2/8
Louisa Shepard
Senior News Officer
lshepard@upenn.edu
Cinema & Media Studies
How dark money fuels climate denialism
How dark money fuels climate denialism
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse joined Penn faculty to discuss distrust in science, the fossil fuel industry, and the conservative Supreme Court.
Second Penn affiliate named a 2022 Gates Cambridge Scholar
Second Penn affiliate named a 2022 Gates Cambridge Scholar
Sara Merican, a 2020 graduate, has been awarded a Gates Cambridge Scholarship to pursue a master’s degree in film and screen studies at the University of Cambridge in England.
What is it like to be a journalist during the ‘fake news’ era? Not easy
What is it like to be a journalist during the ‘fake news’ era? Not easy
Doctoral student Jeanna Sybert looks at how journalists in the U.S. are dealing with stress and job insecurity as newspapers shutter, wages are cut, and the legitimacy of their field is called into question.
Cable news networks have grown more polarized
Cable news networks have grown more polarized
An Annenberg School for Communication analysis of 10 years of cable TV news reveals a growing partisan gap as networks like Fox and MSNBC have shifted to the right or the left of the political spectrum.
Who, What, Why: Tamia Harvey-Martin presents her film debut
Who, What, Why: Tamia Harvey-Martin presents her film debut
Tamia Harvey-Martin premieres “A Foolproof Guide to Relationships,” a short film about asexuality, at the LGBT Center on June 28.
Ben Franklin: A voice from the past that speaks to our time
Ben Franklin: A voice from the past that speaks to our time
At the 2022 Silfen Forum, Penn Interim President Wendell Pritchett chatted with filmmaker Ken Burns about his new two-part documentary on Benjamin Franklin.
Oscars 2022, predicted
Oscars 2022, predicted
Penn Cinema and Media Studies and Theatre Arts faculty make their predictions about this year’s Oscar winners—organized by category.
Public media can improve our ‘flawed’ democracy
Public media can improve our ‘flawed’ democracy
A new study finds that countries with well-funded public media have healthier democracies, and explains why investment in U.S. public media is an investment in the future of journalism and democracy alike.
Journalism is outdated: Barbie Zelizer discusses a new ‘manifesto’
Journalism is outdated: Barbie Zelizer discusses a new ‘manifesto’
In ‘The Journalism Manifesto’, Annenberg School of Communications’ Barbie Zelizer and her co-authors argue that journalism needs a major transformation in order to survive as an essential pillar of our democracy.
Believability in the wake of #MeToo
Believability in the wake of #MeToo
Sarah Banet-Weiser analyzes representations of sexual violence survivorship in recent TV shows to explore how and why believing women remains a contentious cultural battle.
Media Contact
In the News
The Washington Post
Mississippi banned ‘Sesame Street’ for showing Black and white kids playing
According to Linda Simensky of the School of Arts & Sciences, there was a general feeling among 1960s TV executives that kids would watch anything that looked like it was for kids, leading them to not spend much money on programs.
FULL STORY →
ABC News
Collection of voice data for profit raises privacy fears
Joseph Turow of the Annenberg School for Communication says that consumer voices can be used to reveal a wealth of knowledge to companies, including height, weight, ethnicity, personality traits, and possible health issues.
FULL STORY →
The Conversation
How does a child become a shooter? Research suggests easy access to guns and exposure to screen violence increase the risk
A co-authored study by Dan Romer of the Annenberg Public Policy Center found that acts of gun violence in PG-13 movies have nearly tripled in the 30 years since the rating was introduced.
FULL STORY →
ARS Technica
Study: 2017 rise in teen suicide rates due to seasonal shifts, not ‘13 Reasons Why’
A paper by Dan Romer of the Annenberg Public Policy Center found a seasonal pattern to teen suicide rates that seems to coincide with the school year, declining in the summer months.
FULL STORY →
Politico.com
Soup slinging doesn't aid climate activism
Michael Mann of the School of Arts & Sciences says that non-violent direct actions are an important way to impact public opinion but notes that activists need to consider contemporary snapshot/soundbite culture.
FULL STORY →
Marketplace (NPR)
Social media has evolved as a crucial tool during election cycles—but it can also be misused
Pinar Yildirim of the Wharton School explains why the technology behind social media platforms can amplify misinformation and conspiracy theories.
FULL STORY →