Defining Social Justice
January 9, 2025
Social justice is much more than a passing fad or a political buzzword. It is a central principle for ethical action. Read More
Nonpartisan Solidarity for Social Justice
January 9, 2025
Solidarity for social justice is a nonpartisan framework for journalism. Read More
Superficial Solidarity Versus Substantive Solidari...
January 9, 2025
Superficial solidarity prioritizes performative optics, while substantive solidarity pursues transformative impact. Read More
Objectivity vs. Commentary in covering Internation...
November 26, 2024
In the early hours of Thursday, February 24, 2022, Russian President Vladmir Putin announced a “special military operation” to “denazify and demilitarize” Ukraine (Berger, 2022). This moment was the culmination of years of military and scenario planning, and months of anticipation in the media across the globe. Speculation over a… Read More
QAnon and the Return of JFK Jr.
October 30, 2024
What are the ethics of covering conspiracy theories in the news? Read More
Generative Artificial Intelligence and Elections
October 3, 2024
The Center for Media Engagement investigates GenAI’s role before, during, and after several key global elections in 2024. Read More
Bringing Dead Actors Back to Life
October 2, 2024
One of Hollywood’s most treasured actors may soon appear on the big screen again. James Dean –star of classic films like East of Eden, Rebel Without a Cause, and Giant– epitomized sexy youthful rebellion for many teens coming of age in the 1950s and beyond. While comeback roles are not… Read More
Front Porch Forum: Fostering Civic Engagement and ...
August 12, 2024
Public-friendly digital spaces where people feel welcome, make connections, build understanding, and work together can seem elusive. This work builds on our Civic Signals project to investigate how members of Vermont’s Front Porch Forum perceive the platform. Read More
Tik-ing Off Users?
July 10, 2024
On September 12, 2023, TikTok launched its newest addition to the popular app: TikTok Shop. Originally, TikTok functioned as a video-sharing platform where users shared information, their thoughts and feelings on various topics, and of course, viral dances. However, with the implementation of the marketplace feature, creators now have the… Read More
The State of Science Reporting in Today’s Di...
June 13, 2024
A survey of journalists and scientists to better understand their experiences in the production of science news. Read More
Political Machines: Understanding the Role of AI i...
June 6, 2024
To better understand major trends and common concerns about the role of Generative AI in politics, the Center for Media Engagement conducted interviews with experts in the digital politics space. Read More
The Ethics of Skinvertising
April 18, 2024
Getting a tattoo can be a symbolic personal decision, one that is not for everyone. It’s a decision to express something about their personality in a permanent and often publicly visible way. But what if your tattoo was meant to advertise for someone else instead of to display your own… Read More
Platform Research Ethics for Academic Research
April 18, 2024
There’s been a lot of research on digital platforms. But how do we know these studies were conducted ethically? And what does it mean to conduct ethical research?
We examine the state of current platform studies ethics. Read More
Communicating the Origin of COVID-19
April 16, 2024
SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, originated from Wuhan, China, in late 2019. Since then, SARS-CoV-2 has spread across the world and has claimed over 6 million lives as of April 2023. To develop better treatments for the virus and prevent another global pandemic, many scientists have worked to pinpoint… Read More
The Landscape of Art-Science Collaboration Program...
March 21, 2024
The Center for Media Engagement compiled a comprehensive database of more than 130 active art-science programs and conducted interviews with the key players driving these projects. Read More
Cold Cases or Hot Topics?
February 22, 2024
What are the ethical concerns of true crime podcasts? Read More
Scientists as Superheroes?
February 22, 2024
How can scientists ethically and effectively communicate urgent information? Read More
Fact-Checking Approaches in Broadcast News
December 13, 2023
The Center for Media Engagement set out to test two approaches in broadcast news: a more traditional just-the-facts style that lays out the corrections and a more empathetic style that walks viewers through the discovery of why the misperception is wrong. Read More
The Role of Social Media in Iraq’s Tishreen ...
December 7, 2023
This report explores how Iraqis in the diaspora leveraged social media during the Tishreen movement to mobilize both online and offline activism. It also investigates how propaganda and false information shaped this activism. Read More
Misinformation on WhatsApp: Insights From the Cari...
September 26, 2023
WhatsApp has become a dominant platform for communication, entertainment, and news sharing among U.S. diaspora communities. It has also emerged as a significant source of misinformation. Complimenting ongoing and previous research, this report focuses on Caribbean diaspora communities. Read More
Migration Narratives in Chicago Media
September 20, 2023
An examination of how Chicago news outlets covered migration reveals questions news organizations might want to consider when examining their migration coverage. Read More
The Ethics of Amazon Alexa
August 29, 2023
On November 14, 2014 tech giant Amazon announced the newest voice assistant to hit the market. The voice assistant, commonly known as “Alexa,” was a primary feature of a new wave of Amazon systems, known as the Echo. Alexa could answer virtually any question asked and perform many functions; from… Read More
Psychedelic Hype
July 18, 2023
What are the ethics of communicating new research on psychedelic drugs? Read More
Encrypted Messaging Applications and Political Mes...
June 19, 2023
A look at the role EMAs play in global disinformation efforts and the manipulation of public opinion. Read More
The State of Science Reporting in Today’s Digital ...
June 1, 2023
We interviewed scientists to better understand some of the biggest problems facing science communicators in a changing media landscape. Read More
My Murder, Your Entertainment
May 15, 2023
It’s no secret that true crime media, whether in podcast or film format, has skyrocketed in popularity in recent years. True crime is popular for reasons other than entertainment, as this genre has led to solving cold cases, bringing ignored issues to light, and educating audiences on how to avoid… Read More
Love Yourself or Just Your Selfie?
May 8, 2023
While Instagram used to be a casual platform to share quick snapshots with friends, it has turned into a perfectly curated stream of highlight reels. Like many young people, 21-year-old Sky Lane heavily edits her photos before posting them to social media. Lane’s main goal is to appear skinnier, but… Read More
The News Philadelphians Use: Analyzing the Local M...
February 27, 2023
Understanding the needs of local news audiences is essential for a healthy media ecosystem. And before newsrooms can take steps toward meeting these needs, it’s crucial that they understand how people interact with local news, what issues they find important, and what communities feel underrepresented. Read More
Sprinting Towards Publication
February 27, 2023
Now that social media sites like Twitter allow news to spread like wildfire, journalists have been feeling more pressure than ever to get their stories published in accordance with stricter deadlines in an effort to compete against other media organizations. However, many wonder whether this competitive race to be the… Read More
The Ethics of AI Art
February 24, 2023
For thousands of years, art has been an endeavor of the human race. From Rembrandt to Basquiat, from the Benin Bronzes to the new wave cinema of Hong Kong, art has been recognized as creative expressions of human intelligence. With the public release of DALL-E 2, a neural network that… Read More
Cancel Culture in Journalism?
