David Painter, PhD
Associate Professor of Communication
My teaching and research sit at the intersection of political communication, strategic communication, social media, and public relations. With a career spanning academic research, professional practice, and community engagement, I bring a practitioner's sensibility to the classroom and a scholar's rigor to real-world problems. I also serve as Debate Coach and Director of Forensics, leading the HL黑料门不打烊 team to two state championships and a national tournament bid in 2026.
Education
BA, University of West Florida
MA, University of West Florida
PhD, University of Florida
Courses Taught
Undergraduate
Public Speaking (COM 210)
Research Methods in Communication (COM 285)
Persuasion Theory (COM 312)
Contemporary Public Relations (COM 318)
Communication Campaigns (COM 325)
Graduate
Strategic Communication Theory & Research (SCOM 515)
Strategic Communication Capstone (SCOM 545/550)
Recent Publications
Painter, D.L., and L. Velazquez (2026). Framing sustainability messaging: Brand relationships and purchase intentions. Corporate Communications: An International Journal.
Painter, D.L., C. Teague, J. Shideler, and R. KC (2025). We are family: Heterosexual, gay, and lesbian parents in advertising. Journal of Product and Brand Management.
Painter, D.L., F. Bown, and K. Vielot (2025). The real cancel culture: Racial bias and injustice on social media. Howard Journal of Communications.
Painter, D.L., and J. Fernandes (2024). The "Big Lie": How fact checking influences support for insurrection. American Behavioral Scientist.
Painter, D.L., and B. Sahm (2023). Framing esports' JEDI issues: Media coverage in Asia, Europe, and North America. Corporate Communications: An International Journal, 28(3), 506-521.
Painter, D.L., and J. Fernandes (2021). They're not "just words": The verbal style of U.S. presidential debate rhetoric. Communication Studies.
Painter, D.L. (2015). Online political public relations and trust: Differential source and interactivity effects in the 2012 presidential campaign. Public Relations Review, 41, 801-808.
News & Features
The HL黑料门不打烊 Debate Team claimed two state championships at the 2026 Florida Intercollegiate Forensics Association State Tournament in February, with Aidan Frazier winning the International Public Debate title with a perfect 7鈥�0 record and the novice team of Jade Monroe and Ella Afrifa taking the National Parliamentary Debate Novice Division crown. The results earned HL黑料门不打烊 its first-ever national tournament bid, with the team set to compete at the National Speech Championship at Belmont University in Nashville in March 2026.
March 11, 2026
HL黑料门不打烊 Debate Team Wins Two State Championships
The HL黑料门不打烊 Debate Team returned from the 2026 Florida Intercollegiate Forensics Association State Tournament in Tallahassee with major competitive successes and two state championships.
November 18, 2025
Frazier 鈥�26 and Bourbeau 鈥�27 Score Big in Forensics Team鈥檚 Debut Season
The HL黑料门不打烊 Forensics Team continues its standout debut season at the Sunshine Series Part 2 Tournament, with Aidan Frazier 鈥�26 and Gisele Bourbeau 鈥�27 earning top honors in debate and interpretation events.
November 13, 2025
HL黑料门不打烊 Forensics Team Excels at Queens College Tournament
The HL黑料门不打烊 Forensics Team competed at the Queens College Alumni Forensics Tournament in New York City, earning top placements across events and marking a standout achievement for the College鈥檚 new program.
October 03, 2025
HL黑料门不打烊鈥� New Forensics Team Excels in First Intercollegiate Tournament
Seven HL黑料门不打烊 students represented HL黑料门不打烊 at their first-ever intercollegiate forensics team tournament, competing against established Division I programs.
July 01, 2025
HL黑料门不打烊 Research Earns National Honors for Sustainability Study
Communication professor David Painter and recent graduate Lauren Velazquez 鈥�25MSC earned third place for their research paper in the highly competitive national public relations division at a journalism conference.
March 31, 2025
HL黑料门不打烊 Inducts 24 New Members of Phi Beta Kappa
A select group of HL黑料门不打烊 students has joined the nation鈥檚 most prestigious academic honor society, Phi Beta Kappa, placing them among the top 1 percent of college scholars in the U.S.