Vikki S Katz
Biographic Data
| ID | 152085 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Vikki S Katz |
| GIVEN NAMES | Vikki S |
| FAMILY NAME | Katz |
| SIGNATURE | KATZ V S |
| AFFILIATIONS | Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey |
| ORCID | 0000-0003-3871-5872 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 21 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 46 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 21 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2009 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 4 |
Journal of Children and Media comes of age
Milestone birthdays are a time for reflection. They offer a chance to look back and take stock of how far one has come. They also offer the opportunity to look forward to what the future might brin
Through the (distorted) looking glass
The generation of young people coming of age will do so in the most connected, complex – and likely, most politically contentious – era in recorded human history. As Journal of Children and Media (
Evidence-Based Pathways for Leveling Digital Access in Higher Education During and Beyond the Covid-19 Pandemic
At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, policymakers’ attention focused heavily on K–12 student connectivity. By contrast, college students were largely “presumed connected,” even as they lost access to campus Wi-Fi, computer labs, and other digital resources. This study asks what lessons were learned and not learned by university administrators when it came to digital inequality on their campuses during the pandemic. To address this question, th…
Children, media, and the clarity of crises in 2020
KEYWORDS: COVID-19Children, adolescents, and mediaRemote learningChild developmentChildren and media production
Contextualizing connectivity
This project links research on digital inequality, which focuses on connection quality and its outcomes for under-connected individuals, and parental mediation, which focuses on the influence of parents on children’s technology experiences. We examine the internet connection type used by families, the technology experiences of lower-income parents, and their perceptions of opportunities that technology use offers their children. We then determine…
Kids in the Middle
Complicating the common view that immigrant incorporation is a top-down process, determined largely by parents, Vikki Katz explores how children actively broker connections that enable their families to become woven into the fabric of American life. Children’s immersion in the U.S. school system and contact with mainstream popular culture enables them more quickly to become fluent in English and familiar with the conventions of everyday life in t…
What it means to be “under-connected” in lower-income families
Connecting with technology in lower-income US families
Digital equity initiatives traditionally enable access to devices and Internet service, but increasingly, designers are also recognizing the importance of access to people and programs that support digital skills development. Families in under-served communities are most likely to need such supports but least likely to have them available. We explore the extent to which parents and children might serve as these sources of support for each other i…
Communication in City and Community
Researching children, intersectionality, and diversity in the digital age
Research on children’s and adolescents’ experiences with media and technology over the past century has largely echoed the concerns of the middle-class and majority culture. We discuss scholars’ corrective efforts, particularly in recent years, in moving beyond these narrow foci to investigate how young people situated across social classes, racial and ethnic boundaries, and forms of disability engage with new media. In particular, we examine how…
Toward Meaningful Connectivity
Digital inequality, or unequal access to the Internet and technologies that connect to it, has preoccupied communication scholars since the Internet's introduction into popular culture. The relationships between digital and broader social inequalities suggest that meaningful digital connectivity—that is, having the technical skills necessary to engage technology and mobilize information resources to address everyday needs—can empower socially dis…
Community Variations in Low-Income Latino Families’ Technology Adoption and Integration
Constrained access to the Internet and new communication technologies is commonly associated with social disparities related to income, education, immigration status, age, and geography. Policymakers in many sectors—and particularly, in education—have placed their bets on increased technology access having the potential to mitigate broader social disparities. In the context of a national digital equity initiative, this study examines how parents …
Communication Dynamics of Immigrant Integration
Researchers across disciplines share an enduring interest in the social impacts of immigration. I review key intersections between communication and immigrant integration scholarship in order to demonstrate how communication research and theory can address gaps in the literature on immigrant integration. These applications also reveal how communication theories, when extended to the integration experiences of immigrants and their children, more r…
