Jon Stemmle

Jon Stemmle Download High-Resolution Photo

AdZou, MOJO Ad, Strategic Communication

Professor

140-A Walter Williams Hall

Missouri School of Journalism

Columbia, Mo. 65211
Google Scholar Link
(573) 882-6225
Areas of Expertise
  • Advertising
  • Audiences and Persuasion
  • Health Communication
  • Public Relations
  • Science Communication
  • Strategic Communication

JON STEMMLE is a professor of strategic communication and former director of the Health Communication Research Center at the Missouri School of Journalism. He also has an appointment as an affiliate faculty member in the School of Health Professions.

In his role as a professor, Stemmle has taught a wide range of classes dealing with topics such as public relations, health and science communication, social media, event planning and integrated marketing campaigns. He is the co-director of MOJO Ad, a student-staffed, full-service agency that specializes in the 18- to 24-year old demographic. MOJO Ad’s clients include AT&T, Chevrolet, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Purina, Sour Patch Kids, Walmart and Warner Brothers.

His primary research interests involve health-related community-based participatory research, tailored health communication, employee communication and corporate communication. Stemmle’s work in the area of strategic health communication has been presented to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), European CDC, National Cancer Institute (NCI), and various health literacy groups around the nation. Since 2003, Stemmle has been part of grant projects totaling more than $30 million dealing with topics such as health and science literacy, cancer prevention communications and photovoice. These projects were conducted on a variety of levels — from local and state to national and international — through federal agencies, including the CDC, NCI, NSF and USDA, as well as various foundations.

His co-authored research has been published in a wide array of journals including the Journal of Health Communication, Journal of Management & Marketing in Healthcare, and the Journal of Interactive Advertising. Stemmle has also served as a reviewer for several journals, including the Journal of Communication in Healthcare, Health Communication and Health Education & Behavior. In 2022, his co-authored book on employee communication was published by Routledge entitled “Engaging Employees through Strategic Communication: Skills, Strategies, and Tactics.”

His career began in journalism with the Asbury Park Press in New Jersey and continued at newspapers around the country for nearly a decade. Stemmle has been involved with public relations and strategic communication for nearly 20 years.

Stemmle has a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Arizona (1997) and undergraduate degrees in history and communications from Virginia Wesleyan College (1993).

Download Jon Stemmle’s faculty profile page

Selected Publications

  • Zhang, Ni, Leary, Emily, Teti, Michelle, Stemmle, Jon and Hampton, Natalie (2020) Examining the Factors That Influence African Americans in the Midwest to Reduce Salt Intake. Health Equity, 4(1), 183-189, http://doi.org/10.1089/heq.2019.0079.
  • Rodgers, Shelly, and Jon Stemmle (2020) Are “Well-Told” Stories of Cancer Worn Out? Insights on Persuasion Characteristics Used in Cancer Narrative PSAs. Journal of Current Issues and Research in Advertising, 41(3), 257-283, https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10641734.2019.1641447.
  • Rodgers, Shelly, Wang, Ze, Maras, Melissa, Balakrishnan, Bimal, Burgoyne, Suzanne, Schultz, Jack, and Stemmle, Jon (2018) Development and Evaluation of a Science Communication Skills Training Program. Science Communication, 40(1), 3-32, https://doi.org/10.1177/1075547017747285.
  • Young, Rachel, Willis, Erin, Stemmle, Jon, and Rodgers, Shelly (2015). Localized Health News Releases and Community Newspapers: A Method for Rural Health Promotion. Health Promotion Practice, 16(4), 492-500. DOI: 10.1177/1524839915580538. Epub 2015 Apr 9, https://doi.org/10.1177/1524839915580538.
  • Park, HyoJung, Rodgers, Shelly, and Stemmle, Jon (2013). Analyzing Health Organizations’ Use of Twitter for Promoting Health Literacy. Journal of Health Communication, 18(4), 410-425. International Perspectives, DOI: 10.1080/10810730.2012.727956, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10810730.2012.727956.
  • Stemmle, J. & Rodgers, S. (2014). Message Tailoring and Localization. Encyclopedia of Health Communication. Teresa L. Thompson, and Geoffrey J. Golson (Eds.).
  • Park, H., Rodgers, S. & Stemmle, J. (2013). Analyzing Health Organizations’ Use of Twitter for Promoting Health Literacy. Journal of Health Communication: International Perspectives, DOI: 10.1080/10810730.2012.727956.
  • Luke, D.A., Cameron, G. T., Cohen, E., Fu, Q., Lai, C. L. Stemmle, J., Paulen, M., McDaniels-Jackson, L., & Kreuter, M. W. (2012). Evaluating the Ozioma Cancer News Service: A Community Randomized Trial in 24 U.S. Cities. Preventative Medicine.
  • Jack Schultz and Jon Stemmle. (April 5, 2012). Teaching Future Scientists to Talk. The Chronicle of Higher Education.
  • Park, H., Rodgers, S. & Stemmle, J. (Fall 2011). Health Organizations’ Use of Facebook for Health Advertising and Promotion. Journal of Interactive Advertising, 12(1), special issue on social media.
  • Young, R., Alhabash, S., Rodgers, S., & Stemmle, J. (August 2011). Newspaper Journalists and Public Health Professionals: Building the Health News Agenda in Community Newspapers. Journal of Management and Marketing in Healthcare, 4(3), 148-159.

Selected Presentations

  • Schultz, Jack, Burgoyne, Suzanne, Balakrishnan, Bimal, Stemmle, Jon & Rodgers, Shelly (2019). SciCom meets SciTS — Interdisciplinary teamwork for science communication training. International Science of Team Science Conference, East Lansing, MI. (May 23, 2019).
  • Sharp, Robert, King, Shannon, Owen, Rachel, Stemmle, Jon & Kang, Shaozhong (2018). Interdisciplinary Science Communication Experiences in China: A Graduate Student Perspective. Global Plant Council Symposium, Baltimore, MD. (Nov. 4, 2018).
  • Rodgers, Shelly, Stemmle, Jon, & Stanze, Madison (2018). Narratives and Public Service Advertising (PSA) in Cancer Organizations’ Social Media. American Academy of Advertising 2018 Annual Conference, New York, NY. (March 22-25, 2018).
  • Amy Dunaway, Natalie Hampton, Ashley Sipocz, Jon Stemmle and Glen Cameron. (2014). “Tailoring Sodium Reduction Messages to African Americans,” Poster Session, CDC National Conference in Health Communication, Marketing and Media, Atlanta.
  • Gregory Perreault, Shelly Rodgers, and Jon Stemmle. (2013). Prescribing the News: Newsroom Size and Journalistic Experience as Key Factors in the Interaction Between Health Journalists and Public Health Organizations. Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, Washington, D.C.
  • Jon Stemmle. (2012). Telehealth Adoption: Using Media to Gain Public Awareness. ePoster, American Telehealth Association 17th Annual International Meeting and Exposition, San Jose, California.
  • HyoJung Park, Shelly Rodgers, and Jon Stemmle. (2011). Health Promotion via Social Media: An Analysis of Health Organizations’ Use of Facebook in Enhancing Health Literacy. International Communication Association, Boston.
  • Jon Stemmle and Amy Dunaway. (2011). Health Literacy and Communication: Maximizing Your Organization’s Efforts for Reaching the Media and the Public. Wisconsin Literacy’s Health Literacy Summit, Madison.
  • Jon Stemmle. (2010). Improving the Health Literacy of Missourians Through Media Interventions. American Public Health Association, Denver.

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Updated: July 8, 2025