Jeremiah Favara is a feminist media studies scholar and assistant professor of communication studies at Gonzaga University.

How did you become involved with AJHA?

I first became involved with AJHA as a graduate student. When I was working on my dissertation, my advisor—Dr. Carol Stabile—suggested I submit my dissertation for the AJHA’s Blanchard Prize. I was fortunate to be recognized as an honorable mention awardee and had the opportunity to attend the annual conference in Salt Lake City, Utah in 2018. That was my first time attending AJHA and getting involved. 

How did you develop an interest in media history?

I somewhat stumbled upon my interest in media history as I was conducting research for my book (Tactical Inclusion: Difference and Vulnerability in the U.S. Military Advertising, 2024, University of Illinois Press). I really wanted to explore the ways the U.S. military used messages of difference and diversity in their advertising and how those messages changed over time. It wasn’t until I got into the archives and started looking through materials, collecting ads from magazines, and finding really interesting documents or pieces of media that I realized just how exciting working in media history could be. There’s such a special feeling about going through archives and finding sources that lead you to new questions and insights.

Your recent book Tactical Inclusion relies on material from military archives. What was the process for gaining access to those archives? What advice do you have for other researchers working in military archives?

I found it really difficult to gain access to official military records throughout the research process. I tried a few Freedom of Information Act requests and tried contacting various military personnel to get information and gain access to different military records and archives but kept hitting walls. I turned to archives of advertising companies that had contracts for recruitment advertising. One of the most helpful archives was the Hartman Center for Sales, Advertising & Marketing History at Duke University. There were several collections for ad agencies that had contracts with various military branches during the time period I was focused on. I found such a treasure trove of materials in my time at the Hartman Center.

I would really encourage other researchers doing work on or about the military to be persistent. There were many materials that I got access to on the fifth and sixth attempt. I would also say to lean on the expertise of librarians and archivists. I learned about so many materials, collections, and resources from the insights of all the librarians and archivists that helped me as I worked on the book.

In previous conversations about Tactical Inclusion, you mentioned being struck by how extensive military advertising and the variety of media produced by the military. What piece of media did you find most surprising or interesting?

It’s hard to pick just one thing, because I found so many surprising and interesting things. I’d say the most surprising piece of media I found was a print poster for the Marine Corps that showed a picture of a young woman serving coffee to a group of men contrasted with a smaller photo her in uniform with the heading, “In the Marine Corps, you’ll serve the country, not the coffee.” The poster was from the 1970s and really showed me how extensively the Marine Corps, the branch most explicitly connected with man and warrior masculinity, sought to reach out to women as potential recruits while also dictating the narrow ways in which women could be included.

How does your expertise in feminist media studies inform your teaching?

My expertise in feminist media studies informs my teaching in a couple of ways. First of all, it really influences the content I draw on when designing classes. Most of my classes engage a variety of interdisciplinary literature from fields like media studies, feminist theory, queer theory, and queer of color critique. I try to bind all my classes together with a focus on social justice, informed by a feminist perspective. I feel really lucky to be at a mission-driven institution – Gonzaga University – where several of the tenets of the university’s mission align with intersectional feminist ideas of justice and liberation.

What hobbies or activities do you enjoy outside of academia?

One of the gifts of being where I am, in Spokane, Washington, is really convenient access to the outdoors and great trails, so I try to spend a lot of time outside. I really enjoy trail running, snowboarding, bike riding, surfing, and going hiking with my partner and our dog.