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Annenberg School for Communication
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
In part two of this series, five Penn experts offer their insights on public health, election legitimacy, student loan debt, and more.
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.
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.
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’
A multidisciplinary study has found a way to readily quantify the information-seeking associated with curiosity and explore mechanisms underlying information-seeking.
What to expect from the Democrats’ new Senate majority
Fels Director Matthew Levendusky gives his insights on the impact of Democratic control of the Senate, the importance of majority rule, realistic expectations, and how the heads of the federal trifecta will get along.
Why independent cultures think alike when it comes to categories
In discovering how groups categorize unfamiliar shapes, research out of Annenberg’s Network Dynamics Group finds that intrinsic social experiences are at the root of problem solving, rather than the human brain itself.
The influence and importance of language
Labels for what happened Jan. 6 at the U.S. Capitol were very different from those used to describe the Black Lives Matter movement or the 2020 election results. How much weight do individual words actually have? It depends on the context.
Inauguration Day: History, meaning, and significance
David Eisenhower, professor at the Annenberg School and grandson of the former president, offers his observations on the historic occasion
In the News
There is one major element missing from the debate on kids and social media
In an opinion essay, PIK Professor Desmond Upton Patton says that gun violence needs to be part of the conversation about how smartphones and social media impact young people.
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Presidential candidates on trial
Kathleen Hall Jamieson of the Annenberg Public Policy Center discusses the impact Donald Trump’s conviction or imprisonment could have on his presidential campaign.
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A Taylor Swift-themed addiction recovery group started in Philly and became ‘a community with the vibe of a Taylor concert’
Jessa Lingel of the Annenberg School for Communication says that online music fandoms have always been places where people make sense of stigmas.
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Trump trial tests his campaign strategy of embracing bad publicity
Kathleen Hall Jamieson of the Annenberg Public Policy Center says that Donald Trump’s trial is giving him is the opportunity to bookmark his appearances with on-camera access, underscored by Truth Social.
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Why losing political power now feels like ‘losing your country’
Yphtach Lelkes of the Annenberg School for Communication says that political elites, not average voters, are driving the democratic backsliding that is occurring in America.
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