Sarah Johansson Presents Research at Undergraduate Symposium

2016 May 3

Sarah Johansson presented her research project "Uses of Twitter and Citizen Journalism: A Comparison of September 11th Terrorist Attacks and the Boston Marathon Bombings" at Assumption College's 22nd Annual Undergraduate Symposium, held April 18-19 on the College's Worcester Campus. Johansson's honors thesis examined the relationship between professional journalists and citizen journalists, focusing on the influence of Twitter. Using interviews from a selection of broadcast and print journalists, she investigated how professional journalists use Twitter and citizen journalists’ reports in everyday news production, using news organizations’ coverage of the September 11th terrorist attacks (2001) and the Boston Marathon Bombings (2013) as examples.

The undergraduate symposium highlights the research and scholarly achievements of Assumption students, working in collaboration with dedicated faculty mentors. These collaborations represent a model for integrating teaching, original research, and peer review in promoting intellectual development and professional growth. The symposium provides the campus community with the opportunity to gain a greater appreciation of, and applaud, the individual and collective accomplishments of the College's faculty and students.

"The Symposium is, for me, an occasion of great pride-pride in our students, of course, but also in our faculty who generously donate their time, attention, and expertise to ensure the intellectual development of their students," said Louise Carroll Keeley, Ph.D., provost and vice president for academic affairs at Assumption College. "It has become one of my favorite parts of the semester."