Ghanaian scholar clinches top U.S. journalism research awards

Alexander Tawiah, a Ghanaian graduate of the Master of Arts in Mass Communication programme at Texas State University and media scholar, has won two of the most coveted awards in journalism and mass communication research at the 108th annual conference of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) held at the San Francisco Marriott Marquis in California.

Tawiah received the “National Kappa Tau Alpha Research Award and the James W. Markham First Place Student Paper Award”, a rare double feat that underscores his exceptional contributions to the field.

Following his graduation, Tawiah has begun a Ph.D. programme in Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Iowa—one of five fully funded offers he received from top U.S. universities this year.

Both awards are among the highest recognitions for scholarly excellence within AEJMC, the largest and most influential academic organisation for journalism and mass communication educators and researchers in the United States.

This year’s AEJMC conference was held under the theme “Leading in Times of Momentous Change: Individual and Collective Opportunities”. It brought together academics, media professionals and students from around the world for sessions, workshops, panels and networking events on the rapid transformation of digital media and journalism.

The paper

His award-winning paper, “Social Media Campaign Strategies: A Case Study of Political Issue Framing by 2024 Presidential Candidates in Ghana,” used framing theory and digital multimodal discourse analysis to examine how presidential candidates John Dramani Mahama of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) framed the economy and education during their campaigns.

The study found contrasting economic narratives, namely “Resetting Ghana” and “It Is Possible.” It also highlighted competing education frames, specifically reform versus continuity, and identified platform-specific engagement strategies that tailored messages to each medium’s strengths.

Reaction

Reacting to his achievement in a post on his LinkedIn page, Alexander Tawiah said the awards reflected not only his research but also the mentorship, encouragement, and belief in him from his professors, colleagues, and friends.

He added that he felt extremely fortunate and grateful for the guidance he had received.

Reflecting on his experience at the conference, Tawiah shared that engaging with colleagues from around the world “reaffirmed my commitment to research and teaching that connect academic inquiry with the real-world challenges facing media today.”

Praise

Celebrating both his academic promise and professional dedication, Dr. Vanessa de Macedo Higgins Joyce, graduate advisor at Texas State University, said: “We are proud of you, Alexander! Now, go get that Ph.D.! I can’t wait to see what you’ll do in Iowa”.

“Congratulations, Alexander. You are already distinguishing yourself as a skilled teacher and scholar, and it’s only the beginning,” Dr. Cindy Royal, director of the Digital Media Innovation Lab at Texas State University, said.

“Amazing, especially as a master’s student. Congratulations!”, the program coordinator of the electronic media program at Texas State University, also said.

The awards

The Kappa Tau Alpha Research Award is a prestigious national honor presented annually to recognize the best research paper among all works accepted for presentation at the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) conference.

It is sponsored by Kappa Tau Alpha (KTA), the national college honor society for journalism and mass communication, which was founded in 1910 to promote scholarship and excellence in the field.
The award is given to a research paper that demonstrates originality, rigor and national impact.

Because it is chosen from across all divisions and interest groups within AEJMC, winning the Kappa Tau Alpha Research Award is considered one of the highest scholarly distinctions in the journalism and communication research community in the United States.

On the other hand, the James W. Markham First Place Student Paper Award is a top academic honour presented at the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) annual conference to recognise the best student-authored research paper accepted for presentation.

Named after James W. Markham, a distinguished journalism educator and scholar known for his contributions to media research and teaching, the award celebrates outstanding scholarship by graduate or undergraduate students in journalism and mass communication.

To win the award, a paper must demonstrate excellence in research design and methodology, originality of thought, and scholarly contribution. Because it is selected from all student submissions across AEJMC’s divisions, the Markham Award is widely regarded as one of the most competitive and prestigious recognitions for emerging scholars in journalism and mass communication.

The journey

Before this recognition, Tawiah had already built a record of achievement. At Texas State University’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication, he became the first international and African student to graduate as top student in the Master’s Mass Communication programme.

He also received the Outstanding Graduate Student award, from the College of Fine Arts and Communication. This was for his service as a student government representative.

At Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in History in 2022, Tawiah founded Thriller News GH, a student-run digital media outlet that trains aspiring journalists. His leadership skills won him the Student Entrepreneur of the Year, Best Student Blogger and Writer, and Best Student Media House.