Communications | Penn Today

Person wearing glasses speaks on a Zoom call in front of a background featuring Penn's football stadium, as five others on the call are in a vertical column on the right side of the screen

Narratives of COVID-19 in China and the world

The two-day symposium brought together scholars to discuss a broad range of topics, from racism against Chinese students studying in the United States to digital workplace surveillance of Chinese workers.

Robotic finger pressing a computer key on a laptop.

Twitter bots may not be as influential as you think

A new study from Annenberg School for Communication finds that verified media accounts are more central in the spread of information on Twitter than bots.

Two Pa. prisons have vaccinated more than 70% of inmates. An incentive program may be making a difference

Jessica Fishman of the Annenberg School for Communication is researching how incentives compare to other vaccine promotion methods. “I think it’s worth testing since we don’t have evidence that speaks directly to the policy debate, where some are quite adamant that it would absolutely backfire and increase fears of vaccination,” she said.

Vaccines already brought good news. Better messaging can bring more

Kathleen Hall Jamieson of the Annenberg Public Policy Center co-authored an op-ed about how ambassadorship and other forms of public health messaging can alleviate vaccine hesitancy.

Our era’s defining battle: Facts vs. misinformation

Kathleen Hall Jamieson of the Annenberg Public Policy Center was interviewed about fact-checking in journalism, which has increased in response to rampant misinformation online. “It is not advisable to negate something; it’s advisable to displace something,” she said. “A detailed alternative account of the reality has a power that simply saying ‘that’s wrong’ or ‘no, that’s not true’ doesn’t.”

Florence Madenga’s specialty weds journalism, censorship, and internet shutdowns in Africa

The doctoral student at the Annenberg School for Communication is investigating how satire journalism and humor news are less likely to be censored by the state in her home country of Zimbabwe.

Zoom call with a woman in a pink dress on the left and man in blue suit on the right

A conversation with Stacey Abrams

The Georgia politician sat down with Ben Jealous, visiting scholar and former NAACP leader, to discuss topics from gerrymandering to romance novels in a virtual discussion.

Two incarcerated people seen from above and behind with their hands handcuffed behind their backs outside in a prison yard.

Annenberg researchers use data science skills for social justice

Data scientists at the Annenberg School for Communication are working with the Amistad Law Project to create an open access dashboard of data that can aid efforts to help the incarcerated communiy.

Close-up of a smiling person in a black V-neck shirt, standing outside near marble pillars.

When the message matters, use science to craft it

An interdisciplinary initiative called the Message Effects Lab aims to understand, tap into, and develop communication around what motivates specific behaviors for specific populations. Its first projects center around COVID-19 testing and vaccines.

Person in a bright blue top standing at a podium with microphones, smiling.

Five questions about the new White House press secretary

In a Q&A, Barbie Zelizer of the Annenberg School for Communication discusses Jennifer Psaki’s first weeks on the job, plus what a shift back to a traditional press briefing means for journalism during the Biden presidency.

Filters