News

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKZDTmGU9A0&=&feature=youtu.be BYU School of Communications Professor Kevin Kelly's new film 'I Saw the Hosts of the Dead' will air Sunday, April 7 at 9 a.m. on BYUtv before “Music and the Spoken Word.” The film is a documentary — mixed with a little live action — that explores Joseph F. Smith’s vision and the background behind it. To read more about the inspiration behind the film and what it took to create it, visit the School of Communications website.

School of Communications professor Adam Durfee was recently recognized as the social media innovator of the year by The Social Shake-Up. The organization holds an annual conference featuring cutting-edge social media techniques and the people behind them. To read more about Durfee's work and the award, visit the School of Communications website.

Communications professor Jessica Zurcher recently shared her research on pornography at a School of Communications Beckham Lecture. “It’s scary sometimes to jump into these topics, but I have felt the Spirit and the guidance of my Heavenly Father to be able to accomplish this work,” said Zurcher. Read more about Zurcher's lecture and research on the School of Communications website.

Some majors direct their student into a specific career path, but that isn’t the case for those who pursue a degree in communications. BYU School of Communications alumna Siovhan Johnson is learning this lesson as she makes the transition from broadcast news to strategic communications. Read Johnson's full story on the School of Communications website.

School of Communications Professor Kevin John used eye tracking technology to map how men process body image differently than women. Read more about his research here.

Raymond E. Beckham, one of BYU’s most distinguished former professors, will be honored with a Pillar of the Valley Award. The award honors individuals whose extraordinary contributions have improved the business, civic, social, educational and cultural climate of Utah Valley. During his lifetime, innovative improvements followed Beckham wherever he went. Things like the Young Ambassadors, BYU Education Week and the Aspen Grove Family Camp can all be traced back to him. He also served on the board of numerous charities, such as Boy Scouts of America and the Red Cross. To learn more about Beckham’s legacy and the award, continue reading at The Daily Herald.

Last September, the Eagle Mountain and Pole Creek wildfires raged across Utah Valley in September. While firefighters were fighting to contain the fires, BYU’s YDigital Lab Managing Director Adam Durfee was fighting another dangerous force: misinformation. To read more about how Durfee worked with the public information officers and students to contain the spread of fake news and subsequent fear during the fires, continue reading at The Daily Universe.

BYU advertising alum Brandon Barkdull and his brother Blake, a BYU neuroscience student, started their business, Penguin Brothers, while Blake was still in high school. The business started out in a light pink food truck where the brothers learned the in’s and out’s of the food industry. Eventually, they were able to build up their skills and save up enough to purchase a storefront location on Canyon Road and Bulldog. To learn more about the brothers’ journey to success, read more here.

Scott Church presented on media and politics to the National Communications Association.