February 20, 2023
2020 and 2021 were years marked by the concept of “cancelling.” To cancel someone or something means to stop supporting that person, business, or organization. It could also mean using methods of publicity to harm that person, perhaps through affecting that person’s reputation or their means of income. Whether one… Read More
With Great Fame Comes Great Responsibility?
February 13, 2023
TikTok Influencers have a lot of power. Should they use it in ethical ways? Read More
La solidaridad eclipsa la objetividad como el idea...
February 8, 2023
“La objetividad como un ideal aspiracional termina fomentando que periodistas eviten abordar lo que es importante.” Read More
El periodismo prioritiza la necesidad básica de so...
February 7, 2023
Hay más de ocho mil millones de personas en el mundo, pero a menudo menos de ocho personas son destacadas en los titulares de noticias principales y temas de tendencia del día. Read More
It ain’t Easy Being Green
January 12, 2023
What are the ethics of greenwashing products in advertising? Read More
Even in “News Deserts” People Still Ge...
December 14, 2022
The Center for Media Engagement talked to people living in areas defined as news deserts to find out where they’re getting local information – and if it’s helping them stay informed. Read More
Anonymous Civic Participation Behaviors: Differenc...
December 14, 2022
The Center for Media Engagement wanted to find out how some aspects of identity, such as gender, age, education, political orientation, and time spent online, are tied to the ways in which people participate in certain anonymous actions. Read More
The Ethics of DNA Predictive Technology in Law Enf...
December 5, 2022
What are the ethical tradeoffs of surveillance software in online education? Read More
Imperfections or Revealing Mistakes on Twitter?
November 30, 2022
What ethical concerns arise when Twitter users can edit their tweets? Read More
Cómo el reportaje solidario responsabiliza a ofici...
November 21, 2022
Monitorear oficiales y hacerle preguntas es importante - pero a menudo no es suficiente para responsabilizar a los que están en poder. Reportaje de solidaridad ayuda a contrarrestar este problema. Read More
Tomando decisiones en solidaridad sobre lo que es ...
November 21, 2022
¿Qué hace de una historia una noticia? El reportaje de solidaridad se aleja de la novedad y la participación de élite, y se acerca a los problemas en curso y la cohesión comunitaria. Read More
How Solidarity Reporting Holds Officials Accountab...
November 21, 2022
Monitoring officials and asking them questions is important – but often insufficient to hold power to account. Solidarity reporting helps counteract this problem and holds officials in power accountable. Read More
Making Newsworthiness Decisions in Solidarity
November 21, 2022
What makes a story newsworthy? Solidarity reporting moves away from novelty & elite involvement, and toward ongoing issues & community cohesion. Read More
STEM Graduate Students’ Perspectives on Scie...
November 17, 2022
The Center for Media Engagement conducted interviews with STEM graduate students in the U.S. and Canada to learn more about their activities that engage with the public, about how they find meaning in these activities, and about their sense of belonging in these spaces. Read More
Talking Politics on WhatsApp: a Survey of Cuban, I...
November 2, 2022
We asked WhatsApp users in three sub-groups (Cuban Americans, Mexican Americans, and Indian Americans) about their perceptions of the platform; their news and information consumption behaviors; and their encounters with false information. Read More
Can Journalists also be Activists?
October 31, 2022
What does objective reporting mean in covering the Black Lives Matter protests? Read More
How Newsrooms Can Combat Election Misinformation
October 20, 2022
As the 2022 midterm elections approach, newsrooms play an important role in warning audiences about misinformation. We held a symposium to help news leaders in battleground states learn how to detect & deal with false information. Read More
Newsworthy Expression or Tragic Tea?
October 18, 2022
What happens when YouTube drama channels switch from influencer gossip to serious tragedies? Read More
Is Coordinated Political Activity on Social Media ...
October 13, 2022
Are coordinated political campaigns ethical? Read More
Surveillance, Journalism, and the Capitol Riot
September 20, 2022
How can journalists ethically use geotracking data? The case of reporting on January 6. Read More
The Ethics of TikTok Trends
September 15, 2022
When do popular TikTok trends become unethical? Read More
Socratic Discussion or Masked Bigotry?
September 1, 2022
How offensive can trolls be? A case study in online free speech. Read More
More than a Fashion Faux Pas?
August 25, 2022
Can inclusive advertising survive the heavy hand of Facebook's able-biased AI? Read More
Person-Centered Terms Encourage Stigmatized Groups...
August 24, 2022
The Center for Media Engagement partnered with Resolve Philly to explore a small, yet impactful, way that journalists can connect with misrepresented or stigmatized audiences: using person-centered language, as opposed to stereotypical labels, to describe communities in news articles. Read More
Internet Activism or Cyberterrorism?
August 18, 2022
Is hacktivism an ethical form of protest or activism? Read More
Polarized Information Ecosystems and Encrypted Mes...
August 10, 2022
The Center for Media Engagement examined: How are encrypted messaging apps (EMAs) relevant for propagandists and/or activists in Egypt, Ethiopia, and Libya? How do these platforms fit into the existing (dis-)information landscape? Read More
Historical Accuracy in Entertainment Media
August 10, 2022
How accurate do historical dramas like "The Crown" need to be? Read More
A Straight Man in Damascus?
July 26, 2022
Can a blog author blur their identity to increase attention on an important issue? Read More
The State of Science Reporting in Today’s Di...
July 18, 2022
The Center for Media Engagement conducted in-depth interviews with 19 journalists to explore the experiences and challenges of reporting on science in the current media environment. Read More
Ethical Challenges in the Fight against Gun Violen...
July 11, 2022
What are ethical concerns with police using technology to detect gunshots? Read More
Promoting Safety or Infringing on Privacy?
June 16, 2022
What are the ethical tradeoffs of surveillance software in online education? Read More
Understanding Election Fraud Beliefs: Interviews ...
