How to Define ‘Violence’” (2015). Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, San Francisco. Susca, M. A., "“I Kill Czervenians”: Adolescent Video Game Users as a Commodity Audience for War." (2014). Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, Montreal. Susca, M. A. (2013, November). The Fox Is Inside the Henhouse: How the Corporate Video Game Industry Fooled the U.S. Supreme Court and Why It Matters. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Union for Democratic Communication, San Francisco, Calif. Proffitt, J. M., and Susca, M. A. (2012, May). Follow the money: The Entertainment Software Association attack on video game regulation. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the International Communication Association, Phoenix, AZ. Susca, M. A. (2012, May). Fragweisers, Butcher Battalions, and Elite Contract Killers: Analyzing online comments of America’s Army video game players. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Union for Democratic Communication, Tallahassee, FL. Susca, M. A. (2012, May). From Sam’s Stationery to Grand Theft Auto: Does Ginsberg v. New York have a place in contemporary media policy? Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Union for Democratic Communication, Tallahassee, FL. Susca, M. A. (2012, April). The Army wants you(th): Representations of the Real Heroes and their links to military recruitment. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Pop Culture Association/American Culture Association, Boston, MA. Susca, M. A., & Cox, N. B. (2011, November). Social constructionism and the spectacle of children: The case of Balloon Boy. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the National Communication Association, New Orleans, LA. Susca, M. A. (2011, May). Playing an educational first-­‐person shooter game and priming aggression: An experimental study. Paper presented at the annual conference of the International Communication Association, Boston, MA. Susca, M. A. (2010, October). Going Dutch: How the U.S. could learn from the Netherlands’ media Susca CV 5 of 6 ratings system but won’t. Paper presented at the annual meeting of The Union for Democratic Communication, State College, PA. Susca, M. A. (2010, May). Teaching violence? An examination of first-­‐person shooter games used in education. Paper presented at the e-­‐Youth conference, sponsored by the University Centre Saint-­‐Ignatius Antwerp and the University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium. Susca, M. A., & Cox, N. B. (2010, April). Up, up, and away: Balloon Boy, reality television, and the discourse of spectacle. Paper presented at the annual conference of the Popular Culture Association/ American Culture Association, St. Louis, MO. Susca, M. A. (2009, August). The shark became a vegetarian: Regulating children’s television in a digital world. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, Boston, MA. • Top student competitive paper: Cultural and Critical Studies Division Susca, M. A. (2009, May). Colonizing kids: A political economy approach to how Disney dominates the child. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Union for Democratic Communication, Buffalo, NY. Susca, M. A., Creasy, C. P., Davenport, J. D., Debes, J. A., & Schmidt, E. L. (2008, November). Going guerilla: Exploring the relationship between media consumption, covert marketing tactics, and attitude toward the ad. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the National Communication Association, San Diego, CA. SERVICE TO THE SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATION and AMERICAN UNIVERSITY 2014-­‐2015 2013-­‐2014 •
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Faculty Senate Ad Hoc Term Faculty Committee Journalism Undergraduate Curriculum Sub-­‐committee •
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ACEJMC Accreditation Self-­‐study Committee Journalism Undergraduate Curriculum Sub-­‐committee Faculty Search Committee SERVICE TO PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS 2015 2013; 2012 •
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Paper Reviewer, Communication, Culture & Critique Paper Reviewer, Global Media Journal •
Conference Paper Reviewer, The Union for Democratic Communications GUEST LECTURES AND COLLOQUIA PRESENTATIONS 2015 2013 •
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Journalism Ethics: From Emergence to Convergence st
Understanding the 21 Century Media Environment •
Target Acquired: The U.S. Army and Video Game Recruitment •
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Media Ethics in Breaking News Reporting: Old-­‐Fashioned Ethics, New Technology Understanding the National Television Violence Study 2012 2011 Susca CV 6 of 6 2010 2009 •
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Regulating Children’s Media: Intersections of Free Speech and the Public Interest Shoot This, Buy That: Propaganda in Film and Video Games Taming the Diss: The Road(s) from ABD to Ph.D. “Gary Robinson Died Hungry”: Media Ethics in Crime Reporting Political Economy of Media: A Beginner’s Guide Up, Up, and Away: Studying Balloon Boy Through a Critical Qualitative Lens Understanding the National Television Violence Study Doing Effective Communications Research Regulating Children’s Media: Intersections of Free Speech and the Public Interest Police Line Do Not Cross: Ethics of Photojournalism Doing Effective Communications Research Regulating Children’s Media: Intersections of Free Speech and the Public Interest AWARDS AND HONORS 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 •
The Florida State University Doctoral Research Assistant Award •
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The Florida State University College of Communication and Information, Doctoral Poster Competition, Second Place ($300) Karl and Madira Bickel Scholarship ($3,500) •
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University of Antwerp (Belgium) Travel Grant (200€) Karl and Madira Bickel Scholarship ($10,000) •
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James W. Carey Award, Top Student Paper, Cultural and Critical Studies Division, Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication Karl and Madira Bickel Scholarship ($10,000) •
Society of Professional Journalists, Sunshine State Award, Third Place, Education Reporting •
Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication AFFILIATIONS