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The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in substantially lower uptake of childhood vaccinations in the U.S. As vaccination rates struggle to rebound, childhood vaccine hesitancy continues to grow. Addressing vaccine disinformation and increasing catch-up vaccination is an urgent public health priority. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of “Jenny’s First Sleepover,” a darkly humorous satirical book about childhood vaccinations, to influence attitudes of vaccine hesitant parents. This study implemented a randomized pretest – posttest experimental design using a web-based survey with one intervention and one control. “Jenny’s First Sleepover” improved attitudes toward vaccination among vaccine hesitant parents. Negative emotions were an important mediator of attitudes toward vaccinations. Findings identify mechanisms that increase effectiveness of satirical approaches, including the presentation of novel information about serious vaccine-preventable diseases with a dark narrative twist. Health communicators may consider a darkly humorous satirical approach to improve attitudes toward childhood vaccination among vaccine hesitant parents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Though nonprofit management literature frequently discusses the importance of communication and cultivating relationships with donors, members, and volunteers, research on how individuals process organizational messages is sparse. This study proposes a model theoretically based on communicative action problem solving that details a sequential chain of communicative actions that predict behavioral intentions to support organizations. Using an online survey of members of a state museum (n = 363), this study found support for how individuals process organizational messages. Specifically, individuals that perceive a strong relationship with an organization are more likely to seek out information from or about that organization. After seeking out information, individuals filter messaging to keep the most helpful content while ignoring other content before ultimately sharing those messages with their personal network. Through sequential mediation analysis, the data supports the hypothesized order of active communication processes and extends the conceptual linkages discussed by nonprofit management literature between organization-public relationships and behavioral outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although advocacy and activism have been discussed in communication literature, are important in society, and often aid in organizational success, conceptual definitions and valid measurement of the concepts are lacking. By searching the literature, seeking two rounds of expert feedback, and employing two surveys (N = 1,300) for scale development, this study advances a new measurement model of behavior that may be useful for future research and practice. The findings support six distinct factors of behavioral advocacy and activism, three representing advocacy and three representing activism. The behaviors are communicative, collective, and combative in nature. Implications are discussed, along with suggestions for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports first observation of Predation of Uta stansburiana by Hadrurus spadix in southern Nevada, U.S. with potential implications for the interaction between this diurnal lizard and the large, predatory scorpions of the genus Hadrurus.