June 9, 2022
The Center for Media Engagement interviewed 56 people who believed that Donald Trump most likely won the 2020 presidential election to talk about their political outlooks, how they constructed their picture of what happened in the election, and what sources they trusted to tell them the truth. Read More
Adam Schefter and “Mr. Editor”
June 7, 2022
How much control over stories should journalists give sources and subjects? Read More
The Good, the Bad, and the Sticky
May 24, 2022
What are the tradeoffs associated with sticker art in public spaces? Read More
All (Free) Press is Good Press
May 12, 2022
How should journalists cover inflammatory politicians? Read More
Bridging Political Divides with Facebook Memes
April 28, 2022
Previous research by the Center for Media Engagement found that a sense of common humanity – where people recognize that their own failings are common human experiences – can help bring people together. Now we examine whether this feeling can be fostered with something as simple as a meme. Read More
Testimony: “A Growing Threat: The Impact of ...
April 26, 2022
Testimony of Samuel Woolley, Ph.D. for Congressional hearing "A Growing Threat: The Impact of Disinformation Targeted at Communities of Color." Read More
Imprecise Reporting or Missing the Point?
April 19, 2022
Was NPR being imprecise or misleading in their coverage of masking on the Supreme Court? Read More
Escaping the Mainstream? Pitfalls and Opportunitie...
March 22, 2022
This report builds the foundation of our future research on diaspora communities, false information, and EMAs with regard to the 2022 mid-term elections and provides an assessment useful for the design of community-centric counter programs. Read More
Advertiser Spending on Primetime News Throughout t...
March 14, 2022
Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, television news served as a crucial source of information for the public. But our past research showed that coverage of the virus was politicized in ways that seemed to put profit and partisanship above public health, particularly on Fox News and MSNBC. Now our research turns to the advertisers that support this programming. Read More
“Act Like You’re Crying”
February 1, 2022
What are the ethics of influencers and kidfluencers on YouTube? Read More
Defamation, Copyright, and Journalism in India
January 26, 2022
Should news organizations in India sue other sites who use their content to criticize it? Read More
Aiding the Cause or Enabling Performative Activism...
January 19, 2022
What are the ethics of sharing social justice posts on Instagram? Read More
Democratizing the Best or Enabling the Worst?
January 13, 2022
Is Amazon's easy self-publishing good or bad for democracy? Read More
Lee Ann Kahlor Selected as AAAS Fellow
January 1, 2022
Lee Ann Kahlor was selected as a 2021 AAAS Fellow for the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Kahlor is a senior faculty research associate at the Center for Media Engagement and a professor in the Stan Richards School of Advertising & PR in the Moody College of Communication at UT Austin. Read More
Making Your Political Point Online Without Driving...
December 15, 2021
The Center for Media Engagement tested a tool that makes digital conversations across divides easier: expressing humility when sharing a political opinion. The results showed that writing online posts with humility can help bridge divides. Read More
Location-Based Targeting: History, Usage, and Rela...
December 14, 2021
The Propaganda Lab at the Center for Media Engagement created an overview on location-based targeting, including its history, the technologies behind it, and its usage over the years. The report also includes recommendations addressing some key concerns. Read More
Should Our Past Follow Us Forever Online?
December 13, 2021
What are the ethics of unpublishing or removing news items? Read More
Getting the News Out with Apple News+
December 7, 2021
What ethical concerns arise when Apple distributes the news? Read More
Political Talk in Private: Encrypted Messaging App...
December 1, 2021
The Propaganda Lab at the Center for Media Engagement expanded its research into the use of encrypted messaging apps (EMAs) for political talk, analyzing both how EMAs are used by people for everyday political talk and how EMA technology is being used for coordinated manipulation campaigns in Indonesia, Myanmar, the Philippines, and Ukraine. Read More
Preguntas y Respuestas Frecuentes sobre Periodismo...
November 10, 2021
Respondiendo a preguntas frecuentes sobre reportaje de solidaridad. Read More
Una introducción sobre Empatía y Fatiga de Empatía
November 10, 2021
A menudo, empatía y solidaridad son confundidos el uno por el otro, pero empatía y solidaridad enfocan nuestra atención en diferentes aspectos de cuidado. Read More
Guía de reportaje solidario
November 10, 2021
Reportaje de solidaridad se practica a través de juicios de interés periodístico, fuentes y el marco que centra las experiencias vividas por personas sujetas a condiciones injustas. Read More
Solidarity Reporting Guide
November 10, 2021
Solidarity in journalism is practiced through newsworthiness judgments, sourcing, and framing that center the lived experiences of people subjected to unjust conditions. Read More
A Primer on Empathy and Empathy Fatigue
November 10, 2021
Empathy and solidarity are often mistaken for each other, but empathy and solidarity focus our attention on different aspects of care. Read More
Solidarity Reporting FAQs
November 10, 2021
Answering frequently asked questions about solidarity journalism. Read More
A Better Way to Tell Protest Stories
October 28, 2021
Protest coverage often casts protesters and their causes in a negative light, particularly when covering underrepresented groups. To help journalists frame stories in ways that do not harm these groups, the Center for Media Engagement examined two story areas of particular concern. Read More
Twitter’s Difficult Choice in India
October 26, 2021
How should Twitter deal with government demands to regulate speech in India? Read More
The Latest in Dirty Campaign Tricks?
October 20, 2021
Do cheapfakes raise new ethical problems in political communication? Read More
Landscape of the UK Science Engagement Training Co...
September 7, 2021
To help understand the impact and effectiveness of science engagement training in the UK, and what trainers and funders in the United States could learn from it, the Center for Media Engagement interviewed science engagement trainers about their approaches, content, goals, trainees, evaluation, and best practices. Read More
How Politics, Generation, News Use, and Time Onlin...
August 26, 2021
The Center for Media Engagement investigated how certain socio-political differences — including where people get their news, time spent online, political views, and age — relate to people’s views about anonymity. Read More
How Partisanship Affects Fact-Checking on Facebook
August 23, 2021
Stopping the spread of misinformation on Facebook is a difficult proposition. One of the reasons it is so difficult, particularly in the United States, is high levels of political polarization. Center for Media Engagement 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 Local Newsrooms Can Better Connect with Conser...
August 16, 2021
The Center for Media Engagement partnered with Trusting News and 27 local newsrooms to investigate how news organizations can help bridge the divide between the media and American conservative and right-leaning audiences. Read More
Communicating Science Across Political Divides
August 4, 2021
The Center for Media Engagement asked U.S. citizens about their expectations related to how scientists communicate with them. Read More
Digital Platform Experiences During the Pandemic
July 18, 2021
The COVID-19 pandemic upended many people’s day-to-day lives, and moved more interactions online. In this report, we analyze how the pandemic affected people’s use of search, social, and messaging platforms as well as their thoughts about the platforms. Read More
Reporting on the Night Stalker
July 14, 2021
How far should journalists go in covering a deadly serial killer? Read More
How to Connect with Disinvested Local News Audienc...
