UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — A report on the health of dogs who swam in a polluted lake that took months to produce or a news piece on a cooking event where local chefs used every part of a pig — which story got more views?

The answer: the cooking event. And it wasn’t close.

These stories aired back in 2009. The reporter was Jessica Gall Myrick, a multimedia journalist for Indiana Public Media out of Bloomington, Indiana. She was baffled and a little aggravated that the story about the lake, which she worked hard on, barely moved the needle.

She became increasingly curious about how her audience interpreted and responded to her reporting — particularly the stories about health and science. She signed up for media studies journalism graduate courses and her career path veered toward a life in academia.

“I learned that how topics are communicated motivates people in different ways, which is very important at the societal level,” she said. “Plus, I got tired of lugging around a camera. Those things weighed a ton.”

Today Myrick is a professor of media studies at the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications and has made a name for herself as a premier researcher in her field with a knack for timely studies that often go viral.

“My journalism training taught me that ‘new’ is a news value,” she said. “I am really interested in the type of popular media that lots of people are consuming and has a big impact on them. If it’s happening now, that’s what gets me motivated.”

Early in her academic career, Myrick published research about how watching online cat videos can help improve mood and boost energy. That laid the groundwork for studying social media, memes, public figures, and messaging that affects human emotions, health and individuals’ understanding of science.

Some of Myrick’s recent articles examined how Tom Hanks’ COVID-19 diagnosis influenced public understanding of the virus, how former President Donald Trump’s diet affected people’s food choices, and how illnesses of controversial celebrities influenced public health.

Among colleagues, Myrick has garnered a reputation for having a friendly and high-energy work ethic. She has received numerous awards, including the 2022 Lewis Donohew Outstanding Health Communication Scholar Award. Last year, she was named full professor. She continues to publish extensively, teaches and sits on committees for master’s and doctoral students.

“Jess came to Penn State as an extremely productive scholar and remains so. She has however extended her range,” said Matt Jordan, associate professor and head of the Department of Film Production and Media Studies at the Bellisario College. “She is able to think through a wide variety of theoretical and methodological issues, which is why she has such range and has written about so many different issues.”

Five months before the COVID-19 pandemic shut the world down, Myrick and her partner Scott welcomed their daughter, Frankie. As a new parent, Myrick learned a lot about time management and prioritizing responsibilities as she maintained a busy academic schedule, which was good, because a year later twins Lincoln and Quincy arrived.

Three kids. All under 3 years old. During a global pandemic.

Myrick says she is lucky. She loves what she does, and she has the focus and support system, including her Bellisario College colleagues and other friends and neighbors in State College, to make it all happen. She admits to being tired and sometimes forgetful, but Myrick carves out time for her family (including her two pugs) every day. She makes sure her advisees and students have what they need to succeed. And she is impressively good at replying to email.

“Some graduate students have called me a ‘supermom,’ but I am no superhero,” Myrick said. “They don’t see how messy it can be. I want them to know that being productive isn't a sign of one's self worth. It's just a sign that there’s a system and a motivation to do good work.”

COVID-19 proved to be a model case study for media studies and science communication research. The global impact and political divisiveness created a chaotic media landscape rife with mixed messages and misinformation. Communicating about public health and strengthening the public’s respect for science gained new meaning for Myrick, as a new mother of three.

Myrick frequently shares photos of her children and dogs on Instagram and Facebook. She finds herself doom-scrolling social media just like everyone else. One big difference, however, is that the stories that fill up Myrick’s news feeds sometimes lead to research projects.

Friend and colleague Jessica Fitts Willoughby has collaborated with Myrick on a number of projects since they were both doctoral students at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She says the two scholars share a “thoughtful curiosity,” which often leads to unique research ideas.

“One of us might hear or see something in the media and then text the other … and the next thing I know we are brainstorming survey questions and running another project,” said Fitts Willoughby, an associate professor at Washington State University. “Jess has an innate ability to think through some of the different aspects of the approach or the constructs we should be considering.”

Their process can happen fast and in a variety of ways, she added. The original text message leads to emails, Zoom calls, data gathering and, hopefully, a strong research study ready for publication.

“I am glad our paths crossed at UNC,” Fitts Willoughby said. “Jess is incredibly knowledgeable and an amazing researcher. She builds people up, which is so important in a field where people experience a lot of rejection.”

Myrick’s research has resulted in more than 60 peer-reviewed journal articles. Her work can be found in book chapters, encyclopedia entries and a book she authored. She sits on 20 dissertation committees both inside and outside the Bellisario College. She is also the lead adviser for six doctoral students.

One of her doctoral advisees, Nicholas Eng, says Myrick’s drive and dependability never cease to amaze him. As a collaborator, he is “100 percent” confident their work will be stellar. As an adviser, Myrick is as reliable as she is inspirational.

“I don’t think anyone could get to where Jess is without being tenacious, driven and creative,” Eng said. “She has a wealth of knowledge, and she always has my back. She never fails to support me in the opportunities I find.”

Eng said he was humbled to recently coauthor a study with Myrick and Robin Nabi, a professor at University of California at Santa Barbara, about how COVID memes influenced stress levels during the pandemic. “Here I was collaborating with two scholars that I cite so often in my work.”

Myrick enjoys working with both academics and professionals. She says her research “is not all cats and memes and celebrities.” She also conducts long-term studies that capture a broader view of health and science communication in the public sphere.

“The psychology of how our media use and emotions intersect is really important to all different aspects of the communication profession,” she said. “I hope to get the word out that we can use media psychology to help improve public health and well-being.”

Looking back at how she communicated as a reporter, Myrick says that her 2022 researcher self would tell her 2009 journalist self to use more story-telling elements in her news pieces. 

"There needs to be a protagonist and a plot line," she said. And to get more views on the water pollution story?

"More pictures of dogs."