Drop-in Hours

Spring 2026: Tuesdays 10:00 - 11:30 am, Wednesdays 10:30 am - 12:00 pm, or by appointment

What is Alex’s story?

Alex Scott’s research explores the political, economic, and aesthetic currents that influence photojournalism practice. Much of his research focuses on analyzing the construction of social difference in non-fiction visual practices, but he also writes on visual theory, migration, the history of photojournalism, and global media. Alex serves as an associate editor for Visual Communication Quarterly and is a co-founder of the Visual Media Lab at Iowa.

Alex Scott received his Ph.D. in journalism and media from the University of Texas at Austin. Before entering academia, he worked as a photojournalist in Texas and as a photo editor for ABC News and Bloomberg News in New York.

Alex co-founded the Iowa Stories and Lived Experiences (ISLE) documentary workshop, an annual immersive summer course focused on documentary journalism and community storytelling. Projects from the workshop have been awarded and recognized by College Photographer of the Year and the National Press Club.

Courses:

• JMC:2020 – Multimedia Storytelling
• JMC:2400 – Iowa Stories and Lived Experiences (ISLE) Workshop
• JMC:3440 – Multimedia Narratives
• JMC:3630 – Photography
• JMC:4300 – Photo Storytelling

Recent Publications:

Zhang, B., Kim, S. J., & Scott, A. (2025). Immunizing the Public Against AI-Generated Disinformation: Testing the Effects of Inoculation Mode and Issue Attitude on Inoculation Likelihood of Political Deepfakes. Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, 102(4), 1102-1134. https://doi.org/10.1177/10776990251357949 

Scott, A., & Ssozi, J. (2025). Colonial legacies and local visions: Analyzing visual news in Uganda. Journalism, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/14648849251353502 

Kim, S. J., Scott, A., & Zhang, B. (2025). Introduction to the Special Issue: The State of Visual Evidence. Visual Communication Quarterly, 32(1), 2. https://doi.org/10.1080/15551393.2025.2459008 

Scott, A. (2024) Visions of Migration: News Images and the Production of Knowledge on the U.S. Southern Border. Journalism & Communication Monographs, Volume 26, Issue 3. https://doi.org/10.1177/15226379241261809

Peña, V. C., & Scott, A. (2023) Who Is Worthy of a Name? Identity, Naming, and Social Difference in News Images’ Captions. Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, Volume 101, Issue 1. https://doi.org/10.1177/10776990231202690.

Scott, A. (2023). Ethics in Photography and Visuals. In Culver, K., & Kraft,. N. (Eds.) Teaching Media Ethics. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.

Peña, V. C., & Scott, A. (2022). Naked Function, Athletic Form: Acceptable Sexuality and the Myth of Empowerment in ESPN's Body Issue. Journal of Sports Media17(1), 91-118. doi:10.1353/jsm.2022.0004.

Scott, A. (2021). Peering Down at the Junkie: Authority and the visual construction of Drug Users in TIME’s Opioid Diaries. Visual Communication Quarterly.  
https://doi.org/10.1080/15551393.2021.1949721.