This post was originally published on July 2, 2026 on the McGee Applied Research Center for Narrative Studies website. The McGee Center aims to equip individuals with the essential skills and knowledge required to adeptly navigate and critically assess narratives in the dynamic media landscape of the 21st century. Through innovative research endeavors, collaborative educational initiatives, and active engagement with the community, the McGee Center is helping build a future where media literacy becomes a cornerstone for informed and empowered citizenship. Kristy Roschke is the Executive Director of the McGee Research Center.
The Vanderbilt Television News Archive (TVNA) has been an important tool for researchers since it was founded in 1968. To get a better idea of its recent research impact, we conducted a Google Scholar search to learn more about what disciplines are using the TVNA and what topics are being explored.
Our search of the years 2020-2026 returned 79 results, which includes peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, conference proceedings and published dissertations. In the chart below (Figure 1), you’ll see results sorted by discipline (n=157, as some studies included researchers from different disciplines). History and Mass Communication Studies top the list, followed by Public Health & Medicine, Sociology, and Political Science.
Figure 1. 2020-2026 TVNA Research by Discipline. Select arrows in lower right corner to view full screen.
To take a closer look at the focus of the studies using TVNA research published between 2020-2026, we clustered study keywords into broader topical categories. The pie chart in Figure 2 shows that Politics & Government and Media & Journalism are the dominant topics. Of the lesser categories, Public Health, Society & Identity, and Conflict & Violence stand out.
Figure 2. 2020-2026 TVNA Research by Topic Cluster. Select arrows in lower right corner to view full screen.
The 79 studies in this analysis employ both qualitative and quantitative methods, and include manual coding and computational approaches. Researchers examined word choice and sentiment using transcripts and conducted visual analysis of the videos. Studies looked at specific events or moments in time, as well as longitudinal trends. In many cases, the data were used in tandem with other news datasets. It’s a broad range of use cases, which will continue to grow with recent improvements to TVNA’s infrastructure.
TVNA recently launched its new website, which features improved search and database functionality and greater access to our video catalogue. Researchers from sponsoring institutions have access to the full collection via the website. To aid researchers looking to conduct computational analysis of TVNA transcripts, the McGee Center will consult on research design and data access. Email us to learn more.