A discussion led by Dr. Beth E. Michalec (Penn State) and Dr. Marijana Grbeša (University of Zagreb, Croatia)

The COVID-19 global pandemic challenged McLuhan’s notion of a “global village” in powerful new ways. The global reach of the virus and its effects on political discourse, brand messaging, and social codes and norms has forced humans to reexamine the ways we live, work, connect and communicate. This discussion explores people’s shifting perceptions and the communicative effects resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. By drawing on memes, billboards, brand logos and other strategic communication tactics as examples, the panelists will discuss various ways brands have positioned themselves as opinion leaders whose messages introduce and/or reinforce changing social codes and norms in the political, economic and social spheres of human life.

Beth E. Michalec is an assistant professor of corporate communication and internship coordinator at Penn State Lehigh Valley. She teaches an array of corporate communication courses with special interests in social media, internal communication, and crisis management courses. Dr. Michalec is an award-winning teacher and scholar and was selected in 2019 as a prestigious Fulbright Specialist by the United States Department of State. Dr. Marijana Grbeša is an associate professor at the Faculty of Political Science, University of Zagreb. She teaches courses in media, political marketing, and strategic communication in politics. She regularly presents at the biggest international conferences in political science, media, and communications.

Please note: Registration for events in this series is required and, given the topics and speakers, we anticipate interest to be high. For this reason, each event is limited to 25 Scholars and early registration is strongly encouraged. Participants of each event will also receive a complimentary electronic gift card.