Ryan Shepard Source Confirmed

Affiliation confirmed via AI analysis of OpenAlex, ORCID, and web sources.

Associate Professor

University of Arkansas at Fayetteville

faculty

11 h-index 87 pubs 429 cited

Research Areas

Misinformation and Its Impacts Social Media and Politics Racial and Ethnic Identity Research Media Studies and Communication American Constitutional Law and Politics Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology Social and Intergroup Psychology

Links

ORCID Lab Website

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OverviewAI-generated summary

Ryan Shepard's research focuses on the study of conspiracy theories, political rhetoric, and social phenomena, particularly as they manifest in contemporary American society. His work examines how these theories spread through various channels, including social media and celebrity endorsements, and their connection to political events and movements. Shepard investigates the rhetorical strategies employed in political discourse, such as the construction of "moderate ethos" and the role of "rehearsed white victimhood" in conservative movements.

His publications explore diverse topics, ranging from the eschatological beliefs of political figures and their connection to events like the January 6th insurrection, to the parodic nature of online movements like "Birds Aren't Real." Shepard also analyzes the presence and implications of conspiracy themes in popular culture, including children's television. His scholarship is supported by an h-index of 11 and 429 citations across 87 publications. He has collaborated with researchers at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, including Meredith Neville-Shepard, Bayleigh Elaine Bond, Dani B. Jackson, and Amanda Magusiak.

Metrics

  • h-index: 11
  • Publications: 87
  • Citations: 429

Selected Publications

  • NCA editor reflection forum (2025) DOI
  • Trump and the truthers: populist demophobia and the Sandy Hook conspiracy theory (2025) DOI
  • Building the Functional Oasis: Spatial Rhetoric and the Neoliberal Company Town of Columbus, Indiana (2025) DOI
  • From Fringe to Mainstream: How Celebrity Endorsement on Social Media Contributes to the Spread of Conspiracy Theories (2024) DOI
  • Kinder-Conspiracy Theories: Disney's <i>Gravity Falls</i> and the Conspiracy Genre in Children's Television (2024) DOI
  • The most hated tree in America: negative difference, the White imaginary, and the Bradford pear (2023) DOI
  • Militant white identity politics on full display in GOP political ads featuring high-powered weapons (2022) DOI
  • The Rise of Presidential Eschatology: Conspiracy Theories, Religion, and the January 6th Insurrection (2021) DOI
  • John F. Kennedy and the Liberal Persuasion (2021) DOI

Collaborators

Researchers in the database who share publications

Meredith Neville-Shepard University of Arkansas at Fayetteville 2 shared publications Bayleigh Elaine Bond University of Arkansas at Fayetteville 1 shared publication Dani B. Jackson University of Arkansas at Fayetteville 1 shared publication Amanda Magusiak University of Arkansas at Fayetteville 1 shared publication Katelynn Sigrist University of Arkansas at Fayetteville 1 shared publication A. G. O. Whiteside University of Arkansas at Fayetteville 1 shared publication

Similar Researchers

Based on overlapping research topics

Joel Lansing Reed University of Arkansas at Fayetteville
Racial and Ethnic Identity Research Media Studies and Communication American Constitutional Law and Politics
Good match 4 shared topics
Meredith Neville-Shepard University of Arkansas at Fayetteville
Racial and Ethnic Identity Research Media Studies and Communication American Constitutional Law and Politics
Good match 4 shared topics
William Kidd University of Central Arkansas
Racial and Ethnic Identity Research Media Studies and Communication American Constitutional Law and Politics
Good match 4 shared topics
John A. Kirk University of Arkansas at Little Rock
Racial and Ethnic Identity Research Media Studies and Communication American Constitutional Law and Politics
Good match 4 shared topics
A. G. O. Whiteside University of Arkansas at Fayetteville
Misinformation and Its Impacts Social Media and Politics Media Studies and Communication
Good match 4 shared topics
T. Jake Dionne University of Arkansas at Fayetteville
Racial and Ethnic Identity Research Media Studies and Communication American Constitutional Law and Politics
Good match 4 shared topics