July 7, 2021
The Center for Media Engagement partnered with the Dallas Free Press to explore how Dallas residents perceive local media and how they think that media can better serve their communities. Read More
What Americans Know and Don’t Know about Con...
May 20, 2021
We asked adults about a range of hot-button issues to find out how much the American public knows about contentious political issues. Read More
A Tool for Racial Equality or Cancel Culture?
April 26, 2021
Should Yelp be in the business of branding businesses as racist? Read More
Accurate and Effective Reporting in a Pandemic
April 5, 2021
What ethical choices await Indian news media covering the pandemic? Read More
Ethical Targeting or Transgressing Ethics?
March 30, 2021
Is it ethical to use personalized data to target voters in political ad campaigns? Read More
Journalist Engagement in Facebook Comments: Try Ac...
March 24, 2021
We tested journalist responses to Facebook comments on news stories in order to find out which responses led to more positive perceptions regarding the news outlets and its comment moderation. The messages were tested in the U.S. and Germany to see how well they worked across different cultures. Read More
Privacy versus Products in Targeted Digital Advert...
March 24, 2021
How far can digital advertisers go in using our personal data to sell their products? Read More
How Much Emotion Can Health Campaigns Ethically Ev...
March 15, 2021
How far can health campaigns go in convincing people to eat healthy meals? Read More
What Americans Know and Don’t Know about Fac...
March 3, 2021
The Center for Media Engagement asked American adults to answer questions about how platforms like Facebook and Google operate. The answers we received revealed important gaps in what the American public knows about how these platforms work. Read More
Overdoing Democracy: The Problem of Political Pola...
March 3, 2021
Robert Talisse draws from current findings regarding political polarization to argue that, as important a social good as democracy is, it is nonetheless possible for citizens to overdo it. Read More
Disclosures of NYPD Surveillance Technologies Rais...
February 23, 2021
The disclosures by NYPD – the first required by the POST Act – raise substantial questions about how police in New York acquire and maintain data across dozens of surveillance systems, how NYPD thinks about safety and possible harms to society, and reveal new details about the suite of technologies enabling covert police activities on social media networks. Read More
The Ethics of News Paywalls
February 15, 2021
Are news paywalls good for journalism and democracy? Read More
Stopping the Spread of Anti-Vax Memes
February 8, 2021
Should platforms censor anti-vaccination memes to help end the pandemic? Read More
The Ethics of Digital Contact Tracing
January 28, 2021
What worries arise when we use digital contact tracing to fight COVID-19? Read More
How to Signal Trust in a Google Search
January 27, 2021
The Center for Media Engagement tested several versions of a Knowledge Panel — a search sidebar that provided information about a news outlet — to see which elements affected trust. Read More
Newsroom Objectivity in the Age of Black Lives Mat...
January 20, 2021
What does objective reporting mean in covering the Black Lives Matter protests? Read More
Civic Signals: The Qualities of Flourishing Digita...
January 12, 2021
Discussions of digital space often focus on eliminating troubling content or improving the user-friendliness of the design. We’re proposing that digital spaces, like the physical spaces we inhabit, should use public-friendly design. Read More
The Ethics of Op-Eds
December 29, 2020
Should newspapers run controversial or offensive op-ed pieces? Read More
Greed or Good Intentions in Investigative Journali...
December 21, 2020
Did Bob Woodward do something wrong in delaying the release of his investigative research on Trump and COVID-19? Read More
Cable and Nightly Network News Coverage of Coronav...
December 17, 2020
The public frequently turns to television news for updates on the coronavirus pandemic — but not all viewers are getting the same story. Our report shows stark coverage differences across networks, revealing a troubling trend of politicized coverage of the virus. Read More
Coronavirus Coverage in Chicago
December 10, 2020
The Center for Media Engagement examined how Chicago newsrooms covered coronavirus on Facebook. Read More
Reporting on Caste and Sexual Assault
December 5, 2020
What are the challenges and choices journalists face in reporting caste-based violence in India? Read More
Using Facebook Messenger to Improve Online Discuss...
December 3, 2020
The Center for Media Engagement partnered with Vox and Spaceship Media to explore whether the design of online discussion groups can affect conversation quality and if Facebook Messenger can be used as an engagement tool. Read More
News Distrust Among Black Americans is a Fixable P...
November 18, 2020
The Center for Media Engagement asked Black Americans how news organizations can better cover their communities to help bridge the divide between them and the media. Read More
Peer-to-Peer Texting and the 2020 U.S. Election: H...
October 27, 2020
New forms of direct communication, such as campaign apps and digital wallet passes on smartphones, are poised to bring political messaging to even higher levels of intimacy and efficacy, and, disturbingly, render them factually impossible to audit by outsiders. Read More
Who’s Helping Who in the Game of Lobbying?
October 27, 2020
What are the ethical risks and rewards of political lobbying? Read More
Encrypted Propaganda: Political Manipulation Via E...
October 26, 2020
The Center for Media Engagement propaganda research team spent the past year studying political manipulation on encrypted messaging applications (EMAs) in the U.S., India, and Mexico. Read More
News Comments: What Happens When They’re Gon...
October 21, 2020
We worked with 24 Gannett-owned newsrooms and Coral by Vox Media to engage in the most ambitious test to-date of what comment sections mean to news sites. Read More
TikTok, Time to Snitch
October 21, 2020
Is it ethical to use TikTok to shame fellow college students who violate COVID-19 guidelines? Read More
Quelling Interference or Dissent?
October 20, 2020
Did Tumblr's purge of Russian misinformation accounts go too far? Read More
Social Media Influencers and the 2020 U.S. Electio...
October 14, 2020
The Center for Media Engagement's propaganda research team reports on the phenomenon of social media influencers as an avenue for political campaign communications, describes the challenges this issue poses to platforms and governments, and briefly explores solutions. Read More
Putting the President in Check
October 13, 2020
Is Twitter's decision to add a factcheck to Trump's voter fraud tweet a good thing? Read More
Celebrity Death in the Media
October 5, 2020
What challenges arise when the media covers dead celebrities who were both loved and hated? Read More
Setting the Terms of the Debate
October 1, 2020
What ethical trade-offs accompany different ways of framing advocacy campaigns in political communication? Read More
Want to Inform People About Registering to Vote? K...
