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Kelsey Mesmer, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor
Department of Communication

Courses Taught

Advanced Reporting for Social Justice; Contemporary Issues in Media (graduate); Journalism: News Writing; Multiplatform Journalism; Qualitative Inquiry for Communication and Social Justice

Education

Ph.D., Wayne State University

M.A., Kent State University

M.B.A., Kent State University

Research Interests

  • Hostility toward journalists and anti-media rhetoric
  • Resilience in response to hostility and harassment
  • Gender and identity
  • Journalism’s role in promoting social justice
  • Journalistic routines and practices that influence trust in news

Publications and Media Placements

Mesmer, K. (in-press). Safer vox pops and door knocking. In Belair-Gagnon, V., Holton, A. E., Deuze, M., & Mellado, C, (Eds). Happiness in Journalism. Routledge.

Mesmer, K. R. (2023). Unprepared for reality: Early-career journalists ill-equipped for hostility in the field. Journalism & Mass Communication Educator. https://doi.org/10.1177/10776958231180658

Mesmer, K., & Miller, K. (2023). Hostility toward the press: Background and steps forward. In Schmidt, H. (Ed). Issues Facing Contemporary American Journalism: History, Context, and Perspectives, pp. 203-210. Routledge.

Mesmer, K. (2022). An intersectional analysis of U.S. journalists’ experiences with hostile sources. Journalism & Communication Monographs, 24(3), 156-216. doi:10.1177%2F15226379221116640

Mesmer, K. (2022). An “assumption of bad faith”: Using fake news rhetoric to create journalistic teaching moments. Journalism Practice. doi:10.1080/17512786.2022.2086158

Mesmer, K., Frazier, D., & Burgess, S. (2022). Government failure or irresponsible residents?: Framing Detroit’s water shutoffs before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Newspaper Research Journal 43(1), 65-86. doi:10.1177/07395329221077247

Vultee, F., Frazier, D., Burgess, S., & Mesmer, K. (2022). Here’s what to know about clickbait: Effects of image, headline and editing on audience attitudes. Journalism Practice, 16(1), 1-18. doi:10.1080/17512786.2020.1793379

Mesmer, K., & Jahng, M. R. (2021). Using Facebook to discuss aspects of industry safety: How women journalists enact ethics of care in online professional space. Journalism Studies, 22(8), 1083-1102. doi: 10.1080/1461670X.2021.1920452

Mesmer, K., Aniss, M., & Mitra, R. (2020). Naturalizing environmental justice: How privileged residents make sense of Detroit's water shutoffs. In Schmitt, C. R., Castor, T. R., & Thomas, C. S. (Eds). Water, Rhetoric, and Social Justice: A Critical Confluence, (pp. 149-170). New York, NY: Lexington Books.

D’Enbeau, S., Mesmer, K., & Socha, D. (2020). Discursive strategies and dilemmas of institutionalizing social justice in a higher education setting. Western Journal of Communication, 85(3), 319-338. doi:10.1080/10570314.2020.1798496

Mesmer, K., Jahng, M. R. (2019). Nasty Writers: Uses and gratifications of private, online space in the age of Trump. Media Report to Women, 47(4), 6-21.

Honors and Awards

  • 2025 Excellent Academic Article in Research for the Social Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences
  • 2023 Top Paper Award, Newspaper and Online News Division, Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC)
  • 2023 Top Paper Award, Scholastic Journalism Division, Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC)
  • 2022 Nafziger-White-Salwen Dissertation Award (Honorable mention), Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC)
  • 2022 Top Paper Award, Internships and Careers Division, Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC)
  • 2021 Top Paper Award, Newspaper and Online News Division, Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC)
  • 2021 Garrett T. Heberlein Excellence in Teaching Award, Wayne State University Graduate School
  • 2020 Stephen P. Depoe Book Chapter Award in Environmental Communication, Environmental Communication Division, National Communication Association (NCA)
  • 2020 Mary Gardner Award for Graduate Student Research, Commission on the Status of Women, Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC)

Professional Organizations and Associations

  • Member, Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC)
  • Midwinter Research Chair, Commission on the Status of Women, AEJMC
  • Member, National Communication Association (NCA)
  • Member, International Communication Association (ICA)