Ryan Neville-Shepard

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

Associate Professor, Vice Chair

University of Arkansas

Also affiliated: University of Kansas (2009–2026); Indiana University – Purdue University Columbus (2011–2016)

11 h-index 52 pubs 453 cited

Research Areas

Links

ORCID Lab Website

OverviewAI-generated summary

Ryan Shepard's research investigates the rhetoric and cultural impact of conspiracy theories and extremist ideologies in contemporary American politics. His work examines how these narratives intersect with religion, political discourse, and social phenomena, contributing to a deeper understanding of political polarization and public belief systems. Shepard has explored the "paranoid style" in modern rhetoric, the rise of "presidential eschatology," and the gendered language used in political campaigns, including analyses of figures like Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton.

His scholarly output includes studies on the cultivation of extremism through specific conspiracy narratives, such as "birthers" and "truthers." Shepard also analyzes the performative aspects of political communication, including hyper-masculinity and "pornographic style" in rhetoric, and examines historical responses to political scandals through a theoretical lens of "simulated atonement." His research is supported by a body of published works that have earned him an h-index of 11 and over 472 citations.

Metrics

h-index: 11
Publications: 52
Citations: 453

Positions

Associate Professor, Vice Chair 2021–present

University of Arkansas Department of Communication ORCID
Associate Professor 2016–present

University of Arkansas Fayetteville Communication ORCID
Assistant Professor 2011–2016

Indiana University-Purdue University Columbus Liberal Arts ORCID

Selected Publications

“So out of touch with reality”: long-shot launch ads and the authenticity trap for women candidates (2026)

Qualitative Research Reports in Communication DOI OpenAlex
The Illusion of Third-Party Support: Why Third-Party Candidates Struggle to Consolidate Disaffected Voters (2025)

International Journal of Public Opinion Research DOI OpenAlex
On Rhetorical Paramnesia: January 6th Denialism and the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election (2025)

American Behavioral Scientist DOI OpenAlex
NCA editor reflection forum (2025)

Communication Teacher DOI OpenAlex
Trump and the truthers: populist demophobia and the Sandy Hook conspiracy theory (2025)

Critical Studies in Media Communication 1 citation DOI OpenAlex
Building the Functional Oasis: Spatial Rhetoric and the Neoliberal Company Town of Columbus, Indiana (2025)

Communication Studies 1 citation DOI OpenAlex
From Fringe to Mainstream: How Celebrity Endorsement on Social Media Contributes to the Spread of Conspiracy Theories (2024)

Southern Communication Journal 6 citations DOI OpenAlex
Kinder-Conspiracy Theories: Disney's Gravity Falls and the Conspiracy Genre in Children's Television (2024)

Journal of Communication Inquiry 1 citation DOI OpenAlex
The most hated tree in America: negative difference, the White imaginary, and the Bradford pear (2023)

Communication Culture and Critique 1 citation DOI OpenAlex
Militant white identity politics on full display in GOP political ads featuring high-powered weapons (2022)

DOI OpenAlex
The Rise of Presidential Eschatology: Conspiracy Theories, Religion, and the January 6th Insurrection (2021)

American Behavioral Scientist 61 citations DOI OpenAlex
John F. Kennedy and the Liberal Persuasion (2021)

Quarterly Journal of Speech DOI OpenAlex
Generic Fragmentation in Modern Campaign Rhetoric: A Study of the 2020 U.S. Presidential Announcements (2020)

American Behavioral Scientist 2 citations DOI OpenAlex
Whipping it out: guns, campaign advertising, and the White masculine spectacle (2020)

Critical Studies in Media Communication 19 citations DOI OpenAlex
The pornified presidency: hyper-masculinity and the pornographic style in U.S. political rhetoric (2020)

Feminist Media Studies 16 citations DOI OpenAlex