Children as Brokers of Their Immigrant Families’ Health-Care Connections
In an era of ever-increasing population diversity, bilingual intermediaries have become critical to health-care provision in the United States and elsewhere. Professional interpreters fulfill these roles in many cases, but family members frequently do as well. This article focuses on children of immigrants as brokers of language, culture, and media content who facilitate their families ’ connections to health-care providers and health-related res…
How ethnic media producers constitute their communities of practice
Almost 60 million Americans regularly get their news and other information from ethnically targeted television, radio, newspapers, and websites (Allen, 2009). However, there is little research on ethnic media producers. Data collected in group discussions with media producers serving a variety of immigrant populations in Los Angeles were analyzed to investigate how they negotiate and develop their professional identities.Husband’s (2005) work on …
Ethnic Media as Partners for Increasing Broadband Adoption and Social Inclusion
How can the goal of the National Broadband Plan (NBP) to alleviate social disparities be achieved? Katz, Matsaganis and Ball-Rokeach believe that local ethnic media, working with local anchor institutions, are the key to ethnic and minority broadband adoption and social inclusion. The authors illustrate this by showing how ethnic media can help realize the NBP's goals generally, and specifically with regard to developing a National Digital Litera…
An Ecological Perspective on U.S. Latinos’ Health Communication Behaviors, Access, and Outcomes
U.S. Latinos experience constrained access to formal health care resources, contributing to higher incidence of preventable diseases and chronic health conditions than the general population. The authors explore whether a rich set of informal health communication connections—to friends, family, radio, television, Internet, newspapers, magazines, churches, and community organizations—can compensate, even partially, for not having access to doctors…
What are Ethnic Media
Understanding Ethnic Media
Preface PART I: ETHNIC MEDIA IN CONTEXT 1. What Are Ethnic Media? Introduction Defining Ethnic Media The Role of Geographic Context The Roles of Ethnic Media Globalization and the Ethnic Media Social Changes That Make Studying Ethnic Media Necessary Chapter-by-Chapter Book Overview 2. The Ethnic Media in History Emigration, Immigration, and the Ethnic Media Beginnings of the Ethnic Press in Europe Ethnic Media in the United States Ethnic Media in…
How Children of Immigrants Use Media to Connect Their Families to the Community
Past research on children and media exploring embedded patterns of domestic media connections has generally been limited to majority culture, middle-class families. This study explored how these dynamics are different in immigrant families, with particular focus on ways these children “broker” new and traditional media forms to connect their families to local resources and ultimately, contribute to their families' settlement. Utilizing Livingston…
The Role of Family Interaction in New Immigrant Latinos' Civic Engagement
Civic engagement can impact politics, health outcomes, support for new policies, and the like. Research indicates that the communication infrastructure and the strength of the storytelling network, influences civic engagement outcomes. Recent community building initiatives place the impetus of community change and civic engagement on the family unit. This paper places the family unit within the storytelling network and explores how family interac…
Children as Brokers of Their Immigrant Families’ Health-Care Connections
In an era of ever-increasing population diversity, bilingual intermediaries have become critical to health-care provision in the United States and elsewhere. Professional interpreters fulfill these roles in many cases, but family members frequently do as well. This article focuses on children of immigrants as brokers of language, culture, and media content who facilitate their families ’ connections to health-care providers and health-related res…
How ethnic media producers constitute their communities of practice
Almost 60 million Americans regularly get their news and other information from ethnically targeted television, radio, newspapers, and websites (Allen, 2009). However, there is little research on ethnic media producers. Data collected in group discussions with media producers serving a variety of immigrant populations in Los Angeles were analyzed to investigate how they negotiate and develop their professional identities.Husband’s (2005) work on …
Connecting with technology in lower-income US families
Digital equity initiatives traditionally enable access to devices and Internet service, but increasingly, designers are also recognizing the importance of access to people and programs that support digital skills development. Families in under-served communities are most likely to need such supports but least likely to have them available. We explore the extent to which parents and children might serve as these sources of support for each other i…
