This study examined student success, failure, withdrawal, and satisfaction in online public relations courses based on instructor–student interaction, student–student interaction, and instructor presence. Student passing rates, D/F rates, withdrawal rates, and evaluations of instruction were compiled from fifty-one online PR courses run over the course of two years. The results from the study suggest that student–student interaction and self-discipline are the strongest predictors of success and satisfaction with online courses. Implications for online instructors are included.

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This article uses grounded theory methodology to analyze in-depth interviews conducted with mourners who used social networking sites during bereavement. The social media mourning (SMM) model outlines how social networking sites are used to grieve using one or more of the following: (a) one-way communication, (b) two-way communication, and (c) immortality communication. The model indicates causal conditions of SMM: (a) sharing information with family or friends and (sometimes) beginning a dialog, (b) discussing death with others mourning, (c) discussing death with a broader mourning community, and (d) commemorating and continuing connection to the deceased. The article includes actions and consequences associated with SMM and suggests several ways in which SMM changes or influences the bereavement process.

A survey (n = 212) of broadcast and print journalism students at a large Midwestern university compared ethical perceptions of introductory journalism students to graduating students. Results generally indicate that introductory students appear more ethically grounded than graduating students, who through practical newsroom experience were able to move from ethical theory to practice. It appears the more student journalists gain practical experience the less absolute their ethical perceptions, which is consistent with moral and ethical development theory. Practical experiences of internships and course lab work provide graduating students a more complex approach to ethical decision making and generate alternative viewpoints that go beyond ethical codes.