Chris and Rebecca Cooney share communication expertise with international learners

Washington State University Pullman faculty Chris and Rebecca Cooney - partners in life and profession - don't often get to travel abroad to work with international populations or design culturally-relevant curriculum.

But a $2.3 million, six-yearU.S. Department of State-funded partnership between the Murrow College of Communication at WSU and the American University of Armenia (AUA) created a new opportunity last summer for the couple to share their unique expertise with a global audience.

Lawrence Pintak, professor and Murrow College founding dean, invited the Cooneys to spend five days in Armenia working with students, faculty, journalists, and communication professionals on using artificial intelligence (AI) and social media responsibly and strategically.

"Sending Rebecca and Chris was an easy decision," said Pintak, who now heads Murrow's International Journalism Education initiative. "They developed a hugely successful online training course for journalism faculty in Kenya and Pakistan, and I knew their talents would be equally valuable to the Armenian journalism sector."

Founded in 1991, the AUA is accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission, and its programs encourage civic engagement and democratic values. Under Murrow's partnership with AUA, a professionally focused master's in multiplatform journalism is being developed for launch in the fall of 2025, and a Center for Excellence in Journalism is being developed as a media think tank and training center.

Hagop Yacoubian, dean of AUA's College of Humanities and Social Sciences, says the project will add diversity to the college's academic portfolio, create new learning opportunities, and prepare graduates to become civil and professional leaders.

This initiative offered us a chance to discuss both social media trends and AI in a comprehensive and nuanced way, exploring their potential and ethical considerations in an international context.

Rebecca Cooney, Les Smith Distinguished Professor
Murrow College of Communication
Washington State University

Rebecca, a Les Smith Distinguished Professor in the Murrow College, specializes in strategic communication, branding, and digital marketing. Chris, a former Murrow College faculty member, is an award-winning associate career-track professor in the Carson College of Business, skilled in entrepreneurship, management, strategic marketing communication, and visual communication.

"We have always worked well together, and we complement each other's strengths," Rebecca said. "This initiative offered us a chance to discuss both social media trends and AI in a comprehensive and nuanced way, exploring their potential and ethical considerations in an international context."

Empowering individuals to meet growing demands in online engagement

Using the theme Building a Stronger Media in Armenia: Exploring the Potential of AI and Social Media, the Cooneys hosted workshops and led discussions to raise awareness of AUA's new journalism program.

One workshop focused on ways to leverage AI for information gathering and storytelling. Another offered insights to finding your voice on social media and aligning social media strategies with personal values and professional goals. This approach empowers individuals to prioritize their efforts and manage increasing demands of online engagement, Rebecca says.

"Ultimately, we aimed to encourage a perspective that these technologies should serve individuals and their goals rather than the other way around," Chris said." We believe this approach resonates deeply with the Armenian audience, who are eager to navigate the digital world with a clear sense of purpose and vision."

The Cooneys expected to find a similar spectrum of AI knowledge and usage as in the U.S. - with some being highly knowledgeable and some still exploring AI's potential.

While they found this to be generally true, they discovered a strikingly high level of sophistication among professionals. Some had been actively integrating AI into their teaching for over a year. Communications professionals in particular were keenly aware of the potential impact of AI, not only within their field but also across society.

The Cooneys were also surprised to find widespread reliance on WhatsApp as a primary social media platform versus Facebook, TikTok, and X. They found participants expressed genuine discomfort about self-promotion or discussing work and personal interests in a public forum.

"This differed sharply from our experiences in the U.S., where influencer culture and self-promotion are much more prevalent and accepted," Rebecca said. "It highlighted the cultural differences in how individuals approach self-expression and the potential for social media to be used as a platform for personal branding."

Recognizing the importance of global education

Overall, Armenian participants responded very positively to the instruction. One remarked they learned how to better focus on and reach target audiences through unique selling propositions. Another plans to use ChatGPT as an interview tool to help organize and develop ideas for work.

The Cooneys say the long-term influence of the training will be measured in how these conversations continue to develop and how CEJ programs can engage the Armenian media community. The couple remains open to future international education collaboration.

"We believe these types of experiences - where we push boundaries, explore new topics, and engage with diverse cultures - are immensely valuable," Rebecca said. "We are eager to continue contributing to these initiatives and exploring other international opportunities in the future."

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