JOURNAL PUBLICATIONS
Turcotte, J., Kirzinger, A., Dunaway, J., & Goidel, R. K. (forthcoming). The many layers of local: Proximity and market influence on news coverage of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Social Science Quarterly.
Turcotte, J., Medenilla, K., Villasenor, K., & Lampwalla, S. (forthcoming). All the polling (data) that's fit to print: An analysis of online news coverage of 2016 primary polls. Communication Research Reports.
Turcotte, J. (2017). Who's citing whom: Source selection and elite indexing in electoral debates. Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, 94(1), 238-258.
Turcotte, J., & Paul, N. (2015). A case of more is less: The role of gender in US presidential debates. Political Research Quarterly, 68(4), 773-784.
Turcotte, J., York, C., Irving, J., Scholl, R. M., & Pingree, R. J. (2015). News recommendations from social media opinion leaders: Effects on media trust and information seeking. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 20(5), 520-535.
Turcotte, J. (2015). The news norms and values of presidential debate agendas: An analysis of format and moderator influence on question content. Mass Communication & Society, 18(3), 239-258.
York, C., & Turcotte, J. (2015). Vacationing from Facebook: Adoption, temporary discontinuance, and re-adoption of an innovation. Communication Research Reports, 32(1), 54-62.
Turcotte, J., & Goidel, R. K. (2014). Political knowledge and exposure to the 2012 U.S. presidential debates. Does debate format matter? PS: Political Science & Politics, 47(2), 449-453.
Turcotte, J. (2014). Debates and the disincentives of democracy: How news norms and values influence moderator agendas. Journalism Practice, 8(6), 772-788.
Goidel, R. K., Kirzinger, A., DeFleur, M., & Turcotte, J. (2013). Difficulty in seeking information about health care quality and costs: The field of dreams fallacy. The Social Science Journal, 50(4), 418-425.
Turcotte, J., Medenilla, K., Villasenor, K., & Lampwalla, S. (forthcoming). All the polling (data) that's fit to print: An analysis of online news coverage of 2016 primary polls. Communication Research Reports.
Turcotte, J. (2017). Who's citing whom: Source selection and elite indexing in electoral debates. Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, 94(1), 238-258.
Turcotte, J., & Paul, N. (2015). A case of more is less: The role of gender in US presidential debates. Political Research Quarterly, 68(4), 773-784.
Turcotte, J., York, C., Irving, J., Scholl, R. M., & Pingree, R. J. (2015). News recommendations from social media opinion leaders: Effects on media trust and information seeking. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 20(5), 520-535.
Turcotte, J. (2015). The news norms and values of presidential debate agendas: An analysis of format and moderator influence on question content. Mass Communication & Society, 18(3), 239-258.
York, C., & Turcotte, J. (2015). Vacationing from Facebook: Adoption, temporary discontinuance, and re-adoption of an innovation. Communication Research Reports, 32(1), 54-62.
Turcotte, J., & Goidel, R. K. (2014). Political knowledge and exposure to the 2012 U.S. presidential debates. Does debate format matter? PS: Political Science & Politics, 47(2), 449-453.
Turcotte, J. (2014). Debates and the disincentives of democracy: How news norms and values influence moderator agendas. Journalism Practice, 8(6), 772-788.
Goidel, R. K., Kirzinger, A., DeFleur, M., & Turcotte, J. (2013). Difficulty in seeking information about health care quality and costs: The field of dreams fallacy. The Social Science Journal, 50(4), 418-425.
SELECTED CONFERENCE PAPERS
Turcotte, J. (2014). “Who’s citing whom? An analysis of agenda convergence and exogenous influences of electoral debates.” Paper accepted to the annual meeting of the National Communication Association, Chicago, IL.
Turcotte, J., York, C., Scholl, R., Irving, J., & Pingree, R. (2014). "News Recommendations from Social Media Opinion Leaders: Effects on Media Trust and Information Seeking." Paper accepted to the annual meeting of Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, Montreal.
Dunaway, J., Turcotte, J., Davis, N., Ward, C., & Caffarel, A. (2014) "Political ad context and story focus in campaign news." Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Midwest Political Science Association, Chicago, IL.
