Bellisario College of Communications

Buying a cake or building a case?

Free public lecture to focus on framing of conversations about marriage equality, religious freedom

Rhonda Gibson's research focuses on the effects of exemplification in journalism on issue perception and the effects of images of sexual minorities in the media. Credit: Photo ProvidedAll Rights Reserved.

A leading researcher in digital communications will discuss the challenge of framing conversations about marriage equality and religious freedom during a free public lecture at Penn State.

Rhonda Gibson will present “Who’s the Bully and Who’s the Victim in Masterpiece Cakeshop?" as the fall 2018 Robert M. Pockrass Memorial Lecture at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 10 in Foster Auditorium of Paterno Library on the University Park campus.

Gibson is the James H. Shumaker Distinguished Associate Professor and director of the master of arts in digital communication program at the School of Media and Journalism at the University of North Carolina. She conducts research focusing on the effects of exemplification in journalism on issue perception and the effects of images of sexual minorities in the media.

As discussed in her recently published book “Same-Sex Marriage and Social Media: How Online Networks Accelerated the Marriage Equality Movement,” Gibson’s lecture will explore the battle media faces when framing conversations about marriage equality when contrasted with religious freedom.

Gibson’s work has appeared in a variety of publications, including Journalism & Mass Media Quarterly, Communication Research, Newspaper Research Journal and Journalism & Mass Communication Educator.

The Pockrass Lecture was named after the late Professor Robert M. Pockrass, a member of Penn State's journalism faculty from 1948 to 1977. Pockrass specialized in public opinion and popular culture, served as the graduate officer, and taught radio news writing.

Last Updated June 2, 2021