Quick Reads

A Better Way to Tell Protest Stories

December 1, 2021

To help journalists frame stories in ways that do not marginalize certain groups, the Center for Media Engagement tested several approaches to protest coverage. Read More
A Better Way to Tell Protest Stories

3 Tips for Reporting on AI & Automation in Es...

November 9, 2021

How journalists can help create an accurate public understanding of the true capacities of automated technologies. Read More
3 Tips for Reporting on AI & Automation in Essential Work Industries

Bridging Divides Between Conservatives and Media

October 15, 2021

Discussions with participants in this Center for Media Engagement study helped identify six approaches journalists can take to better connect with their conservative audiences. Read More
Bridging Divides Between Conservatives and Media

Solidarity Reporting and Coverage of Afghanistan

September 15, 2021

Learn about how journalists can apply solidarity journalism to coverage of Afghanistan. Read More
Solidarity Reporting and Coverage of Afghanistan

5 Ways to Connect with Local Communities

September 15, 2021

Five strategies for connecting with local communities that come directly from speaking with people who feel the media can do better to reach them. Read More
5 Ways to Connect with Local Communities

How Partisanship Affects Fact-Checking on Facebook

August 23, 2021

Research shows that Democrats and Republicans are susceptible to believing misinformation about candidates from the opposing party and that Democrats and Republicans respond differently to fact checks. Read More
How Partisanship Affects Fact-Checking on Facebook

Connecting with Disinvested Local News Audiences

August 15, 2021

What a study in two neighborhoods revealed about how journalists anywhere can take to connect with local communities. Read More
Connecting with Disinvested Local News Audiences

How a Local Opinion Page Can Slow Polarization

July 22, 2021

By emphasizing local identity instead of partisan identity, local newspapers can help slow the rising tide of polarization. Read More
How a Local Opinion Page Can Slow Polarization

How Newsrooms Can Help Bridge Divides: Lessons fro...

July 8, 2021

Learn from a panel of experts on how newsrooms can better understand their communities and humanize those with diverse views by using the principles of connective democracy. Read More
How Newsrooms Can Help Bridge Divides: Lessons from SXSW 2021

How Journalists Should Respond in Comment Sections

June 15, 2021

Study results show that when getting involved in the comments, journalists should try to acknowledge commenters’ emotions rather than dismiss them. Read More
How Journalists Should Respond in Comment Sections

Technology’s Impact on Political Knowledge and Par...

May 28, 2021

The Digital Media Research Program in the Moody College of Communication sought to gain a more in-depth understanding of communication technology’s impact on political knowledge and participation. Read More
Technology’s Impact on Political Knowledge and Participation

Signaling Trust Can Begin with a Google Search

May 1, 2021

Certain signals can act as powerful indicators of trust and should appear when people search for a news outlet. Read More
Signaling Trust Can Begin with a Google Search

Cable News is Politicizing Coronavirus Coverage

April 19, 2021

Our study shows just how politicized coverage of coronavirus has become — and that the implications go beyond the coronavirus pandemic. Read More
Cable News is Politicizing Coronavirus Coverage

Geolocation Surveillance Roundtable

March 30, 2021

The University of Texas at Austin’s Center for Media Engagement and the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (S.T.O.P.) hosted a roundtable about mass surveillance in the age of mass protest. We analyzed how electronic surveillance is used to monitor political protest, mass gatherings, and how location tracking enables microtargeting of propaganda… Read More
Geolocation Surveillance Roundtable

What We Learned in 2020 – And How It Can Help News...

January 13, 2021

Ten takeaways from our research that can help newsrooms and journalists tackle challenges in the year ahead.  Read More
What We Learned in 2020 – And How It Can Help Newsrooms In the Year Ahead

What Comment Sections Mean to Newsrooms

December 30, 2020

Turning off comment sections could end up cutting down on the time people spend on site and could make the experience worse for users. Read More
What Comment Sections Mean to Newsrooms

Helping Audiences Find Common Ground

October 9, 2020

Political divides are pushing coworkers, friends, and families apart. Newsrooms can help people find common ground by sharing these strategies for approaching difficult discussions. Read More
Helping Audiences Find Common Ground

Police could Be Scanning Your Social Media From a ...

September 2, 2020

Protests following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota, continue to seize national and global attention. Videos of peaceful protestors demanding justice and rioters setting businesses ablaze have provided two seemingly different narratives of the summer’s intense social activism. There have been protests in at least 1,700 cities across… Read More
Police could Be Scanning Your Social Media From a Summer Protest to Make an Arrest

4 Steps To Help Build Trust with TV News Audiences

August 5, 2020

Based on focus group findings, we share four steps newsrooms can take while writing stories to help build trust. Read More
4 Steps To Help Build Trust with TV News Audiences

Adapting to Changing Audience Needs

July 8, 2020

As people adjust to the ongoing presence of coronavirus in everyday life, their appetites for news stories on the subject are changing Read More
Adapting to Changing Audience Needs

The Coronavirus Coverage Audiences Want

April 13, 2020

A coverage snapshot that can help newsrooms identify where coverage overlaps with viewer appetite—and where there are opportunities to provide more of the stories viewers want. Read More
The Coronavirus Coverage Audiences Want

Newsroom Tips for Covering Coronavirus

March 19, 2020

Newsroom resources are likely strained as coronavirus updates keep coming in. Here are 5 research-backed ideas to help you connect with your audience. Read More
Newsroom Tips for Covering Coronavirus

Transparency is Great…If Readers Notice

February 15, 2020

We teamed up with McClatchy to test whether a card that shows how and why a story was written can help demonstrate transparency and build trust. Read More
Transparency is Great…If Readers Notice

10 Newsroom Lessons We Learned in 2019

December 19, 2019

10 Newsroom Lessons We Learned in 2019. Read More
10 Newsroom Lessons We Learned in 2019

What People Want in a News Story

December 18, 2019

What questions do readers have about your stories? Taking their answers into account during the reporting process can better connect readers to your content and build trust. Read More
What People Want in a News Story

Story Labels Alone Don’t Increase Trust

December 1, 2019

Many newsrooms add a label like news, analysis, opinion, or sponsored content to stories. But do readers actually notice these labels? And do the labels help increase trust? Read More
Story Labels Alone Don’t Increase Trust

5 Keys to Powerful Solutions Journalism

November 10, 2019

We know solutions journalism can make people feel more informed, optimistic, and engaged in an issue. But what is it about solutions journalism that makes them feel this way?   Read More
5 Keys to Powerful Solutions Journalism

Are You Checking On Your Comment Moderators?

August 1, 2019

As more news organizations turn to moderators (or their employees) to take on the comments section, it’s important to know how the job is affecting those performing it. Read More
Are You Checking On Your Comment Moderators?

Covering Outrageous Political Stories Could Backfi...

May 22, 2019

Covering the latest outrageous political story could hurt the credibility of your news organization. Read More
Covering Outrageous Political Stories Could Backfire

Want to Build Audience Trust? Try Using This Box

March 27, 2019

Audience trust is key to a newsroom’s success. But in this era of “fake news” and fading confidence in the media, it can be difficult to earn. Read More
Want to Build Audience Trust? Try Using This Box