Communications | Penn Today

Tom Etienne with students sitting outside.

Tracing public opinion on global issues

Tom Etienne, a joint doctoral student at the Annenberg School for Communication and the Department of Political Science, uses his skills in data collection to analyze political opinions.

New York Times journalist Brent Staples and Penn’s Tukufu Zuberi in conversation

At the inaugural W.E.B. Du Bois Lecture in Public Social Science, the two discussed Du Bois’ legacy and influence, Staples’ personal and professional journey, and the importance of speaking truth to power.

Civic education is having a moment. This is what that means

The 2022 Constitution Day Survey from the Annenberg Public Policy Center found that fewer than half of Americans could name all three branches of government.

Overconfident, oversimplified messaging hurt COVID-19 response, researchers say

Kathleen Hall Jamieson of the Annenberg Public Policy Center says that boiled-down but well-intended statements like “vaccines are safe” had consequences and needed to be more nuanced.

A medical professional wearing scrubs, latex gloves and a stethoscope looks at pages of graphs and data.

What statistics are most likely to promote positive actions during a pandemic?

A new study from PIK Professor Dolores Albarracín and research associate Haesung Annie Jung finds that some COVID statistics are more effective than others at encouraging people to change their behavior.

Dariya Orlova, Olena Lysenko, Serhii Shadrin, Hannah Kaluher, and Maksym Potlov

Bringing Ukraine to Penn

On the one-year anniversary of the Russian invasion of the Ukraine, displaced and visiting scholars and students from Ukraine share their experience at Penn.

A national TikTok trend is sparking thefts of Kias and Hyundais in Philadelphia—and residents are feeling the impact

PIK Professor Desmond Upton Patton calls the Kia Boyz Challenge on TikTok a “perfect storm” for young people in cities where vehicle theft is common, since they know it could be a shortcut to notoriety.

FDA’s own reputation could be restraining its misinfo fight

A Penn survey conducted last year found that only a quarter of Americans had “a lot” of trust in the FDA’s handling of COVID-19, while less than half said they had “some trust.”

Philly City Council becomes hotbed of anti-vaccination, masking misinformation

Dan Romer of the Annenberg Public Policy Center says that belief in vaccine misinformation has declined but that its continued propagation in a public venue like city council is unfortunate.

The U.S. is considering a TikTok ban. Philadelphia content creators don’t care

Postdoctoral fellow Frances Corry of the Annenberg School for Communication says that TikTok isn’t going anywhere and that the U.S. needs to include Silicon Valley’s major social media platforms in a conversation about data collection and consumer protection.

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