Turcotte, J. (2013). "Media moderators and the disincentives of democracy: How news norms and values dilute presidential debate agendas." Paper presented at the annual convention of the National Communication Association, Washington, DC.
Dunaway, J., & Turcotte, J. (2013). "Political advertising context and campaign news coverage." Presented at the annual meeting of the American Political Science Association, Chicago, IL.
Turcotte, J. (2013). "The case for the town hall debates: The effects of the press and public agendas on voter acquisition of campaign knowledge." Paper presented at the annual convention of the American Association of Public Opinion Research, Boston, MA.
Turcotte, J., & Goidel, R. K. (2013). “Explaining political knowledge and exposure to the 2012 U.S. presidential debates. Does debate format matter?” Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Southwest Political Science Association, New Orleans, LA.
Turcotte, J. (2012). “Going to extremes: The manufacturing of capitalist and American economic ideology through reality television.” Paper presented at the annual National Communication Association convention, Orlando, FL. (Top Papers Panel, American Studies Division).
Turcotte, J., & York, C. (2012). “Ratcheting up the grassroots rhetoric: Tea Party candidates and Twitter in the 2010 midterm elections.” Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, Chicago, IL. (McCombs-Shaw Top Student Paper Award in Political Communication).*
Kamal, M., Turcotte, J., Davis, D. & Arrazattee, C. (2012). “An experiment in tolerance: How religious stereotypes shape attitudes of reciprocity and political engagement.” Paper presented at the Southern Political Science Association conference, New Orleans, LA.
Turcotte, J. (2011). “A dearth of discourse: Spiral of silence effects and social media.” Paper presented at the International Communication Association Political Communication Graduate Preconference, Boston, MA.
Turcotte, J. (2010). “Status update: Does Facebook harbor political bias?” Paper presented at the 2010 Southern Political Science Association conference, Atlanta, GA.
Turcotte, J. (2009). “Army Strong: How the military’s new recruitment tactics target the instant gratification generation.” Paper presented at the New York State Communication Association conference, Ellenville, NY. (Top Graduate Paper).
DISSERTATION RESEARCH
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In electoral debates, media moderators are charged with the task of facilitating useful and informative discourse but also generating mass appeal and high ratings. Research shows that news professionals face obstacles in satisfying both these needs, as campaign coverage routinely spotlights the strategy, tactics, and horse-race of elections at the expense of policy information. We know from agenda-setting research that the public agenda often moves in tandem with the media’s agenda. In similar fashion, the debate agenda also moves the public's campaign priorities. This underscores the importance of agendas set forth in debates. Debates educate and engage citizens, particularly citizens less attentive to and less knowledgeable about politics. What's more, debates may even mitigate the void left by election news coverage more concerned with strategic narratives and campaign issues over policy issues.
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Mediated debates now utilize a variety of formats including press panels, single moderator formats, and town halls. Despite the fact electoral debates are no longer uniform campaign events, scholars have not fully addressed rules, formats, and other media variables when analyzing debate content and debate effects. Existing literature routinely analyzes debates through the limited lens of a single election cycle or without accounting for key format distinctions.
Journalists fulfill the gatekeeper role in U.S. electoral debates but little is known about the extent to which news norms and processes influence question agendas. And as digital and social media become a more permanent fixture in the debate process, format research is increasingly relevant in understanding the civic outcomes of these crucial campaign events.
Moving forward, identifying the debate variables associated with substantive agenda content will help discern which rules, moderating characteristics and format(s) may be best suited for educating and engaging the electorate. Using quantitative content analysis, my work aims to not only illuminate the nuances behind the debate agenda over time and across electoral contexts but also identify determinants of substantive, policy-driven questions.
Journalists fulfill the gatekeeper role in U.S. electoral debates but little is known about the extent to which news norms and processes influence question agendas. And as digital and social media become a more permanent fixture in the debate process, format research is increasingly relevant in understanding the civic outcomes of these crucial campaign events.
Moving forward, identifying the debate variables associated with substantive agenda content will help discern which rules, moderating characteristics and format(s) may be best suited for educating and engaging the electorate. Using quantitative content analysis, my work aims to not only illuminate the nuances behind the debate agenda over time and across electoral contexts but also identify determinants of substantive, policy-driven questions.
