Anna Rose Isbell, completing a BDP certificate in Ethics & Leadership in Law Politics & Government, served as a Media Ethics Citizen Scholar through the Moody College of Communication’s Media Ethics Initiative in spring 2018.
Please describe how you found the Research Assistantship opportunity.
I found this research assistantship opportunity as a student in Dr. Scott Stroud’s Communication Ethics class in the fall semester prior to my Connecting Experience. As his student, I got the opportunity to write a case study and based on my writing he recommended that I apply to be a Media Ethics Citizen Scholar through the IE Pre-grad Internship program.
Describe the work you have done as a Research Assistant
During this Connecting Experience, I got the opportunity to propose, research, write, and revise original media and communication ethics case studies on topics involving law, politics, and government. I also assisted with PR and advertising efforts of the Media Ethics Initiative. Finally, as a Media Ethics Citizen Scholar, I attended several Media Ethics Initiative research talks over the course of the semester and learned a lot about the innovative topics discussed.
What was the most rewarding aspect of your Connecting Experience?
The most rewarding aspect of my Connecting Experience was the ability to research topics of my choice that were truly interesting to me and having my final case studies published. I really enjoyed getting to focus on topics related to my specific BDP, and connecting these topics to other disciplines that I didn’t realize could be so easily intertwined. I learned so much about how different topics collide, especially with how involved the media is in the political and technological world.
In what ways has this Connecting Experience shaped your plans for the future?
This Connecting Experience has helped me affirm my aspirations to go to law school because of my interest in the political aspects of media, English, and communication. I also learned a lot about revision in my writing, and I hope I can use these skills to gain internships and other opportunities involving writing in the future.