The Vanderbilt McGee Applied Research Center for Narrative Studies advances media literacy through research, education, and community engagement. We study how people encounter, evaluate, and act on information and build practical tools and programs to help them do it better.
The McGee Center is the research center for the Vanderbilt Television News Archive, one of the most significant collections of broadcast news in the world. Housed within the Jean and Alexander Heard Libraries, the TVNA provides a unique longitudinal resource for researchers studying how news narratives have evolved over decades and, increasingly, how AI can assist in making that record accessible and useful to researchers and media creators.
We are actively developing research and educational programs at the intersection of artificial intelligence and media literacy — examining how AI systems reshape the information landscape and equipping learners with the skills to navigate it. Current work curriculum initiatives developed in partnership with Vanderbilt Libraries and the program for Communication in Science and Technology (CSET).
History
In 2022, Suzanne Perot McGee, BS'86, her spouse Patrick K. McGee, BS'85, and their family established the McGee Applied Research Center for Narrative Studies through a gift to the College of Arts and Science at Vanderbilt University. The center launched in October 2024 and is housed within the Jean and Alexander Heard Libraries.
The gift made possible the naming, renovation, and expansion of existing campus media resources and supported the hiring of executive director Kristy Roschke, faculty teaching innovative new courses, and student research opportunities through coursework and immersion experiences.
People
Kristy Roschke, Executive Director
Kristy is a media literacy researcher interested in how complex information systems impact how we view and understand the world. Her recent research has examined trust and transparency in the media, new frameworks for studying social media and misinformation, and media literacy education adoption and best practices. She has provided subject matter expertise on misinformation, media literacy and effective communication practices to Meta, the International Medical Corps, the World Health Organization, and the Center for Homeland Defense and Security.
She is a a board member for the National Association for Media Literacy Education and a member of the National Academy of Medicine’s Communication Advisory Group. She has developed a number of media literacy programs, including the country’s first bachelor’s degree in Digital Media Literacy and two online media literacy courses that enrolled nearly 10,000 participants.
Namrah Khan, Media Analyst
Namrah is a data analyst and researcher focused on large-scale computational methods for studying media narratives. With a background in information technology, business analytics, and data management, she leverages advanced machine learning, natural language processing, and statistical analysis to conduct media research. Her recent work examines how U.S. broadcast media covers immigration, higher education, and natural disasters - drawing on ~1.5 million news transcripts to identify narrative trends and patterns.