A professor in the University of Lynchburg’s communication studies department has been honored by the Eastern Communication Association, which describes itself as the “oldest professional communication association in the United States.”
Dr. Paula Youra, who also is coach of Lynchburg’s Debate and Forensics Society, was presented the Richard E. Vatz Agenda-Spin Persuasion Award at the 116th Annual ECA Convention, held March 26-30 in Buffalo, New York.
According to the ECA’s website, the award recognizes “a current member of the ECA who indicates by their writing and/or media work a dedication to persuasion or political persuasion consistent with the rhetorical perspective argued in Dr. Vatz’s ‘The Myth of the Rhetorical Situation’ and ‘The Only Authentic Book of Persuasion: The Agenda-Spin Model.’”
“Conducting research is a fulfilling part of my career,” Youra said. “It always feels good when our research endeavors are recognized by those in our field of study. I’m honored to receive this award.”
Youra also presented her research, “‘They’re eating the dogs:’ Polarizing Campaign Rhetoric in the 2024 Election,” during a panel discussion chaired by Vatz, a faculty member at Towson University.
She describes her paper as a “comparative analysis of Richard Nixon’s 1968 and Donald Trump’s 2024 polarizing campaign rhetoric.”
The session, which also involved faculty from Radford and Hampton universities, focused on “how the new polarization in America has made the country unable to unite on problems and solutions in a way that characterized pre-polarization in the United States.”
