Biography and education
Vanessa de Macedo Higgins Joyce is a Professor and Graduate Advisor focused on the evolution of media, particularly news, in a digital, networked and global environment and how these challenges and opportunities impact society. She researches the emergence of digital-native news, the acceleration of transnational journalism practices and how some of media's functions, such as creating common ground for deliberation (consensus building), are in transition. She specializes in Latin American media and comparative, cross-national analyses.
She received her undergraduate degree in Social Communication/Journalism from Pontifícia Universidade Católica, in São Paulo, Brazil, and both her master's degree and doctorate from The University of Texas at Austin. Her thesis analyzed the agenda-setting and cultivation effects of crime coverage of Brazilian media. Her dissertation focused on the consensus-building function of agenda setting, analyzing national and transnational news media in Europe.
She is the author of Digital-Native News in South America (August 2024) and has co-authored two books with leading experts in global media, Including From Telenovelas to Netflix: Transnational, Transverse Television in Latin America (2021). In addition, Higgins Joyce has published several peer-reviewed journal articles and 10 book chapters in English and Spanish, in both top publications of her field and emerging publications from Latin America. She received the recent Latino/Latin American Communication Research Award at AEJMC 2018 for her study titled Seeking Transnational, Entrepreneurial News from Latin America: An Audience Analysis. She has received three College Achievement Award for Excellence in Scholarly Activities at Texas State University (2023, 2017, 2015), and the Department Achievement Award for Excellence in Scholarly Activities in 2021.
Higgins Joyce has previously worked as an Assistant Professor in the Journalism Division of Southern Methodist University and worked with MOOCs geared towards professional journalists at The Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas. She worked extensively with Public Opinion Research companies in São Paulo, Brazil, conducting research for major political campaigns. She has also worked as a journalist for a couple of pioneering online journalism websites in Brazil, reporting on local art and Brazilian soccer.
She is the Graduate Advisor for the School of Journalism and Mass Communication. She is also currently the Chair for the International Communication Division of Aejmc, a division she has served for well over a decade.
She has two kids and, along her husband Matt, enjoys hiking and camping and some seriously strong coffee.
She received her undergraduate degree in Social Communication/Journalism from Pontifícia Universidade Católica, in São Paulo, Brazil, and both her master's degree and doctorate from The University of Texas at Austin. Her thesis analyzed the agenda-setting and cultivation effects of crime coverage of Brazilian media. Her dissertation focused on the consensus-building function of agenda setting, analyzing national and transnational news media in Europe.
She is the author of Digital-Native News in South America (August 2024) and has co-authored two books with leading experts in global media, Including From Telenovelas to Netflix: Transnational, Transverse Television in Latin America (2021). In addition, Higgins Joyce has published several peer-reviewed journal articles and 10 book chapters in English and Spanish, in both top publications of her field and emerging publications from Latin America. She received the recent Latino/Latin American Communication Research Award at AEJMC 2018 for her study titled Seeking Transnational, Entrepreneurial News from Latin America: An Audience Analysis. She has received three College Achievement Award for Excellence in Scholarly Activities at Texas State University (2023, 2017, 2015), and the Department Achievement Award for Excellence in Scholarly Activities in 2021.
Higgins Joyce has previously worked as an Assistant Professor in the Journalism Division of Southern Methodist University and worked with MOOCs geared towards professional journalists at The Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas. She worked extensively with Public Opinion Research companies in São Paulo, Brazil, conducting research for major political campaigns. She has also worked as a journalist for a couple of pioneering online journalism websites in Brazil, reporting on local art and Brazilian soccer.
She is the Graduate Advisor for the School of Journalism and Mass Communication. She is also currently the Chair for the International Communication Division of Aejmc, a division she has served for well over a decade.
She has two kids and, along her husband Matt, enjoys hiking and camping and some seriously strong coffee.
