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SheKnows
What Is Italian Brainrot? The AI-Generated Craze That’s Taking Over Kids Screens
May 12, 2025

Clinical Associate Professor of Communication and Associate Director of the Digital Social Media (MS) program Freddy Tran Nager was quoted in a story discussing how AI-generated, vaguely Italian memes like "Italian Brainrot" are taking over teen social media feeds, featuring surreal, text-to-speech characters like “Ballerina Cappuccina.”

Variety
Women Direct Only 11% of Top-Grossing Films Globally, According to New Study From Annenberg Inclusion Initiative
May 12, 2025

Associate Professor of Communication and Founder of the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative Stacy L. Smith was mentioned in an article about a new study from the Initiative which found that women comprise 11.6% of the directors of global films.

Forbes
What Is ‘Italian Brain Rot’? The Surreal TikTok Obsession, Explained
May 3, 2025

Clinical Associate Professor of Communication and Associate Director of the Digital Social Media (MS) program Freddy Tran Nager was quoted in a story about “Italian brain rot,” a trending TikTok meme that pairs AI-generated content with “cartoonish” Italian accents. 

The Washington Post
Why the ‘Rust’ director finished the movie — and left out its tragic scene
May 1, 2025

Associate Professor of Professional Practice of Communication and Co-Director of the Communication Management (MCG) Program Monica Koyama was quoted in a story discussing Director Joel Souza’s decision to complete the film "Rust" as a tribute to cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, who was fatally shot on set in 2021.