Samuel Anesu Muzhingi

Samuel Anesu Muzhingi
  • Ph.D. Student

Contact Info

Personal Links

Biography —

Samuel Anesu Muzhingi is a Ph.D. student and Graduate Teaching Assistant at the William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications. Originally from Zimbabwe, he holds a Bachelor of Journalism and Media Studies from the National University of Science and Technology (NUST), Zimbabwe, and a Master of Arts in Communication with a concentration in Development Communication from Daystar University (DU) in Kenya.

His master’s thesis examined how innovative digital platforms such as iShamba support agricultural extension services in Kenya, focusing on Nyeri County. The study analyzed how communication processes and improved access to essential farming information shape agricultural decision-making, particularly within the broader context of climate change.

Before beginning his doctoral studies, Samuel worked in journalism, sub-editing, business development, and strategic communication. He is a subscribing member of the Zimbabwe Media Commission (2024). 

Research —

Samuel's research interests examine how emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence, are adopted, regulated, and institutionalized within journalism and higher education, with attention to professional norms, regulatory frameworks, and broader social consequences. His scholarship also centers on mediated communication, mediated authority, misinformation correction, and civic engagement across digital environments, focusing on how communication infrastructures shape credibility, pedagogy, and knowledge production.

Research Groups

  • EmTech & Public Interest Tech Group
  • Immersion, Computation, and Expression Group
  • Computational Health and Risk Communication Group

Teaching —

Teaching Interests:

Instructor of Record: JMC 150 Presenting to Audiences, Fall 2025-Spring 2026

Graduate Teaching Assistant: JMC 150 Presenting to Audiences, Fall 2024-Spring 2025

Selected Publications —

Selected Publications

Journal Articles

Muzhingi, S. A., Vu, H., Appelman, A. J., & Tamar, W. (In Press). When AI Enters the Syllabus: Journalism’s Crossroads of Threat and Opportunity. Journalism and Mass Communication Educator.

Muzhingi, S. A., & Appelman, A. J. (2025). Ethics’ role in AI adoption: Extending the Technology Acceptance Model. Journal of Communication Technology, 7(3), 51-69. doi.org/10.51548/joctec.7.3.2025.03

Diwanji, V., Ha, H., Izhar, N., Jona, B., Thi, N., Nguyen, T., & Muzhingi, S. A. (under review). Gamifying sustainability communication: Leveraging digital games for sustainable behavior adoption.

Chibike, J. J., Muzhingi, S., & Semba, V. (2024). God sent prophet? Musical portrayal of Emmerson Mnangagwa during the run-up to the 2023 harmonized elections in Zimbabwe. African Journal of Democracy and Election Research, 4(1), 61-77. https://hdl.handle.net/10520/ejc-aa_ajder_v4_n1_a4


Book Chapters

Chibike, J.J., Muzhingi, S.A., Moyo, T., Chibike, L. (2025). Unearthing an Unpleasant Past: Exploring the Psychological Trauma of Journalists Reporting on the Gukurahundi Genocide. In: Aiseng, K., Uzuegbunam, C.E. (eds) Navigating Trauma in African Journalism, Volume 1. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-94661-5_12

Muzhingi, S.A., & Chibike, J.J. (2025). The Illusion of change: Unveiling news production and consumption dynamics in Zimpapers News Hub. In: Sharra, A., Akpojivi, U. (Eds.) Technologies and Media Production Cultures. Palgrave Studies in Journalism and the Global South. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-78582-5_6

Chibike, J. J., Muzhingi, S. A., Pikanegore, P., & Makalisa, B. (2025). Interrogating the interplay of multilingualism and multiculturalism on Lupane State University Campus radio station. In Reconceptualising Multilingualism on African Radio: Language and Identity, 111-129. Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-77853-7_6

Selected Presentations —

Conference Presentations

Diwanji, V., Ha, H., Izhar, N., Jona, B., Thi, N., Nguyen, T., and Muzhingi, S. A. (2025, August). Gamifying sustainability communication: Leveraging digital games for sustainable behavior adoption. Paper presented at Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC), Communicating Science, Health, Environment and Risk Division, San Francisco, CA

Muzhingi, S. A., & Appelman, A. (2025, March). Extending the Technology Acceptance Model to incorporate ethical concerns: Journalism students’ perceptions of artificial intelligence adoption. Paper presented at the midwinter conference of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC), Communication and Technology division, Norman, OK.