Dr. Shakuntala Rao is a professor of Communication Studies at the State University of New York at Plattsburgh. She completed her Ph.D. at my alma mater, the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, has taught classes in media ethics, popular culture, social media, and fundamentals of electronic media, and is a published author. Outside of academia, her background is wide-ranging, including working as a political columnist, conducting federally sponsored workshops on journalistic ethics, and advising multiple political campaigns.