Julius M. Riles
Julius M. Riles
Dr. Julius Matthew Riles (Ph.D., University of Illinois – Urbana/Champaign) researches the interplay between media use and social relationships. He theoretically approaches this examination from several perspectives. Specifically, Dr. Riles psychologically explores how exposure to social group portrayals can influence social perceptions and inclinations pertaining to those groups, the mechanisms by which social relationships influence media use, and the experience of parasocial relationships with figures in the media. His research agenda concerns practices pertaining to both traditional and digital media, and his interdisciplinary approach has led to research in the sub-disciplines of both health communication and political communication. Dr. Riles has been published in top-ranked peer-reviewed outlets such as the Journal of Communication, New Media & Society, Communication Research, Media Psychology, Communication Monographs, and Health Communication. Throughout his academic career, Dr. Riles has received several awards for teaching, research, and service. For example, he received the Campus Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching, an award given to the top five graduate teaching instructors from among the thousands at the University of Illinois. As an assistant professor at Mizzou, he was honored with the Advisor of the Year Award by the Department of Communication graduate student body and the Mass Comm Division Teaching Award from the National Communication Association. Dr. Riles is currently serving as Co-Director for the Media & Diversity Center.
Riles, J. M., Ramasubramanian, S., & Behm-Morawitz, E. (2022). Theory development and evaluation within a critical media effects framework: An intersectional identity approach to media psychology. Journal of Media Psychology: Theories, Methods, and Applications, 34(2), 101-112.
Wiemer, E. C., Riles, J. M., & Tewksbury, D. (2022). Artists and attributions: How music platform implementation affects parasocial experiences and support intentions. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 66(2), 300-319.
Riles, J. M., Miller, B., Funk, M., & Morrow, E. (2021). The modern character of mental health stigma: A 30-year examination of popular film. Communication Studies, 72(4), 668-683. Communication Studies, 72(4), 668-683.
Riles, J. M., Funk, M., Miller, B., & Morrow, E. (2021). An Inclination for Intimacy: Depictions of Mental Health and Interpersonal Interaction in Popular Film. International Journal of Communication, 15, 2260-2280.
Riles, J. M., & Adams, K. (2021). Me, myself, and my mediated ties: Parasocial experiences as an ego-driven process. Media Psychology, 24(6), 792-813.
Riles, J. M. (2020). The social effect of exposure to mental illness media portrayals: Influencing interpersonal interaction intentions. Psychology of Popular Media, 9(2), 145-154.
Riles, J.M., Behm-Morawitz, E., Shin, H., Funk, M. (2020) The effect of news peril-type on social inclinations: A social group comparison. Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, 97(3), 721-742.
Riles, J. M., Funk, M., & Davis, W. (2019). Positive exposure to Muslims and perceptions of a disdainful public: A model of mediated social dissent. Communication Monographs, 86(3), 292-312.
Riles, J.M., Varava, K., Pilny, A., & Tewksbury, D. (2018). Representations of interpersonal interactions and race/ethnicity: An examination of prime-time network television. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media , 62(2), 302-319.
Riles, J.M., Pilny, A., Tewksbury, D. (2018) Media fragmentation in the context of bounded social networks: How far can it go? New Media & Society, 20(4), 1415-1432.
LaVoie, N., Quick, B., Riles, J., & White, N. (2017). Graphic cigarette warning labels: An examination of psychological reactance and source appraisal. Communication Research, 44(3), 416-436.
Riles, J. M., Sangalang, A., Hurley, R. J., & Tewksbury, D. (2015). Framing Cancer for Online News: Implications for Popular Perceptions of Cancer. Journal of Communication, 65(6), 1018-1040.
Hurley, R. J., Riles, J. M., & Sangalang, A. (2014). Online cancer news: Trends regarding article types, specific cancers, and the cancer continuum. Health Communication, 29(1), 41-50.