Communications | Penn Today

Two cliffs, the left is an elephant, the right is a donkey, with a line of people on top of each.

Are Republicans and Democrats driven by hatred of one another? Less than you think

Rather than being fueled by animosity for the other side—negative partisanship—a new study finds that Americans are at least as motivated by the passion they have for their own party.

A hand holding a cigarette with just the torso of the person showing in the background.

How do media depictions of tobacco influence smoking decisions for young adults?

Two studies from the Annenberg School for Communication’s Robert Hornik find that media portrayals of such behaviors can change actions and perception, but how and by how much depends on a range of factors.

Monkeypox is here and COVID truthers are losing it

Kathleen Hall Jamieson of the Annenberg Public Policy Center says that the public has tried to unmask and get back to engaging in normal activities as the pandemic ends.

The kids are not all right—copycat cannabis edibles risk their safety

Andy Tan of the Annenberg School for Communication co-writes an article about how copycat cannabis edibles, which have colorful packages that mimic popular snacks and candy, have come under scrutiny.

We can’t even agree on what is tearing us apart

Yphtach Lelkes of the Annenberg School for Communication is quoted on the evidence that public opinion is now collapsing onto one dimension.

David Lydon-Staley sitting in a chair, pointing at the front of the room.

Moving away from ‘average,’ toward the individual

In a course from Annenberg’s David Lydon-Staley, seven graduate students conducted single-participant experiments. This approach, what’s known as an “n of 1,” may better capture the nuances of a diverse population than randomized control trials can.

Image: Marc Goldfarb

How storytelling can motivate us to help others

A new study from Annenberg School’s Communication Neuroscience Lab finds that personal stories—instead of cold facts—make people want to help keep others safe.

Interim president Wendell Pritchett interviewing Ken Burns.

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.

People in the street hold signs that read, in Ukrainian and English, "Stop Russian Aggression."

Tech’s role in Russia’s war on Ukraine

Media scholar Courtney Radsch says tech platforms should have been faster to address Russian government propaganda, misinformation, and censorship.

An illustration of many different-colored heads with many different-colored talking bubbles.

People imitate accent features they expect to hear, even without hearing them

Research from postdoc Lacey Wade confirmed this idea, what she calls expectation-driven convergence, in a controlled experiment for the first time. The work reveals just how much the subconscious factors into the way people speak.

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