Sarah Whitehead, visiting assistant professor of communication, presented her paper on “America’s next top homeless girl: America’s Next Top Model, Tyra Banks and social change” at the Reel Politics international reality television conference in Istanbul, Turkey, from September 12-14, 2008.
“Americans don’t realize how popular reality television is around the globe. At this conference, I was the only person whose topic related to an American television show. Talking to researchers from other countries showed me how important events and politics in the United States are to other cultures,” said Whitehead.