Josh Compton

A vintage color postcard of the Washington Elm in Cambridge, Massachusetts, showing a large elm tree beside a trolley line. A man and woman stand near a white monument beneath the tree, with the caption “Washington Elm, Cambridge, Mass.” printed below.

I wrote about a tree that probably wasn’t.

My latest article, “Image Repair of Fake News: The Washington Elm in Cambridge, Massachusetts,” dives into how legends get defended long after they’re disproved.

sites.dartmouth.edu/jcompton/202...

Psychological inoculation improves resilience to and reduces willingness to share vaccine misinformation - Scientific Reports Scientific Reports - Psychological inoculation improves resilience to and reduces willingness to share vaccine misinformation

Today we release BAD VAXX-a new game that PREBUNKS misinfo about vaccines. Step into the shoes of "Ann McDotal" who loves to float scary anecdotes & "Dr Forge" the pseudosciensist. We find the game boosts people's ability to better *discern* information manipulation!

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

A bald man wearing a suit, with his young son, also wearing a suit (but not bald).

Excited to be here, and so is my assistant!

Dream course, dream students. Thank you @dartmouthartsci.bsky.social! #Stuttering #Stammering #CovertStuttering

CDC recommended adult immunization schedule by age group, united states, 2025

SAVE THIS PDF 🚨

While it's still available, save a PDF of the CDC's adult vaccine schedule: www.cdc.gov/vaccines/hcp...

It also has ALL the specifications and different types of contingencies (pregnancy, immunocompromised, etc.)!

I just want to take a moment to promote the #altgov accounts by sharing their starter pack. Follow them all

go.bsky.app/FLUwv5d

#TeamTrumie2025 | Bonfire An autism awareness and acceptance campaign, celebrating Trumie!. #TeamTrumie 2025 shirts, sweatshirts, and hoodies are now available for order, in a range of sizes and...

www.bonfire.com/teamtrumie20...

On this day four years ago…
#2020SnowStorm

Recommend...interesting read. Totally for different voices in collaborative dialogue 🔽

“For Compton, fluency is overrated—and not a requisite for dialogue…A bad argument smoothly made is dangerous…Truth can be stuttered."

The truth is stuttered when it’s your authentic voice and self

#SLP #Stutter #Stuttering #StutteringPride #BskySLPs

To see the full analysis and collections of images, visit here: sites.dartmouth.edu/jcompton/202...

This study situates postcards as underexplored tools of historical and cultural communication, revealing how visual media conveyed identity, nostalgia, and aspiration in the early 20th century. #NCA2024 #VisualRhetoric

My analysis categorizes these postcards into four themes: destinations, nature, players, and illustrations. Each category highlights a different facet of how golf was represented and marketed in this era.

While golf is often seen as elitist, postcards were an egalitarian medium. They democratized access to golf’s imagery, offering a broad audience a glimpse into the sport and its aspirational culture. #SportComm

These postcards reveal much about their time: the growing popularity of golf, its romanticized natural settings, and even its humor. They are small artifacts with significant rhetorical implications. #PostcardHistory

Vintage postcards—once a dominant medium—offer valuable insights into historical communication. My focus is on golf postcards, which simultaneously promoted destinations, conveyed cultural ideals, and celebrated the aesthetics of the sport. #VisualRhetoric #GolfHistory

A collage of vintage postcards featuring golf scenes and illustrations. They include comic portrayals of a golfer stuck on a fence, an ornate illustration of a woman on a long dress golfing, and even two possums carrying clubs and golfing.

At this year’s NCA in New Orleans, I’m taking a short break from #InoculationTheory and presenting “Postal Sport Communication: Vintage Golf Postcards,” a rhetorical analysis of how early 20th-century postcards intersected with sport, tourism, and visual communication. #NCA2024 #SportComm #NCA24

#NCA2024

If you’d like to learn more, you can check out the full paper here: sites.dartmouth.edu/jcompton/202...

The Life at Camp Dix postcard shows how early public health messages didn’t shy away from acknowledging concerns, instead addressing them head-on to build trust in vaccination—a strategy still relevant today.

By combining visual reassurance with text that reframes challenges, this postcard functions as a two-sided health communication message, normalizing vaccination while countering hesitancy through preemptive refutation.

The back of the postcard takes a bold step by openly acknowledging potential objections, such as side effects. It raises these concerns directly and then diminishes their significance, a classic example of inoculation theory in practice.

The front of the postcard shows soldiers calmly lining up for vaccination, portraying the process as orderly, routine, and even positive. Facial expressions range from neutral to pleasant, reinforcing a sense of normalcy and calm.

The postcard does something kind of unique: it directly addresses vaccine side effects, calling them a “vexation for a few weeks” but reframing them as “petty disturbances…far overshadowed by the great good” of disease prevention.

A line of soldiers gets their vaccines on this 1940s postcard. Their sleeves are rolled up, ready for the injections. They look calm, relaxed, and even pleasant.

At #NCA2024, I am presenting my study on the vintage postcard Life at Camp Dix, N.J. Inoculation, which takes a look at how vaccination was portrayed during a critical moment in public health history.

A thread:

#HealthComm #InoculationTheory

I’m exploring the story of Health Heroes: Edward Jenner—an intersection of health rhetoric, corporate branding, and educational storytelling to consider implications—and cautions—for today’s vaccine advocacy.

#NCA2024 #NCA24 #HealthComm

How did stories of smallpox inoculation and vaccination inspire public trust? I’ll discuss historical messaging strategies, analogies, and how patriotism was tied to health promotion in the 1920s.

An image of the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company’s headquarters in the 1920s. It’s a tall building—classic skyscraper—with a beacon at the top. This image was used on an educational brochure.

Looking forward to presenting at #NCA24 in New Orleans this week. I’ll be discussing the use of inoculation theory in early 20th-century vaccination rhetoric, focusing on the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company’s Health Heroes series.

#InoculationTheory #NCA24 #NCA2024

Dive deeper into this study here sites.dartmouth.edu/jcompton/202... to explore how historical artifacts like “SHOTS” inform contemporary health messaging strategies. Let’s reimagine how we use visuals in public health.

This study underscores how art, history, and public health intersect in surprising ways. Postcards like “SHOTS” carry rich meaning, showing the evolution of health communication over time.