It is also a cornerstone piece of NCA’s outreach and advocacy strategy. We want CommunicationCurrents.com to reach audiences beyond our membership. One good start is students. The more web sites that carry CommunicationCurrents.com, the more hits it will attract.

We are asking all NCA Departmental Members to help us with this outreach by placing a link from your web site to CommunicationCurrents.com. To make the site more visually interesting, we attached a banner ad for your use.

In the first issue of Communication Currents you will find the following stories:

Stepfamily Communication: Implications for Mental Health in Stepchildren
In Paul Schrodt’s investigation into more than 500 stepchildren, he found differences in function, communication, and psychology. Schrodt’s research confirms the idea that communication plays a large role in the development of, and the adjustment to stepfamilies.

Humor as Serious Business
Sarah Tracy, Karen Myers, and Clifton Scott argue that humor plays a more important role in the workplace than what might be commonly believed. Their research of correctional officers, firefighters and 911 operators found that humor makes work more enjoyable, but that it also shapes the workers’ thoughts about the job they are performing.

Ethics in the City: How Talk about Ethics Leads to an Ethical Culture
Spoma Jovanovic and Roy Wood find a more hands-on approach to creating an ethical culture in government. They suggest that real situations have the potential to provide real solutions when effectively communicated. Their research suggests frequent and meaningful communication will create and encourage an ethical culture.

Communication Currents is free and accessible at www.communicationcurrents.com.