Some think our democracy is in trouble, and that our news media hold the key to fixing our problems. How can our scholarship guide news media in such a role? Does what we do in our colleges and universities matter for improving newsrooms and how they contribute to society? In this talk, Dr. Talia Stroud will show how doing research that matters for democracy is not a new topic. Drawing on a variety of research projects conducted by the Center for Media Engagement, she will explore effective ways that research can help news media increase civility among commenters, increase citizen engagement with news stories, and more. Journalism can help sustain our democratic institutions and practices, but only if we guide it in an intelligent and reflective fashion.
Dr. Natalie (Talia) Stroud is the Director of the Center for Media Engagement and Associate Professor of Communication Studies and Journalism at the University of Texas at Austin. Her book, Niche News (Oxford, 2011), examines likeminded political media use and the challenges it presents to democracy. The book received the 2012 Outstanding Book Award from the International Communication Association. Stroud previously worked at the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania. Her publications and grant-funded research cover a variety of topics related to citizen engagement in news and social media. Her research has appeared in Political Communication, Journal of Communication, Political Behavior, Public Opinion Quarterly, Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, and the International Journal of Public Opinion Research.