About

Brandon Tester is originally from Portland, Oregon, and graduated in December of 2017 with a degree in mass communication with a concentration in journalism. One of his biggest accomplishments was being accepted into the honors college during the spring semester of his freshman year. Brandon was the editor of the campus newspaper The Pine Needle which took a lot of hard work and dedication. Along with his academic success, he is proud of the relationships he made with friends and mentors through the honors college over the years. Brandon enjoyed the small-knit community that the honors college gave him. He said, “the honors college gave me a great opportunity to set myself apart. The most valuable tool the honors college gave me was my faculty mentor to help me along the way and push me academically.”

Brandon stuck to his mass communication roots for his senior project, focusing on social media and how it ties into politics. He used the most recent presidential election and compared how the candidates utilized social media to communicate their platforms with their followers. He studied

how their followers responded and how much this engagement helped their campaigns. Brandon also included the topic of fake news into his thesis and how it cycled through social media.

After graduation Brandon started working as a reporter for The Robesonian. He encourages honors students to take advantage of the opportunities they are given. Brandon said, “from conferences to building relationships with honors faculty, each opportunity is unique so never pass up a chance to grow as a student.” His greatest memory at UNCP was going to a conference in Washington, D.C. in 2017 with The Pine Needle staff. Brandon enjoyed the opportunity to travel but also getting to network with professionals from around the country.

Senior Project

Thesis: The Impact of Fake News on Perceptions of Candidates Among Millennial Voters in the 2016 Election

Faculty Mentor: Scott Hicks