Featured grants
- Carvallo, Andres Eloy (Principal), Davio, Rebecca Lynn (Co-Principal), Oskam, Judith B (Co-Principal), Valles Molina, Damian (Supporting), Higgins Joyce, Vanessa D (Supporting), Blasingame, Dale C (Supporting), Buschhorn, Jennifer L (Supporting), Scharlach, Jennifer M (Supporting), Suarez, Albert (Supporting), Jorgensen, Elissa Claire (Supporting). Advanced Air Mobility (AAM), Texas Department of Transportation, State, $400000. (Submitted: December 8, 2023, Funded: January 1, 2024 - March 31, 2025). Grant.
- Scharlach, Jennifer M (Principal), Ngondo, Prisca Sibongile (Co-Principal), Higgins Joyce, Vanessa D (Co-Principal). Health Research Accelerator award, Translational Health Research Center, Texas State University, $6000. (Funded: June 2021 - May 2023). Grant.
- Higgins Joyce, Vanessa D (Co-Principal), Percent Contribution: %50, Téllez Mendivelso, Fernando Alonso (Principal). Cine Clubs in Community: Video as a Tool for Knowledge, Creation and Identity, US Department of State and Colsciencias, Federal, $35000. (Funded: October 2020 - December 2021). Grant.
- Higgins Joyce, Vanessa D. Transnational Journalism’s Function and Role in Elevating News Trust Latin America, REP, Texas State University, $8000. (Submitted: October 2024, Funded: February 2025 - Present). Grant.
- Higgins Joyce, Vanessa D. Identifying News Elements that Aid Consensus in Polarized Brazil, Texas State University, $7992. (Submitted: October 2021, Funded: January 2022 - Present). Grant.
Featured scholarly/creative works
- Tawiah, A., Kalinina, E. A., Chiedozie, P. A., & Higgins Joyce, V. D. (2025). Digital News and Self-Efficacy: The Role of Intentional and Incidental News Consumption in Latin America.
- Higgins Joyce, V. D. (2024). Digital-Native News in South America: Building Bridges with Diverse Audiences in Argentina, Brazil and Colombia. London, UK: Palgrave MacMillan. Retrieved from https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-49503-8
- Straubhaar, J., Santillana, M., Higgins Joyce, V. D., & Duarte, L. G. (2022). Distinction and Cosmopolitanism: Latin American Middle-Class, Elite Audiences and Their Preferences for Transnational Television and Film. International Journal of Communication, 17(23). Retrieved from https://ijoc.org/index.php/ijoc/article/view/17945/4002
- Higgins Joyce, V. D., Schmitz Weiss, A., Harlow, S., & Alves, R. C. (2022). Spatial Dimensions within Hierarchy of Influences: How re-conceived notions of space in networked societies impact Latin American journalists. International Communication Gazette. https://doi.org/DOI: 10.1177/17480485221130
- Higgins Joyce, V. D., Alves, R. C., & Chacón, L. C. (2022). Moving Barriers to Investigative Journalism in Latin America in Times of Instability and Professional Innovation. Journalism Practice. https://doi.org/10.1080/17512786.2022.2062427
Featured awards
- Award / Honor Recipient: Latino/ Latin American Communication Research Award, International Communication Division AEJMC. May 2018 - August 2018
- Award / Honor Recipient: Texas State Inclusive Excellence Showcase, Most Innovative Program, Texas State Universtiy. April 2023 - Present
- Award / Honor Recipient: College Achievement Award, Texas State University. February 2023 - Present
- Award / Honor Recipient: Faculty Development Leave, Faculty Senate, Texas State University. 2020 - May 2021
- Award / Honor Recipient: Department Achievement Awards, School of Journalism and Mass Communication Texas State University. March 2021
Featured service activities
- Secretary
International Communication Division/ Aejmc
- Chair
International Communication Division Aejmc
- Member
C3 Advisory Board
- Graduate Advisor
Texas State University Graduation and Master's Hooding
- Member
Outstanding Graduate
- Other
International Communication Division Aejmc