Community Variations in Low-Income Latino Families’ Technology Adoption and Integration
Constrained access to the Internet and new communication technologies is commonly associated with social disparities related to income, education, immigration status, age, and geography. Policymakers in many sectors—and particularly, in education—have placed their bets on increased technology access having the potential to mitigate broader social disparities. In the context of a national digital equity initiative, this study examines how parents …
Ethnic Media as Partners for Increasing Broadband Adoption and Social Inclusion
How can the goal of the National Broadband Plan (NBP) to alleviate social disparities be achieved? Katz, Matsaganis and Ball-Rokeach believe that local ethnic media, working with local anchor institutions, are the key to ethnic and minority broadband adoption and social inclusion. The authors illustrate this by showing how ethnic media can help realize the NBP's goals generally, and specifically with regard to developing a National Digital Litera…
An Ecological Perspective on U.S. Latinos’ Health Communication Behaviors, Access, and Outcomes
U.S. Latinos experience constrained access to formal health care resources, contributing to higher incidence of preventable diseases and chronic health conditions than the general population. The authors explore whether a rich set of informal health communication connections—to friends, family, radio, television, Internet, newspapers, magazines, churches, and community organizations—can compensate, even partially, for not having access to doctors…
The Role of Family Interaction in New Immigrant Latinos' Civic Engagement
Civic engagement can impact politics, health outcomes, support for new policies, and the like. Research indicates that the communication infrastructure and the strength of the storytelling network, influences civic engagement outcomes. Recent community building initiatives place the impetus of community change and civic engagement on the family unit. This paper places the family unit within the storytelling network and explores how family interac…
How Children of Immigrants Use Media to Connect Their Families to the Community
Past research on children and media exploring embedded patterns of domestic media connections has generally been limited to majority culture, middle-class families. This study explored how these dynamics are different in immigrant families, with particular focus on ways these children “broker” new and traditional media forms to connect their families to local resources and ultimately, contribute to their families' settlement. Utilizing Livingston…
What are Ethnic Media
Understanding Ethnic Media
Preface PART I: ETHNIC MEDIA IN CONTEXT 1. What Are Ethnic Media? Introduction Defining Ethnic Media The Role of Geographic Context The Roles of Ethnic Media Globalization and the Ethnic Media Social Changes That Make Studying Ethnic Media Necessary Chapter-by-Chapter Book Overview 2. The Ethnic Media in History Emigration, Immigration, and the Ethnic Media Beginnings of the Ethnic Press in Europe Ethnic Media in the United States Ethnic Media in…
Ethnic Media as Partners for Increasing Broadband Adoption and Social Inclusion
How can the goal of the National Broadband Plan (NBP) to alleviate social disparities be achieved? Katz, Matsaganis and Ball-Rokeach believe that local ethnic media, working with local anchor institutions, are the key to ethnic and minority broadband adoption and social inclusion. The authors illustrate this by showing how ethnic media can help realize the NBP's goals generally, and specifically with regard to developing a National Digital Litera…
An Ecological Perspective on U.S. Latinos’ Health Communication Behaviors, Access, and Outcomes
U.S. Latinos experience constrained access to formal health care resources, contributing to higher incidence of preventable diseases and chronic health conditions than the general population. The authors explore whether a rich set of informal health communication connections—to friends, family, radio, television, Internet, newspapers, magazines, churches, and community organizations—can compensate, even partially, for not having access to doctors…
How ethnic media producers constitute their communities of practice
Almost 60 million Americans regularly get their news and other information from ethnically targeted television, radio, newspapers, and websites (Allen, 2009). However, there is little research on ethnic media producers. Data collected in group discussions with media producers serving a variety of immigrant populations in Los Angeles were analyzed to investigate how they negotiate and develop their professional identities.Husband’s (2005) work on …
Communication Dynamics of Immigrant Integration
Researchers across disciplines share an enduring interest in the social impacts of immigration. I review key intersections between communication and immigrant integration scholarship in order to demonstrate how communication research and theory can address gaps in the literature on immigrant integration. These applications also reveal how communication theories, when extended to the integration experiences of immigrants and their children, more r…
