ADPR Professor and Student Work Together to Explore AI Ethics in Public Relations
Through collaborative research with her public relations professor, a student lands a valuable internship in the industry
By: Sophia Gorman
Artificial intelligence continues to advance and develop daily. This presents both a challenge and an opportunity in the world of public relations. When it comes to Morgan Vandenberg, a graduate student at Michigan State University, this topic only further opened opportunities for her in the world of PR. Through Vandenberg’s research on artificial intelligence conducted with her professor, Dr. Chuqing Dong, this ultimately led her to earn an internship at Big Valley Marketing.
Vandenberg’s journey began when she took a class with Dong as a sophomore. Dong quickly noticed how Vandenberg stood out in class.
“I first got to know Morgan when she was a student in my PR 300 class, where she excelled, particularly in the group project on a PR campaign proposal,” said Dong.
Shortly after this, Vandenberg was hired as the undergrad learning assistant and invited by Dong to join her research on artificial intelligence. Their research focused closely on the ethical implications of artificial intelligence in public relations using mostly qualitative methods, including interviews with other PR professionals, to support their findings
“I think it also gave me a deeper appreciation for the skills, but it also gave me a deeper appreciation for the skills and knowledge that public relations practitioners need in order to create meaningful deliverables and relationships with their clients,” said Vandenberg.
Vandenberg and Dong presented their research at the 27th International Public Relations Research Conference in Orlando, Florida. After their presentation on artificial intelligence, Vandenberg was quickly approached by an employee from Big Valley Marketing. She then was offered a position on the team for the summer of 2024.
Throughout her time at Big Valley, she continued this research and made many new findings. Vandenberg was able to gain practical and real-life experience following her internship. Along with Dong’s help, Vandenberg blossomed in the professional PR setting, and through her research was able to gain valuable field experience.
Learn more by checking out the official report of her research.