Annual Report
Our media landscape is confronting escalating challenges – from the widespread increase in mis- and disinformation to collapsing journalism funding models to the unknown impacts of social media and Al.
The Center for Media Engagement is focused on envisioning a more vibrant future.
We are a first-of-its-kind center that works to understand and improve the information ecosystem for the benefit of democracy.
DEAR FRIENDS AND SUPPORTERS,
The past year has made us more steadfast in our mission to understand and improve the information ecosystem for the benefit of democracy. As you’ll see in this report, we have worked to improve newsroom practices, help scientists with communication training, challenge students to think about ethical questions from multiple vantage points, and educate policymakers and the public about the effects of social media as well as the spread of propaganda and misinformation via encrypted messaging apps.
The significance of our contributions can be seen in the adoptions of our recommendations, media coverage of our findings, and invitations to share our expertise with influential and diverse organizations. I could not be prouder to work alongside the immensely talented faculty, students, and staff at the center and the many others at The University of Texas at Austin who make our work possible.
The past year has made us more steadfast in our mission to understand and improve the information ecosystem for the benefit of democracy. As you’ll see in this report, we have worked to improve newsroom practices, help scientists with communication training, challenge students to think about ethical questions from multiple vantage points, and educate policymakers and the public about the effects of social media as well as the spread of propaganda and misinformation via encrypted messaging apps.
IN THIS CHALLENGING CONTEXT, THE CENTER IS POISED TO HELP FIND SOLUTIONS.
In this challenging context, the center is poised to help find solutions. We have projects underway on the news media’s role in informing communities and combatting misinformation, the use of AI in political campaigns, social media’s function in elections, scientists’ preparation for public communication, and strategies to build connections across party lines. We hope that you will reach out if any of these topics resonate with your interests.
As we reflect on the year that has passed and prepare for the road ahead, let me take a moment to thank you. From reading this annual report, to collaborating with us, to funding our work, to providing feedback, we at the Center for Media Engagement appreciate your engagement. We could not do this without you.
With deep appreciation,
NATALIE (TALIA) JOMINI STROUD, PH.D.
Director, Center for Media Engagement
2024
By The Numbers
285+ MEDIA MENTIONS
showcasing our expertise
60+ SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
featuring our team members
22 SCHOLARLY ARTICLES
published in journals
15 OP-ED & ANALYSIS PIECES
written for media, trade, & policy orgs
17 NEWSROOM PARTNERS
collaborated with us on research
9 EVENTS & WORKSHOPS
hosted or co-hosted by our center
10 PUBLIC-FACING REPORTS
published by our center
8 CASE STUDIES
released for free educational use
2024 Key
Outcomes
Understanding the Role of AI in the U.S. 2024 Elections and Beyond
AI is already playing a role in U.S. politics – and there’s concern about how it may impact elections in 2024 and beyond. Interviews with experts in the digital politics space shed light on the major trends and common concerns about AI’s role in elections such as GenAI’s role in the rapid production of disinformation, the enabling of hyper-targeted political messaging, and the misrepresentation of political figures via deepfakes.
How Battleground Newsrooms Navigated Election Prep
News editors in battleground areas discussed the opportunities and challenges faced in covering the 2024 election. Their responses highlighted issues such as coverage timing, plans for navigating fact-checking, spotting misinformation, AI in the newsroom, and the news industry’s post-election role.
A Platform Fosters Civic Engagement and Builds Community in Vermont
Can social media bring local communities together? In collaboration with New_ Public, we found that the Vermont platform Front Porch Forum presents a good case for how it can be done successfully. Members of Front Porch Forum consider it useful, valuable, informative, relevant, and civic-minded, especially compared to other dominant social platforms.
A Guide to the Role of Generative Artificial Intelligence in Elections
In a series of reports, we examined the potential impacts of GenAI on key democratic processes in the U.S., Europe, India, Mexico, and South Africa. The insights are critical to groups working to sustain and advance democracies in the face of constant transformation of the digital environment and associated communication processes.
