Communications

A person sitting outside on a silver metal bench wearing a black and white skirt, a white shirt, and blue blazer. Plants are visible to the right and to the left.

Coding the emotions that anti-tobacco ads evoke

Sophomore Oulaya Louaddi and junior Gabriela Montes de Oca interned this summer with Annenberg’s Andy Tan, helping the research team design and test culturally appropriate anti-smoking campaigns for young women who identify as sexual minorities.

Michele W. Berger ・

empty street of a small town Main Street with a church on one side of the street.

In rural America, religious attendance reduces compassion regarding opioids

Rural areas—particularly those in Appalachian and Midwestern states—are hard hit by the opioid epidemic. However, many individuals in those same states do not support policies scientifically proven to help, like medically aided treatment and syringe exchanges.

From Annenberg School for Communication ・

Glass door entrance of a cafe with signs indicating free Wifi, Open 24 hours, no dogs allowed.

How racial bias can limit internet access for people of color

A new study finds that the quality-of-life policing is used by powerful institutions and privileged people to keep those with less privilege, including people of color, from accessing resources like the internet.

From Annenberg School for Communication ・

cartoon social media influencer headshot against background of social media icons.

Study finds surprising source of social influence

A new study co-authored by ASC’s Damon Centola finds that as prominent and revered as social influencers seem to be, they are unlikely to change a person’s behavior by example, and might actually be detrimental to the cause.

From Annenberg School for Communication ・



Media Contact


Louisa Shepard

Louisa Shepard News Officer
lshepard@upenn.edu

In the News


USA Today

Twitter accounts tied to China lied that COVID came from Maine lobsters

Kathleen Hall Jamieson of the Annenberg Public Policy Center said public health disinformation from China-based social media accounts is nothing new. "Early in the pandemic, Chinese sources spread the theory that SARS CoV-2 originated at Fort Detrick and was spread to China by U.S. military," she said. "The platforms can remove it, or if they decide against doing so, can downgrade it or flag it and attach fact-checking content."

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Associated Press

U.S.-built databases a potential tool of Taliban repression

Ali Karimi of the Annenberg School for Communication comments on the distrust of the Taliban in possession of U.S. data and intelligence.

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The Atlantic

The Tucker Carlson fans who got vaxxed

Kathleen Hall Jamieson of the Annenberg Public Policy Center said shows like “Tucker Carlson Tonight” foster distrust in the COVID-19 vaccine by perpetuating viewers’ assumptions. “If you hear the word lie tied to Anthony Fauci, and Anthony Fauci now comes on in a completely different venue, the assumption is, you can’t trust Anthony Fauci,” she said.

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The Washington Post

Jennifer Aniston and other celebrities endorse vaccines. Experts say their pleas may not help

Damon Centola of the Annenberg School for Communication said high-profile celebrities are better at marketing products and raising awareness than convincing their followers to embrace more complex ideas. “The way we’re using social influence is a little outdated,” he said. “Giving some groups a vehicle for talking about it and supporting each other in the communities is key.”

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Axios

Vaccine misinformation spreads to every kind of media

Kathleen Hall Jamieson of the Annenberg Public Policy Center said the spread of online misinformation has less to do with a particular platform’s features than distrust in key institutions like the CDC. “The credibility around some of these institutions has been called into questions in ways that's not helpful when we need to trust those institutions to give us information," she said.

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The Hill

How to turn the tide on vaccine hesitancy: Apply an algorithm that actually works

Damon Centola of the Annenberg School for Communication wrote an opinion piece about the best strategies for promoting COVID-19 vaccination. “It takes time to digest an idea with substance to it; it takes repeatedly seeing an idea successfully adopted by others for it to be accepted, take hold and become a norm, and that kind of messaging is most effective when an idea works its way from the outside in,” he said.

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