Communications

Kathleen Hall Jamieson of the Annenberg Public Policy Center spoke about the politicization of public health information on COVID-19 in the U.S. "When you begin to reduce trust in experts and agencies telling you that vaccines are safe, you're creating all kinds of susceptibilities that can be exploited for partisan gain," she said.

Kathleen Hall Jamieson of the Annenberg Public Policy Center said amplifying vaccine skepticism on Fox News and other conservative media outlets could deepen reluctance among viewers. “If you have constant exposure to an outlet that is raising vaccination hesitancy, raising questions about vaccinations, that is something to anchor you in your position that says, ‘I’m not going to take the vaccine,’” she said.

Kathleen Hall Jamieson of the Annenberg Public Policy Center said most modern speeches adhere to a conversational style, designed to feel informal while still being scripted.

Emily Falk of the Annenberg School for Communication explained the neuroscience behind how the brain processes and learns from stories. “Storytelling alone, of course, can’t produce structural changes in the justice system or create better policies aimed at health, the environment and other issues that affect our well-being,” she wrote. “But that said, changing systems large or small has to start with effective communication.”

Kathleen Hall Jamieson of the Annenberg Public Policy Center spoke about the conservative media’s current focus on critical race theory. “It works. It holds audiences. The goal is sustaining viewership,” she said.