Azhar Iqbal
- Ph.D. Student
Contact Info
Personal Links
Biography —
Azhar Iqbal is a Ph.D. Candidate in Journalism and Mass Communications at the William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications, University of Kansas. Originally from Pakistan, Iqbal brings an international academic and professional background spanning South Asia, Russia, and the United States. His scholarly and professional journey reflects a strong commitment to advancing strategic communication research and practice across global contexts.
Iqbal’s research focuses on digital advertising, artificial intelligence in media, social media and public health communication, and the psychological implications of digital media exposure particularly among Generation Z. His dissertation examines the relationship between digital advertising and mental health among Gen Z college students in the United States. His work has been published in leading peer-reviewed journals including Telematics and Informatics, Digital Health, Journalism & Mass Communication Educator, Frontiers in Communication, Journalism Practice, and Online Media and Global Communication.
In addition to his research, Iqbal is deeply committed to teaching excellence and experiential learning. He has taught advertising, public relations, campaign strategy, public speaking, media writing, and digital storytelling at both undergraduate and graduate levels in the United States and Pakistan. Before transitioning fully into academia, he worked as a journalist and co-founded The Educationist, an English-language newspaper in Pakistan. His professional background in journalism and broadcasting continues to inform his applied, practice-oriented teaching philosophy.
Iqbal is an active member of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) and has received multiple recognitions, including Top Faculty Paper awards at AEJMC conferences. His work bridges research, teaching, and global engagement in strategic communication.
Research —
New Media, Journalism, Health Communication, Advertising and Public Relations
Teaching —
Courses at The University of Kansas (2023–Present)
JMC 560: Message Development in Advertising, Public Relations, and Digital Marketing Communication
JMC 640: Campaigns in Digital Marketing, Advertising & Public Relations
JMC 150: Presenting to the Audiences (Public Speaking)
JMC 302: Information Exploration
JMC 309: Data Storytelling
Selected Publications —
PEER-REVIEWED JOURNAL ARTICLES (PUBLISHED)
Iqbal, A., Rafique, S., Jona, B. T., & Seo, H. (2025). GenAI in mass communication education: Interviews with instructors. Teaching Journalism & Mass Communication, 15(2), 11–21. https://community.aejmc.org/smallprogramsinterestgroup/publications/journals
Seo, H., Burkett, K. M., Morales, O., Izhar, N., Chaif, R., Coelho, M. B., Ha, H., Jona, B., Iqbal, A., & Doyle, T. (2025). Between likes and lies: How teenage girls navigate online health information. Frontiers in Communication. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcomm.2025.1692428
Seo, H., da Silva, M. P., Jona, B., Iqbal, A., Burkett, K. M., Khan, H. U., & Urbina Carreno, A. E. (2025). Comparative analysis of AI attitudes among JMC students in Brazil and the US: A mixed-methods approach. Online Media and Global Communication, 4(2), 187-215. https://doi.org/10.1515/omgc-2024-0060
Seo, H., Burkett, K. M., Okocha, M., Ha, H., Chaif, R., Izhar, N., Coelho, M., Jona, B., & Iqbal, A. (2025). Social media activism and women’s health: Endometriosis awareness and support. Digital Health, 11, 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1177/20552076251314905
Ittefaq, M., Zain, A., Arif, R., Ala-Uddin, M., Ahmad, T., & Iqbal, A. (2025). Global news media coverage of artificial intelligence (AI): A comparative analysis of frames, sentiments, and trends across 12 countries. Telematics and Informatics, 96, 102223. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tele.2024.102223
Seo, H., Iqbal, A., & Rafique, S. (2024). Attitudes toward AI, AI self-efficacy, and AI adoption: A survey of media students in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Studies in Media, Journalism, and Communications, 2(2), 22-30 https://doi.org/10.32996/smjc.2024.2.2.4
Jamil, S., Iqbal, A., Ittefaq, M., & Kamboh, SA (2022). Building a media literate society: Pathways to improve media and information literacy education in Pakistan. Journalism & Mass Communication Educator, 77 (4), 414-428. https://doi.org/10.1177/10776958221125358
Ittefaq, M., Ahmad Kamboh, S., Iqbal, A., Iftikhar, U., Abwao, M., & Arif, R. (2023). Understanding public reactions to state security officials' suicide cases in online news comments. Death studies, 47 (4), 499-508. https://doi.org/10.1080/07481187.2022.2101074
Ittefaq, M., Ejaz, W., Jamil, S., Iqbal, A., & Arif, R. (2023). Discriminated in society and marginalized in media: Social representation of Christian sanitation workers in Pakistan. Journalism Practice, 17 (1), 66-84. https://doi.org/10.1080/17512786.2021.1939103
Ittefaq, M., & Iqbal, A. (2018). Digitization of the health sector in Pakistan: challenges and opportunities to online health communication: A case study of MARHAM social and mobile media. Digital Health, 4, 2055207618789281. https://doi.org/10.1177/2055207618789281
Selected Presentations —
CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS
Diwanji, V., Burkett, K. M., Chaif, R. H., Iqbal, A., Coelho, M., & Wiley, T. (2025, August). Breaking the mold: The impact of gamification and disability representation in virtual influencer advertising. Paper to be presented at AEJMC Annual Conference, San Francisco Marriott Marquis, San Francisco, CA.
Seo, H., Burkett, K. M., Morales, O., Izhar, N., Chaif, R. H., Coelho, M., Ha, H., Jona, B., Iqbal, A., & Doyle, T. (2025, August). Teenage girls and digital health: Navigating health misinformation on social media. Paper accepted at AEJMC, San Francisco, CA. (Top Faculty Paper)
Seo, H., Burkett, K. M., Okocha, M., Ha, H., Chaif, R., Izhar, N., Barros, M., Jona, B., & Iqbal, A. (August 2024). Social media activism and women’s health: Endometriosis as feminist issue. AEJMC Annual Convention, Philadelphia, PA. (Second-place Top Faculty Paper)
Seo, H., da Silva, M. P., Jona, B., Iqbal, A., Burkett, K. M., Khan, H. U., & Urbina Carreno, A. E. (August 2024). Comparative analysis of AI attitudes among JMC students in Brazil and the US. AEJMC Annual Convention, Philadelphia, PA.
Ittefaq, M., Zain, A., Khan, M. L., Ahmad, T., Iqbal, A., Ala-Uddin, M. (July 2024). Global news media coverage of artificial intelligence: A comparative analysis of trends, topics, and sentiments across 12 countries. IAMCR Annual Conference, 30 June – 04 July 2024.
Ittefaq, M., Kamboh, S. A., Iqbal, A., Iftikhar, U., Abwao, M., & Arif, R. (August 2021). Understanding public reaction to celebrity suicide cases in online news comments. AEJMC Virtual Conference, New Orleans, USA.
Olkhovikov, K., & Iqbal, A. (2018). Educating the teachers by new media: Challenges and facilities to online education; A case of TeachHub. Paper presented at the 10th International Conference on Education and New Learning Technologies, Palma, Spain. IATED.
Olkhovikov, K., & Iqbal, A. (2018). The power of social media in modern education. Paper presented at the 12th International Technology, Education and Development Conference, Valencia, Spain. IATED.
Iqbal, A. (2017). Use of social media to promote national culture worldwide. Strategies for social networks, institutions and territory. T. 1.—Екатеринбург, 2017, 1 (3), 327-329.