University of Arkansas Faculty Talk Ethics and Literacy at National Conference

Dave Bostwick, Gina Shelton, and Susannah Swearingen present in a conference room in front of a presentation screen that reads "Wedded to ethics."
By Katherine Taylor
Graduate Assistant at the Center for Media Ethics and Literacy

Four University of Arkansas faculty members discussed trends and research in media ethics and literacy this month during MediaFest 2025, a conference in Washington, D.C., sponsored by the Society of Professional Journalists and other groups.
Dave Bostwick, Gina Shelton, and Susannah Swearingen present in a conference room in front of a presentation screen that reads "Wedded to ethics."
Bret Schulte, director of SJSM, was part of a panel titled “Media literacy – all hands on deck.” He emphasized that this is a critical time for colleges to ensure they are teaching literacy and ethics skills to all students, not just those interested in reporting.

“This is a pivotal moment with the rise of AI in disinformation, combined with news fatigue from students who are anxious about negative news,” Schulte said after the conference. “Based on discussions in Washington, I am excited about the proactive things we are doing in Fayetteville. We are ahead of the curve.”

Separately, three University of Arkansas faculty members presented the preliminary findings from their study on the differences in the ethical views of journalism and advertising/public relations students. More than 375 students were surveyed this fall about things like AI-generated illustrations, social media influencers, sponsored content, and journalists as watchdogs over government.

Dave Bostwick, Gina Shelton, and Susannah Swearingen sit at a table in a conference room in front of a presentation screen that has a Center for Media Ethics and Literacy flyer projected on it. Dave Bostwick, vice chair of SJSM, was part of the grant-winning team that received SPJ funding for the research, along with Gina Shelton, director of the Center for Media Ethics and Literacy, and Susannah Swearingen, media writing coordinator at the journalism school. All agreed that the research is relevant to SJSM as ethics instruction is updated to align with current realities of journalism and public relations careers.

Also part of the grant was Assistant Professor Bobbie Foster, who was lecturing at another college and unable to attend MediaFest.

Tiffany King, director of Student Media, brought five student leaders to the conference, where student publications were recognized with multiple awards.

The campus SPJ chapter was recognized as outstanding chapter in region 12, which includes Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee.

“Our faculty and students are engaged at a national level and united in addressing the challenges facing the journalism industry,” said Shelton, who also is adviser to the campus SPJ chapter.

Nearly 1,500 people attended Media Fest, which was also sponsored by Associated Collegiate Press and College Media Association.