October 1, 2020
The Center for Media Engagement teamed up with the Annette Strauss Institute for Civic Life to examine how news organizations can best communicate information about how to register to vote. Read More
The Ethics of Word Choice
September 28, 2020
Is ambiguity and creative wordplay ethical in political communication? Read More
Sex, Drugs, and Hijabs on Netflix
September 21, 2020
Is Netflix's "Elite" a case of creative filmmaking or Muslim stereotyping? Read More
Freedom Of Skepticism and the Social Responsibilit...
September 17, 2020
How much skepticism of experts is ethical for powerful leaders during a pandemic? Read More
Being Compassionate with Yourself May Help Bridge ...
September 17, 2020
Being able to form relationships with people you disagree with or viewing them with compassion is not easy. In this study, the Center for Media Engagement wanted to find out what types of personal self-compassion are more common among people who are better at doing this. Read More
Gaming Platforms and Shocking Speech
September 14, 2020
When the gaming platform Twitch wants to police the speech of its users, what could go wrong? Read More
International Perspectives on What’s Considered Ha...
September 10, 2020
The Center for Media Engagement in the U.S. teamed up with researchers from Erasmus University in the Netherlands and NOVA University in Portugal to figure out how people from these three countries define hateful speech and whether they differentiate it from profanity. The results offer global guidance for social media platforms and news outlets on how to effectively create moderation guidelines that limit confusion about why certain posts and comments are removed while others are allowed. Read More
Angry for Change
September 8, 2020
Is anger - and angry political rhetoric - good for democracy? Read More
Political Speech or Legalized Bribery?
September 1, 2020
Lobbying may be legal in politics, but is it ethical? Read More
Finding Common Ground: Habits that May Help
August 30, 2020
As politics continue to push Americans further apart, it can be difficult to find common ground. The Center for Media Engagement wanted to see what habits are common in people who find ways to get along with people they disagree with politically. Read More
Blurring the Line Between Reporting the Truth and ...
August 25, 2020
Should journalists show the faces of protesters in news coverage? Read More
Chicago Media Mapping
August 20, 2020
In an analysis of local Chicago news coverage, the Center for Media Engagement found that the media mentioned Chicago’s North / Downtown region more frequently than the West and South Sides and that there were differences in which topics were included in articles mentioning different parts of Chicago. This follows… Read More
Picturing Justice for Kalief Browder
August 17, 2020
What ethical worries accompany Jay-Z's attempt to document injustices in the American prison system? Read More
Coronavirus Coverage: The Effects of Headlines and...
August 13, 2020
Coronavirus news can be overwhelming. To determine if newsrooms can help counteract the fatigue, the Center for Media Engagement tested the effects of three types of headlines and two types of images on news Facebook posts. Read More
Campaign Promises and Vague Rhetoric
August 12, 2020
What are the ethical uses and abuses when it comes to using ambiguity in political communication? Read More
Adding Humanizing Details to News Articles Produce...
August 6, 2020
The Center for Media Engagement wanted to know whether adding humanizing details about people when reporting on controversial political issues could help bring readers together across lines of difference and improve attitudes toward news organizations. Read More
The Paradox of Pathos
August 1, 2020
What are the ethical promises and perils of using emotional messages in politics? Read More
How to Talk to People Who Disagree with You Politi...
July 30, 2020
How can you communicate with people you disagree with politically? This report reveals five strategies you can use. Read More
Objectivity in Journalism
July 28, 2020
What are the challenges of objectivity in journalism? Read More
Ghosting the People?
July 13, 2020
Is using a ghostwriter in presidential communication ethical? Read More
Whose Image is It to Use?
July 9, 2020
What ethical choices lie behind the use of images for advocacy campaigns? Read More
Doxing in the Name of Public Health
July 6, 2020
Is it ethical to name and shame those that violate travel precautions in the COVID-19 pandemic? Read More
Gaining Trust in TV News
June 30, 2020
The Center for Media Engagement examined how TV news stations can increase trust by including certain elements in a story. Read More
Strengthening Science Engagement Fellowships throu...
June 23, 2020
This report describes the important role science engagement fellowships can have in closing the gaps between scientists’ interest in communicating with a broader public and their ability to do so. Read More
Fighting (Online) Fire with Fire?
June 22, 2020
What are the ethics of using counterspeech to fight online harassment? Read More
Pandemic Prime Time for the Cuomo Brothers
May 26, 2020
What ethical concerns arise with the brotherly interactions between Governor Cuomo and journalist Cuomo? Read More
Covering Coronavirus: How Audience Needs are Chang...
May 26, 2020
The Center for Media Engagement took a snapshot of local news’ Facebook posts and public perceptions of local coverage of the coronavirus pandemic and compared it with coverage and public opinion from one month earlier. Read More
Politics in the Age of Digital Information Overloa...
May 21, 2020
What are the ethics of Facebook allowing potentially misleading political ads? Read More
Paying Your Way to the Top
May 20, 2020
Are purchases made in multiplayer video games unethical and unfair? Read More
Written In Only to Be Excluded?
May 11, 2020
What are the ethics of screenwriting and diversity in hits like "Game of Thrones?" Read More
Campaigning for Your Enemies
May 7, 2020
Is it ethical to campaign for opponents you know you can beat? Read More
Producing Fear for the Greater Good?
May 4, 2020
How much complexity can we overlook in persuading young adults to fight COVID-19? Read More
Can Artificial Intelligence Reprogram the Newsroom...
April 27, 2020
As artificial intelligence plays an increasing role in newsrooms, what ethical issues arise? Read More
Are there Bigger Fish to Fry in the Struggle for A...
April 13, 2020
Is PETA right that our anti-animal sayings do more harm than good? Read More
Images of Death in the Media
April 2, 2020
What ethical challenges arise when the media uses images of the dead? Read More
Covering Coronavirus: A Snapshot of the Informatio...
April 1, 2020
The Center for Media Engagement took a snapshot of the stories local newspaper and broadcast news outlets posted to Facebook on March 23, 2020. On the same day, we launched a survey asking people what information about the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic they wanted local news outlets to share. Read More
Powerful Art, Harmed Environments
March 29, 2020
What if great art has to harm the environment to make its point? Read More
Misinformation, Social Media, and the Price of Pol...
March 25, 2020
Is banning paid political advertising on social media good for democracy? Read More
The Different Species of the Online Catfish
March 24, 2020
What ethical complexities circle around catfishing and online deception? Read More
Actors Playing Protestors in Real Life
March 19, 2020
What are the ethics of Bollywood celebrities joining popular protest movements--and the calls to "cancel" their careers? Read More
Reporter Bios Alone Aren’t Enough to Boost T...
