Ryan Comfort

Biography

My research interests lie at the intersection of Native American studies, visual media storytelling, and environmental communication. While I’ve made my home in the social sciences and the media effects tradition, ontologically and methodologically I’m a pragmatist, open to using the theories and methods that help me answer a central research question derived from my professional experiences producing visual media, working with Native American communities, and educating the public about Indigenous resource issues: Can visual media narratives help achieve the environmental and resource management goals of Indigenous communities, and if so, how?  With the goal of answering this overarching question, my research agenda examines 1) how environmental information is created by and moves through Indigenous communities, 2) the influence of culture and social values on visual media storytelling about environmental and natural resource issues, and 3) how Indigenous-produced narratives affect those within and those outside Indigenous communities.