Children as Brokers of Their Immigrant Families’ Health-Care Connections
In an era of ever-increasing population diversity, bilingual intermediaries have become critical to health-care provision in the United States and elsewhere. Professional interpreters fulfill these roles in many cases, but family members frequently do as well. This article focuses on children of immigrants as brokers of language, culture, and media content who facilitate their families ’ connections to health-care providers and health-related res…
Communication in City and Community
Researching children, intersectionality, and diversity in the digital age
Research on children’s and adolescents’ experiences with media and technology over the past century has largely echoed the concerns of the middle-class and majority culture. We discuss scholars’ corrective efforts, particularly in recent years, in moving beyond these narrow foci to investigate how young people situated across social classes, racial and ethnic boundaries, and forms of disability engage with new media. In particular, we examine how…
Toward Meaningful Connectivity
Digital inequality, or unequal access to the Internet and technologies that connect to it, has preoccupied communication scholars since the Internet's introduction into popular culture. The relationships between digital and broader social inequalities suggest that meaningful digital connectivity—that is, having the technical skills necessary to engage technology and mobilize information resources to address everyday needs—can empower socially dis…
Community Variations in Low-Income Latino Families’ Technology Adoption and Integration
Constrained access to the Internet and new communication technologies is commonly associated with social disparities related to income, education, immigration status, age, and geography. Policymakers in many sectors—and particularly, in education—have placed their bets on increased technology access having the potential to mitigate broader social disparities. In the context of a national digital equity initiative, this study examines how parents …
What it means to be “under-connected” in lower-income families
Connecting with technology in lower-income US families
Digital equity initiatives traditionally enable access to devices and Internet service, but increasingly, designers are also recognizing the importance of access to people and programs that support digital skills development. Families in under-served communities are most likely to need such supports but least likely to have them available. We explore the extent to which parents and children might serve as these sources of support for each other i…
Contextualizing connectivity
This project links research on digital inequality, which focuses on connection quality and its outcomes for under-connected individuals, and parental mediation, which focuses on the influence of parents on children’s technology experiences. We examine the internet connection type used by families, the technology experiences of lower-income parents, and their perceptions of opportunities that technology use offers their children. We then determine…
Kids in the Middle
Complicating the common view that immigrant incorporation is a top-down process, determined largely by parents, Vikki Katz explores how children actively broker connections that enable their families to become woven into the fabric of American life. Children’s immersion in the U.S. school system and contact with mainstream popular culture enables them more quickly to become fluent in English and familiar with the conventions of everyday life in t…
Children, media, and the clarity of crises in 2020
KEYWORDS: COVID-19Children, adolescents, and mediaRemote learningChild developmentChildren and media production
Evidence-Based Pathways for Leveling Digital Access in Higher Education During and Beyond the Covid-19 Pandemic
At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, policymakers’ attention focused heavily on K–12 student connectivity. By contrast, college students were largely “presumed connected,” even as they lost access to campus Wi-Fi, computer labs, and other digital resources. This study asks what lessons were learned and not learned by university administrators when it came to digital inequality on their campuses during the pandemic. To address this question, th…
Journal of Children and Media comes of age
Milestone birthdays are a time for reflection. They offer a chance to look back and take stock of how far one has come. They also offer the opportunity to look forward to what the future might brin
Through the (distorted) looking glass
The generation of young people coming of age will do so in the most connected, complex – and likely, most politically contentious – era in recorded human history. As Journal of Children and Media (
Sociology (16 works) · Political science (14 works) · Child Development and Digital Technology (11 works) · Psychology (11 works) · Social Media and Politics (11 works) · Business (8 works) · Computer Science (7 works) · Immigration (7 works) · Public relations (6 works) · Advertising (5 works)