Can You Hear Us Now: Inclusivity in the Media

Alexandra Zelaya (pronounced zeh-LIE-uh) is a Division I women’s basketball player whose career spans both Power Five and mid-major levels, giving her a unique perspective on women’s sports. She played four seasons at the University of North Carolina, where she appeared in 21 games as a senior and started on Senior Day against Duke. She averaged 2.1 points and 1.0 rebounds, highlighted by a career...

Guests: Livis Freeman is from Clinton, North Carolina. He graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1999 with a degree in psychology and later earned a Master of Arts in Integrated Marketing Communications from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. He is currently an associate professor at the UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media and serves as the Distinguis...

Guests: Jocelyn Johnson Senior student athlete at UNC, majoring in Communications with a minor in Business. Originally from Phoenix, Arizona. Member of the Women’s Track and Field team. Lea Spindell: Sophomore student athlete at UNC, majoring in Psychology with a minor in Neuroscience. Originally from Gilbert, Arizona. Member of the Women’s Track and Field Team. Hema Chanamolu: Freshman student at...

The episode features William Berckemeyer, who brings a personal perspective to the conversation through his background as someone who is half Peruvian and has dual citizenship in Peru and the United States. He shares how Hispanic /Latino identity and culture are portrayed in American media, and the gaps and inaccuracies as well. His perspective connects the topic to real-world experiences and emph...

Guests: Joy Goodwin is the director of the screenwriting minor program at UNC-Chapel Hill. Prior to joining the UNC faculty, she worked as a writer and as a movie producer with credits in Black Nativity (2013), After. Life, featuring Liam Neeson, and smaller indie films like May in the Summer (2013), which follows a woman returning to her childhood home in Jordan and grappling with the cultural di...

Guests: Olivia Carter is a writer from Northwest Arkansas. In 2023, she received her Bachelor's in Music with a minor in Psychology at Harvard University. With a background in media writing and consulting, she is particularly interested in researching the intersection of entertainment, storytelling, and audience engagement. Olivia is passionate about how the media influences audience perception an...

Guest--Toby S. Jenkins, Ph. D. serves as Associate Provost for Faculty Development and is a tenured Professor in the Department of Leadership & Inquiry at the University of South Carolina.  Her scholarship focuses on the ways that cultural leadership approaches can be used as tools to transform and innovate professional practice. Her most recent book, The Hip-Hop Mindset: Success Strategies for Ed...

Guest--Hayden Downs is a defenseman on the UNC Men’s Lacrosse team, born and raised in Atlanta, GA, but spent his time at boarding school at McCallie School in Chattanooga, TN. He grew up as one of the few players of color in a predominantly white sport, shaping his perspective and motivation to be a positive role model for younger athletes of color. Being at UNC has been a dream for Hayden, and h...

Guest: Shauntae Brown White, Ph. D., is a professor in the Department of Mass Communication and interim associate dean of the College of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities at North Carolina Central University. She earned a B.A. in journalism from Howard University, an M.A. in Speech Communication from the University of Alabama, and her doctorate from the University of Kansas in Communication Stu...

Guests:   Co-host of “Shit Blacks Girls Watch” and UNC Alum, Trish Whitfield has recently earned her doctorate in human sexuality. She brings a sharp eye and a deep love of cinema along with a passion for everything related to film.  Meah Barrington is a true multi-hyphenate creative, seamlessly navigating the realms of creative direction, production, on-air talent, and entrepreneurship. As a digi...

Guests: Leyla Santiago - Professor of the Practice, UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media and former CNN Correspondent  Valeria Vargas- Mexican American Student at UNC Chapel Hill

Guest--Alvernia Disnew; Spiritual Care Specialist for UNC Health. Alvernia Disnew is a certified ACPE educator for UNC Health and PHD candidate. Alvernia graduated from Norfolk State University in 2013 with a bachelor’s in psychology, minoring in special education. She then went on to earn two master’s degrees at Virginia Union University and Virginia Commonwealth University in seminary and clinic...

Guest--Scott Geier, Assistant Professor, UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media Scott began teaching as an adjunct at Hussman in 2017, after a career as an investigative reporter and web developer for Smith & Carson, Inc. His areas of interest include front-end web development, data visualization, augmented reality, photogrammetry, and generative art.  

Guests:  Sebastian Lunak and Louis Dramm

Guest: Pasquale Hinrichs

Guest: Linda Nguyen (@lindaeatsworld) is a food content creator and photographer based in North Carolina and Texas. Since launching her blog Girl Eats World , she’s been sharing local restaurants, travel stories, and lifestyle moments while spotlighting diverse cultures through food. Linda is passionate about using her platform to celebrate underrepresented voices while sharing the joys of connect...

Guests:   Sarah Bimo  Sarah Bimo is a PhD candidate in the Joint Graduate Program in Communication & Culture, at York University and Toronto Metropolitan University, which partner to provide a unique student experience. This program focuses on researching contemporary issues in communication and culture through academic and professional work. Sarah is particularly interested in studying digital cu...

Guests:  Stella Harrison and Bailey Horne

Guests:  Jenny Levy and  Katie Cannizzaro

Guest, Professor Livis Freeman

Guest:  Laura Langer Rossi

Guest:  Oanh Nguyễn

Guests:  Professor Livis Freeman, UNC Men's Basketball Player, Elijah Davis, UNC Women's Basketball Player Sydney Barker

Guest:  Comedian Donald Chang

Guest:  Solimar Pepler