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Annenberg School for Communication
Penn announces five 2021 Thouron Scholars
Penn announces five 2021 Thouron Scholars
Four seniors and a 2019 graduate have received a Thouron Award to pursue graduate studies in the United Kingdom. Each scholarship winner receives tuition for as long as two years, as well as travel and living stipends, to earn a graduate degree there.
Florence Madenga’s specialty weds journalism, censorship, and internet shutdowns in Africa
Florence Madenga’s specialty weds journalism, censorship, and internet shutdowns in Africa
The doctoral student at the Annenberg School for Communication is investigating how satire journalism and humor news are less likely to be censored by the state in her home country of Zimbabwe.
A conversation with Stacey Abrams
A conversation with Stacey Abrams
The Georgia politician sat down with Ben Jealous, visiting scholar and former NAACP leader, to discuss topics from gerrymandering to romance novels in a virtual discussion.
Annenberg researchers use data science skills for social justice
Annenberg researchers use data science skills for social justice
Data scientists at the Annenberg School for Communication are working with the Amistad Law Project to create an open access dashboard of data that can aid efforts to help the incarcerated communiy.
When the message matters, use science to craft it
When the message matters, use science to craft it
An interdisciplinary initiative called the Message Effects Lab aims to understand, tap into, and develop communication around what motivates specific behaviors for specific populations. Its first projects center around COVID-19 testing and vaccines.
More thoughts on the state of American democracy
More thoughts on the state of American democracy
In part two of this series, five Penn experts offer their insights on public health, election legitimacy, student loan debt, and more.
Five questions about the new White House press secretary
Five questions about the new White House press secretary
In a Q&A, Barbie Zelizer of the Annenberg School for Communication discusses Jennifer Psaki’s first weeks on the job, plus what a shift back to a traditional press briefing means for journalism during the Biden presidency.
Dissecting chaos: An interdisciplinary look at the attack on the U.S. Capitol
Dissecting chaos: An interdisciplinary look at the attack on the U.S. Capitol
Faculty from five schools at the University took part in a virtual panel discussion to unpack the policies, messages, and conditions that led to the events of Jan. 6.
Arab Spring, 10 years later
Arab Spring, 10 years later
A virtual panel at the Middle East Center looked at the legacy and long-term impact of the 2011 uprisings and how the region has been redefined by them.
Researchers measure different types of curiosity studying ‘hunters and busybodies’
Researchers measure different types of curiosity studying ‘hunters and busybodies’
A multidisciplinary study has found a way to readily quantify the information-seeking associated with curiosity and explore mechanisms underlying information-seeking.
In the News
NPR
Biden takes his ‘America is back’ message to the world in Munich speech
Diana Mutz of the School of Arts & Sciences and Annenberg School for Communication said many Trump supporters are animated by the desire to return to a simpler time. “They’re experiencing change and that this is threatening,” she said. “The advantages that these groups enjoyed aren't there to the same extent.”
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The Washington Post
From Mayor Pete to Secretary Buttigieg: Appearances hint at expansive role for next transportation chief
Kathleen Hall Jamieson of the Annenberg Public Policy Center spoke about Pete Buttigieg’s appointment to the role of transportation secretary. “Pete Buttigieg is a master of reframing, and he is unflappable,” she said. “He stays calm. He does not become defensive. He’s basically becoming a spokesperson for the administration.”
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Voice of America
Iranian show irks Iraqi Kurds, portraying them as weak against IS terror
Mohammed A. Salih, a doctoral candidate in the Annenberg School for Communication, spoke about an Iranian propaganda film that aims to portray Kurdish leadership as weak and to commemorate Qassem Soleimani, who was killed in a U.S. drone strike a year ago. The film “promotes the Islamic Republic of Iran as the savior of the entire region, through Soleimani’s superhero-like character, from the Islamic State and Sunni jihadi takfiris in general,” said Salih.
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Minneapolis Star Tribune
6 strategies for cooling it down on social media
Damon Centola of the Annenberg School for Communication shared his findings on how to improve communication between individuals with polarized political viewpoints.
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USA Today
Why there's hope Joe Biden's quest to unify America will work
Matthew Levendusky of the School of Arts & Sciences and Annenberg Public Policy Center and Dominik Stecula of Colorado State University, a former APPC postdoc, wrote about an experiment that successfully used short conversations between Americans with different political views to reduce partisan hostility.
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