February 27, 2020
Providing reporter bios on a news website is a common practice. The Center for Media Engagement has already shown that reporter bios, when used in combination with other trust strategies, can boost reader trust in and engagement with news. Now we wanted to test how biographies alone influence reader perceptions. Read More
Changing Comments or Changing Minds?
February 20, 2020
When a Pakistani newspaper uses an algorithm to change user comments to protest government censorship, what could go wrong? Read More
Dramatization or Falsification?
February 17, 2020
How far can films about journalists push the truth for dramatic effects? Read More
Beer Cans and Cancel Culture
February 5, 2020
What are the ethical challenges when journalism and cancel culture merge? Read More
How Vigilant Should Cable News Be About Political ...
February 3, 2020
What are the ethical implications of CNN refusing to air Trump's misleading advertisements? Read More
Greta Thunberg and Her Harsh Critics
January 30, 2020
What are the ethics of criticizing young political activists like Greta Thunberg? Read More
Testing Behind the Story Cards
January 30, 2020
We explored whether the placement of the Behind the Story card on a news organization’s website affects readers’ recall of the card and trust in news. Read More
The Ethics of Anonymous Criticism in Political Jou...
January 22, 2020
What are the ethical implications of using anonymous political sources in journalism? Read More
To Release or Not to Release
January 22, 2020
What are the ethics of films that portray political assassinations in India? Read More
Ethics and E-Cigarette Advertising
January 20, 2020
What ethical concerns arise in regulating e-cigarette advertisements? Read More
Images That Generate Clicks Among Both Liberals an...
December 17, 2019
The Center for Media Engagement partnered with ProPublica to determine if news story headlines and images can be crafted in ways that appeal to both liberals and conservatives. We found that Facebook ads using straightforward photographs, instead of illustrated graphics, performed better among both liberals and conservatives. However, changing… Read More
Reality TV and Real Ethics
December 6, 2019
For those who don’t tune into reality TV, a compelling new series has been attracting attention and provoking debate about the ethics of televised relationships. The hit series, Love Island, focuses on a group of attractive, young singles who are flown to an isolated villa in Mallorca to find love. Read More
Fighting the Amazon Fires with Misinformation
December 2, 2019
What are the ethical dilemmas posed by celebrity activists using not-so-accurate information on social media to save the environment? Read More
Secret Facebook Groups and the Ethics of Democracy
November 18, 2019
People are turning to secret Facebook groups to express their political opinions. What are the ethical implications of this trend for democracy? Read More
Censorship in Pakistan
November 12, 2019
What are the challenges to reporting the news in Pakistan? Read More
Social Media Activism or Mere Slacktivism?
November 12, 2019
When online activists vow to make a villain famous, what could go wrong? Read More
Matters of Facebook Live or Death
November 12, 2019
What are the ethical worries over Facebook Live and immediate internet broadcasting? Read More
No Comment
November 12, 2019
What are the ethical issues involved in closing news website comment sections in a democracy? Read More
Virtual Reality, Immersive Media, and Journalism
November 12, 2019
What are the ethics of using virtual reality in real journalism? Read More
Cooperation and Compromise in the Artworld
November 11, 2019
When can artists work with repressive governments to create valuable art? Read More
Social Media: The Good, The Bad, and How Platforms...
November 7, 2019
As part of the Civic Signals initiative, the Center for Media Engagement is releasing an excerpt from a series of reports aimed at achieving more public-friendly digital spaces. Read More
Reporting on Sexual Assault in India
November 4, 2019
What are the challenges to privacy and community safety in reporting on sexual assault in India? Read More
What People Want to Know About the News
October 31, 2019
Knowing what readers want out of a story – or what they think newsrooms often fail to address – provides an opportunity to increase trust. Read More
Fake News and Real Tensions
October 28, 2019
Throughout the rising tensions following the Pulwama attack in Kashmir, there was a relatively new element of the contemporary Indo-Pakistani conflict: fake news. Read More
Can a Film be Too Moving?
October 23, 2019
How much of an effect can films about candidates have on public opinion during an election in India? Read More
Story Labels Alone Don’t Increase Trust
October 3, 2019
The Center for Media Engagement wanted to find out if labeling news stories (using labels such as news, analysis, opinion, or sponsored content) increases trust. Read More
The Keys to Powerful Solutions Journalism
August 22, 2019
Solutions journalism offers comprehensive coverage of an issue by proposing solutions rather than just focusing on the problem. The Center for Media Engagement set out to determine how certain components of solutions journalism affect the way readers evaluate both the reporting and the issue. We found that stories covering… Read More
Research Shows How to Advance Public Understanding...
August 6, 2019
Originally published by the Rita Allen Foundation. In a time marked by scientific discovery and technological advancement, a new report identifies a promising area for greater investment by science philanthropies: communication. The report, Identifying Best Practices for Communications Workforce at Science Philanthropies, was developed through a… Read More
Moderating Uncivil Comments Hurts Trust In News
July 18, 2019
The Center for Media Engagement’s previous research showed that uncivil comments can taint the perception of a news site. Now, we look at how those comments affect the moderators of a news site. This study found that uncivil comments: Hurt moderator… Read More
Survey examines scientists’ attitudes toward publi...
June 25, 2019
Originally published by Stony Brook University’s Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science. Many U.S. scientists say they are eager to share their work with the public, but feel ill-equipped to do so, according to a recent study. Scientists surveyed said they were the most eager to share… Read More
Clickbait Content May Not Be Click-worthy
May 16, 2019
In today’s highly competitive digital environment, it can be tempting to turn to clickbait news. But covering news that emphasizes outrageous behavior by political leaders might actually backfire. Read More
Weather Media in the Public Sphere
May 2, 2019
What are the implications of our communication about weather for our democratic public sphere? Read More
Green is the New Color of Money
April 30, 2019
What are the ethical concerns with "greenwashing" in advertisements to sell products? Read More
Race, Democracy, and Media
April 16, 2019
How does America's struggle with current and past oppression intersect with media practices? Read More
Limiting or Lifesaving?
April 9, 2019
Are there any ethical problems with banning anti-vaccination content from social media platforms? Read More
Halloween Hijinks and Internet Shaming
April 3, 2019
What ethical decisions await those dressing up for Halloween--and those reacting to racially insensitive costumes? Read More
Journalism Through Theater: How An Art Form Can In...
