Rich Johnson

Rich Johnson is an Associate Professor at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, Arizona State University (ASU). He previously served as an Associate Professor of Journalism at Creighton University. His research focuses on sports media framing practices that marginalize women’s athletics and minority athletes, particularly analyzing gender and racial representation in social media platforms like Instagram.

Education: Johnson earned his PhD from ASU’s Cronkite School. He has taught courses such as Multimedia Storytelling, Sports Media Ethics, and Podcasting & Audio Storytelling since 2017.

Research Interests: His work critiques how media perpetuates stereotypes through visual and textual framing. Key themes include NCAA gender policies, racial commodification, and audience engagement with sports content. He employs qualitative methods to analyze Instagram posts, highlight shows, and athletic department webpages.

Publications: Over 15 articles (2017-2025) explore topics like gendered visual framing of female athletes, toxicity in sports journalism harassment, and NCAA’s commodification of Black hardship. His 2023 work on Instagram gender equality and 2017 Olympic gender framing studies highlight his focus on digital narratives.

Awards: No scientific awards listed. Grants and advising details are unavailable in current records.