The mayor of social media : on the intersection of the Millennial Generation, digital media technologies, and civic engagement

This Master’s Report has two key objectives: (1) Add to the current dialogue, as to how the Millennial Generation defines the intersection of Digital Media Technologies (DMTs) and civic engagement; and (2) Create media content (and subsequently, disseminate this media content via on-air and online broadcasts) theoretically guided by the Academy’s work on said intersection of DMTs and civic engagement. Although, the Millennial Generation played an instrumental role in the 2004 and 2008 Presidential Elections, rarely does the Academy inquire directly from this generational cohort their qualitative perspectives on the aforementioned intersection. Thus, this Master’s Report ultimately aims to fill-in such glaring literature gaps by crafting media content shaped primarily by the voices of Millennials. Completion of this Master’s Report resulted in the media production of five expert audio interviews and three radio features that aired on public radio station KUT FM 90.5 and received placement on KUT’s station website, www.kut.org and The University of Texas, School of Journalism’s Reporting Texas website, www.reportingtexas.com, during the spring of 2012.