How News Audiences Respond to Journalist Race and Ethnicity in Bylines
A study exploring how different groups respond to bylines from journalists who share their race or ethnicity found that, generally, the race or ethnicity of the journalist did not affect whether people felt represented in the media.
Guidelines for Platform Research Ethics for Academic Research
A guide to the state of platform studies ethics, the challenges of building ethical research frameworks, and potential solutions proposed by researchers in the field. The insights show that researchers, platform users, companies, politicians, and funders must work together to support ethical research practices that are flexible and guided by shared principles.
The State of Science Reporting in Today’s Digital Media Landscape
Interviews with scientists who have interacted with journalists through the expert matching services of SciLine provided insights into their relationships with journalists and helped us better understand their experiences with media and the current state of science communication.
The center’s interdisciplinary expertise is focused on research initiatives including:
Research
Initiatives
Trust in Media
Providing guidance on the reporting process from development to delivery, helping newsrooms connect with local communities, and providing insights into tools, practices, and strategies that benefit local communities and newsrooms’ bottom lines.
Misinformation and Disinformation
Examining the use of social media, Generative Artificial Intelligence, and other digital tools to manipulate public opinion and spread misinformation and disinformation.
Bridging Divides
Developing a new approach to tackle the swiftly growing political and social divisions in our society. Ongoing research in the practice of connective democracy unites newsrooms, scholars, platforms, and public policy entities toward bridging gaps in our society.
Impact
Highlights
SHARED EXPERTISE
Our team reached audiences around the globe at conferences and invited speaking engagements hosted by organizations such as:
- American Political Science Association
- Asian American Journalists Association
- Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication
- Association of Internet Researchers
- International Communication Association
- Knight-Georgetown Institute
- League of Women Voters
- NALEO Educational Fund
- National Academy of Sciences
- NYU’s Center for Social Media and Politics
- Plurality Institute
- Princeton’s Center for the Study of Democratic Politics
- Public Affairs Council
- Stanford Cyber Policy Center
- USC Center on Public Diplomacy
- Yale Information Society Project
PRESS
Our expertise was featured by a variety of local, national, and international trade publications and media outlets including:
- ABC News
- American Press Institute
- Bloomberg
- CNN
- Forbes
- NBC News
- Newsweek
- NiemanLab
- PolitiFact
- POLITICO
- Poynter
- Reuters
- The Associated Press
- The New York Times
- The Wall Street Journal
- The Washington Post
- TIME
- WIRED
OUTREACH AND COLLABORATION
We helped journalists, academics, and policymakers connect with our work and understand how to put our findings into practice through center workshops and discussions:
- Computational social science speaker series
- Discussion with members of the European Parliament
- Academic workshop for a cross-organizational effort to create a public archive of social media handles for 2024 candidates
- Journalist and academic workshops for covering contemporary topics
We partnered with 17 newsrooms and 143 journalists and worked with organizations including the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI), Front Porch Forum, the International News Media Association, the Media and Democracy Data Cooperative, Tech Policy Press, and The Lawfare Institute.
RESEARCH REACH
Our research content received more than 360,000 views on our website
Our case studies were used by 148 universities and colleges, 115 secondary schools, and 37 learning platforms.
We collaborated with New_ Public on research that examines how members of Vermont’s Front Porch Forum perceive the platform.
We collaborated with the NYU Stern Center for Business and Human Rights to shed light on how political propagandists are exploiting the features of encrypted messaging platforms to manipulate voters.
Our
Team
The Center for Media Engagement team is composed of dedicated faculty, staff, postdoctoral, graduate, and undergraduate researchers from The University of Texas and affiliates from universities across the country and around the world.
In 2024, the center welcomed XX undergraduate researchers, XX graduate researchers, X full-time researchers, and X predoctoral researchers to the team.
Principal
Investigators
LUCY ATKINSON
ANTHONY DUDO
LEE ANN KAHLOR
JO LUKITO
GINA M. MASULLO
ASHWIN RAJADESINGAN
CRAIG R. SCOTT
SCOTT R. STROUD
TALIA STROUD
