About Adam
Adam C. Earnheardt (Ph.D. Kent State University, 2007) is a professor of communication in the Department of Communication at Youngstown State University and weekly columnist for The Vindicator newspaper, where he has written about social media, relationships, technology and society since 2014.
Earnheardt is a founding member of the International Association for Communication and Sport, and a member of the board of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists. He served as executive director of the Ohio Communication Association and as chair of the National Communication Association's Mass Communication Division. Earnheardt has published several books with other communication scholars including his most recent books
ESPN and the Changing Sports Media Landscape (2019), Public Speaking in the Age of Technology (2016), and The ESPN Effect: Exploring the Worldwide Leader in Sports (2015). His other books include Sports Fans, Identity, and Socialization: Exploring the Fandemonium (co-edited with Haridakis & Hugenberg; Lexington, 2012), The Modern Communicator: Applications and Strategies for Interpersonal Communication, Group Communication and Public Speaking (now in 2nd edition; co-authored with O’Neill; GRT, 2016 & 2009), Sports Mania: Essays on Fandom and the Media in the 21st Century (co-edited with Hugenberg & Haridakis; McFarland, 2008), and Judging Athlete Behaviors: Exploring Possible Predictors of Television Viewer Judgments of Athlete Antisocial Behaviors (2008).
He has authored or co-authored more than a dozen peer-reviewed journal articles, encyclopedia entries, and book chapters. Earnheardt has served as an expert source on communication, social media, parenting, sports and fandom on various television and radio programs, and in several publications including Parade Magazine, Psychology Today, Playboy, and several newspapers and magazines including the Baltimore Sun Times, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Vancouver Magazine and others. He serves as the social media expert for WFMJ-TV (Youngstown, OH NBC affiliate).
In January 2014, Earnheardt was invited to present at the inaugural TEDxYoungstown event, where he spoke about the power of social media and sports to create social change. His talk is available at http://tedxtalks.ted.com/video/The-evolution-of-the-prosocial.
In 2016, Earnheardt received Youngstown State's Diversity Award for campus leadership and the Watson Merit Award for he accomplishments as department chair. He received the National Communication Association Mass Communication Division's Service Award in 2015 for his contributions to the field of communication. In 2011, he was awarded Mentor of the Year for his creation of Rookery Radio, Youngstown State University’s first online, student-run radio platform. In 2010, Earnheardt was named a Distinguished Professor at Youngstown State University and received the Advisor of the Year award. In 2009, he was recognized as one of the top 40 professionals under the age of 40 by the MVP 20/30 Club in northeast Ohio, and selected as one of the top 5 MVPs for his work in the community and for achievements as a scholar and teacher.
He previously worked for Clarion University of Pennsylvania for 10 years (1996-2005) serving as the University’s first webmaster and e-marketing director. Earnheardt resides in Youngstown, OH with his wife Dr. Mary Beth Earnheardt (associate professor of journalism and director of the Anderson Program in Journalism at Youngstown State University), four children (Ella, Katie, Sadie and Ozzie), two silver labs (Mickey & Iggy), and two obnoxious cats (Rody & Jaws).
