Date of Award
Spring 5-2026
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
Communication
First Advisor
Dr. Alicia Mason ([email protected])
Second Advisor
Dr. Kristen Livingston ([email protected])
Third Advisor
Dr. Mark Johnson ([email protected])
Keywords
media effects, faith-based non-profit, media theory, qualitative
Abstract
This thesis examines the digital media practices of a faith-based organization through how leadership communicates with internal congregation members. By applying the theoretical framework of uses and gratifications theory and affordances framework, a communication audit was conducted of a Midwestern Protestant church to uncover any gaps between congregational members' uses for digital media and how the church leadership was gratifying those needs through their digital media practices. Accordingly, this study investigated (1) what digital media content needs congregants expect their church to fulfill, (2) what the church is currently doing to gratify congregants' digital media content needs and (3) church congregants' perceptions of the communicative affordances offered by the church's current media platforms. Through a qualitative approach, this study implemented three focus groups with church members and three individual interviews with church staff. The transcripts from the sessions were then analyzed using a thematic analysis approach. The analysis indicated that the congregant members primarily accessed the church's media content for information seeking needs, not for entertainment or socialization. It was also concluded that the church was currently gratifying those digital media needs, with room for more accessibility of information. This study contributes to media theory by expanding the context of digital media usage to under researched faith-based nonprofit organizations. Additionally, this thesis proposes a methodology of conducting communication audits of faith-based organizations with the intention of developing a prototype for future use of similar organizations.
Recommended Citation
Ortiz, Jada N., "Religiously Online: A Digital Media Communication Audit of a Midwestern Church According to the Frameworks of Uses and Gratifications Theory and Affordances Framework" (2026). Electronic Theses & Dissertations. 840.
https://digitalcommons.pittstate.edu/etd/840