March 26, 2019
In our latest research, the Center for Media Engagement (CME) partnered with The Center for Investigative Reporting (CIR) and StoryWorks to examine how theater and journalism can be combined to create a powerful message. Read More
Netflix and Kill
March 14, 2019
What are the ethics of portraying heinous criminals in popular films? Read More
Advertising Ethics and Social Issues
March 5, 2019
Gillette walks the razor's edge in using the battle against toxic masculinity in their recent ad campaign. Read More
And Nothing But the Truth
March 1, 2019
How can reporters balance accuracy and good effects in their reporting on war-torn African communities? Read More
The Ethical Study of Digital Fan Culture
February 26, 2019
March 26, 2019: What ethical challenges arise in researching digital fan culture? Read More
Building Trust: What Works for News Organizations
February 26, 2019
The Center for Media Engagement’s new study aims to help news organizations build trust with their audiences. Read More
The Ethics of Computer-Generated Actors
February 13, 2019
What ethical concerns arise when filmmakers use CGI to resurrect dead actors? Read More
Media Freedom and the Middle East
February 6, 2019
February 19, 2019: How do you create media freedom in the Middle East? Read More
Attacks in the Comment Sections: What It Means for...
January 24, 2019
In a new study, the Center for Media Engagement looked at how uncivil comments affect perceptions of a news site and ways journalists can address the problem. Read More
When Does Artistic Creativity Become the Exploitat...
January 22, 2019
What ethical concerns arise when a prominent photographic artist uses her children in her work? Read More
“One Does Not Simply Create a Meme”
January 14, 2019
When does the creation and sharing of internet memes go too far? Read More
A Comparison Between Scientists’ and Communication...
January 1, 2019
How do the views of Communication Scholars and Scientists differ on Public Engagement? Read More
Entertaining Endorsements in Sports Journalism
December 28, 2018
What conflicts arise when sports journalists also get endorsement deals? Read More
Sacking Social Media in College Sports
December 27, 2018
Should college athletes be limited in their use of social media? Read More
Defending Freedom of Tweets?
December 21, 2018
What are the ethical challenges that arise when professional athletes share their views on social media? Read More
The Wild West of Sports Journalism?
December 20, 2018
Do the ethics of sports blogs differ from mainstream journalism, especially when covering sexual scandals? Read More
Just Do It?
December 12, 2018
Did Nike do too much in their use of Colin Kaepernick and others in their recent advertising campaign? Read More
Does the Photo Fit the News?
December 11, 2018
What happens when a powerful image becomes the face of the immigration debate? Read More
Digital Immortality on an App
December 10, 2018
When AI chatbots let us talk with the dead, what ethical issues might haunt us? Read More
Is It Only A Game?
December 6, 2018
First-person shooter video games are popular. But are they ethical to enjoy? Read More
“Some of My Best Friends are Internet Vigilantes”
December 5, 2018
What are the ethical issues that arise with naming and shaming racists online? Read More
How Can I Be So Mean to Myself?
December 4, 2018
What are the ethical concerns with the new phenomena of digital self-harm? Read More
Side Effects May Include Persuasion
December 3, 2018
What ethical concerns are raised by direct-to-consumer advertising for pharmaceutical products? Read More
Covering Female Athletes
November 30, 2018
What ethical choices are made in how female athletes are portrayed in sports media? Read More
Don’t “Like” My Children
November 28, 2018
What could go wrong when parents share information about their children online? Read More
When Actors Become Characters
November 26, 2018
What are the ethics of fictional works created by fans that involve real people as characters? Read More
Filtering Out Cyberbullying
November 23, 2018
What are the ethical issues raised by Instagram's efforts to filter out cyberbullying? Read More
How the Public, News Sources, and Journalists Thi...
November 16, 2018
This research project was led by the News Co/Lab at Arizona State University in collaboration with the Center for Media Engagement at The University of Texas at Austin. Together, we designed and tested an online survey that three news organizations used to examine… Read More
To Catfish or Not to Catfish?
November 15, 2018
What are the ethical problems with "catfishing" online? Read More
Journalism Ethics amid Irrational Publics: Disrupt...
November 14, 2018
What ethical challenges confront the public relations practitioner? Read More
Ethics in Public Relations
November 14, 2018
What ethical challenges confront the public relations practitioner? Read More
Making Strangers Less Strange
November 14, 2018
In the aftermath of the 2018 midterm elections, it is clear that our country is divided. This report reviews best practices from academics and journalists on how to bring diverse groups together. Read More
Values Preserved in Stone
November 7, 2018
What are the ethical issues surrounding Confederate memorials? Read More
Gaming the System?
November 4, 2018
What are the ethical problems with cheating in Fortnite? Read More
Boldly Going Where Studios Have Gone Before
October 31, 2018
When does fan fiction cross the line from inspired creativity to unethical stealing? Read More
How to Use Case Studies in Class
October 28, 2018
Case studies are a common way of introducing or reinforcing themes in applied ethics classes, including those on sports and the media. Read More
Is Incivility Ever Ethical?
October 25, 2018
Must we always be civil in our protests and activism? Read More
BYOD! Should We Really Ask New College Grads and ...
October 4, 2018
What ethical issues arise when we ask employees to use their own mobile devices? Read More
Using Links to Keep Readers on News Sites
September 26, 2018
Our research finds that audiences are more likely to click on links that use images in their layout, appear at the end of a page and reflect related content Read More
AI and Online Hate Speech
September 25, 2018
Can AI save us from online hate speech? Or will it learn our worst traits? Read More
Google Assistant and the Ethics of AI
September 24, 2018
What ethical issues arise when realistic-sounding AI is used in human interactions? Read More
Moral Psychology and Media
September 12, 2018
September 19, 2018: What can psychology tell us about media ethics? Read More
Subscription Messages
September 5, 2018
With funding from the American Press Institute, CME researchers tested different engagement methods aimed at prompting new subscribers in three different newsrooms. Read More
News Awareness in Fresno, Kansas City, and Macon
August 24, 2018
Our researchers surveyed 4,584 people in three U.S. news markets and found that people generally read national news more, but they perceived local news somewhat more favorably. Nearly 90% felt at least somewhat confident they could spot "fake news," but less than three-quarters of the people could correctly select fake headlines. Read More
Sweet Justice?
July 25, 2018
Did Pepsi go too far in its use of protest iconography to sell its product? Read More
#MeToo and the Arts
July 18, 2018
What happens when the #MeToo movement meets the artworld? Read More
When Comedic Stereotypes Cease to Be Funny
July 8, 2018
Do humorous - but stereotypical - characters like Apu from "The Simpsons" cross ethical lines? Read More
Doxing and Digital Journalism
July 6, 2018
When can journalists reveal the identity of controversial social media users? Read More
Political Coverage on Facebook
June 28, 2018
With the help of a national newsroom, we conducted 118 experiments on Facebook to test the success of different headlines, images, and status updates on Facebook. Read More
First, Do No Harm?
May 7, 2018
What ethical issues arise when balancing doctor-patient confidentiality and the protection of third parties? Read More
The Ethics of Media Criticism
May 2, 2018
What are the ethics of media criticism in turbulent political times? Read More
Finsta Fad
April 30, 2018
What are the real ethical issues raised by fake Instagram accounts? Read More
Collateral Damage to the Truth
April 27, 2018
What conflicts arise when journalists want transparency on drone deaths? Read More
Swipe Right to Expose
April 24, 2018
What could go wrong with an investigative journalist covering the sordid side of the Rio Olympics? Read More
What Exactly is Revenge Porn or Nonconsensual Porn...
April 20, 2018
[ARTICLE]: Is revenge porn really simple to identify and legislate? Read More
Media Ethics and Virtual Reality
April 18, 2018
What ethical issues are raised by the use of virtual reality in journalism? Read More
Biometrics, Data, and Privacy
April 17, 2018
Does national security trade off with privacy in biometric identification? Read More
Microbiologists’ Public Engagement Views and Behav...
April 13, 2018
What affects microbiologists' engagement with the public? Read More
Women Journalists and Online Harassment
April 10, 2018
After interviewing 75 female professional journalists, researchers found that online harassment is a pressing issue that requires immediate attention. Read More
Anonymity, Doxing, and the Ethics of Reddit
April 4, 2018
What ethical issues are created in Reddit's attempts to clean up its act? Read More
Robots, Algorithms, and Digital Ethics
April 4, 2018
Dr. David Gunkel (NIU) discusses robot rights and digital ethics. Read More
Online Quizzes and Interest in Political News
April 4, 2018
Our researchers found that online political quizzes increase people’s interest in political news and make them feel more knowledgeable about politics. Read More
Sharing the Pain
March 30, 2018
What ethical issues does the rapid sharing of information in emergencies raise? Read More
Fake News, Fake Porn, and AI
March 29, 2018
What are the ethical issues involved in the use of AI in creating fake video content? Read More
Ethics and Artistic Appropriation
March 26, 2018
What are the ethical issues raised by reframing the meaning of public artworks? Read More
Suicide, Fiction, and Ethics
March 21, 2018
What are the ethical issues raised by Netflix's "13 Reasons Why"? Read More
The Real Ethics of Fake News
March 20, 2018
Dr. Scott Stroud (UT Austin) explores the complex ethics of fake news. Read More
Bullying our First Amendment?
March 19, 2018
What are the legal and ethical implications of bullying by text message? Read More
Free Speech and the Ethics of Protest
March 14, 2018
What are the ethics of free speech and controversial protests? Read More
News Media and Democracy
March 12, 2018
Dr. Talia Stroud (UT Austin) discusses how to engage newsrooms in the digital age. Read More
Ethics and the Tweeter-in-Chief
March 5, 2018
What are the ethical issues with President Trump's use of Twitter? Read More
Idealized Images of Women in the Media
March 2, 2018
Watch Dr. Kate Pounders (UT Austin) discuss idealized images of women in the media. Read More
A Progress Report: Media Engagement Through Theate...
February 14, 2018
In partnership with The Center for Investigative Reporting (CIR), we are analyzing how attitudes change based on seeing a play. This is a progress report on our first effort. (photo: Leah Mahan) Read More
Hacking Big Data: Discovering Vulnerabilities in a...
January 19, 2018
March 6, 2018: danah boyd explores whether democracy and big data can coexist. Read More
Chicago News Landscape
January 10, 2018
The Center for Media Engagement partnered with a local news organization, City Bureau, to explore attitudes towards, and preferences for, Chicago news media. Read More
Understanding Scientists’ Willingness to Engage in...
January 1, 2018
What factors may motivate scientists to engage with the public in the United States? Read More
Trust in Online News
December 12, 2017
The inclusion of Trust Indicators can result in higher opinions about the news organizations and journalists that use them, according to the Center for Media Engagement's research with the Trust Project. Read More
Ethics and the Appeal to Scientific Consensus in t...
December 11, 2017
Watch Dr. Jean Goodwin discuss the ethics of climate change communication. Read More
Dr. Scott Stroud on the Media Ethics Initiative
December 4, 2017
The Media Ethics Initiative examines the choices, consequences, and values involved in our communicative activities. Read More
The Dark Side of Social Media
November 27, 2017
A panel of experts discusses the dark side of social media. Read More
Panel Shines Light on the Dark Issues of Social Me...
November 16, 2017
[ARTICLE] What is the dark side of social media? A panel of experts discuss privacy concerns and more in our online lives. Read More
The Ethics of Climate Communication
November 7, 2017
An interview with Dr. Jean Goodwin about science communication, rhetoric, and ethics. Read More
Philosopher Discusses New Media’s Threat to ...
November 3, 2017
[ARTICLE] Gregory Pappas discusses how new media inhibits deeper learning and threatens the health of democracy. Read More
New Media, Education, and Democracy
November 2, 2017
Dr. Gregory Pappas (Texas A&M) discusses the meaning of new media on democracy and education. Read More
Moral Psychology on Why We Love Stories
October 27, 2017
Watch Dr. Robert Lewis (UT Austin) talk about moral psychology and our love of stories. Read More
Anthems and Activism in the NFL
October 16, 2017
Watch Dr. Michael Butterworth (UT Austin) discuss the ethical issues raised by the NFL anthem protests. Read More
The Ethics of Green Advertising
September 26, 2017
Watch Dr. Lucy Atkinson (UT Austin) talk about the promises and pitfalls of green consumption on Youtube! Read More
Website Redesign
August 3, 2017
Redesigning a website's homepage could improve page views and time on page, according to a CME study that was conducted in conjunction with the launch of two news organizations' redesigned homepages. Read More
Two-way communication between scientists and the p...
June 30, 2017
How are scientists trained in Public Engagement? Read More
A Survey of Snapchat Users: Media, Politics, &...
June 8, 2017
In the weeks leading up to the 2016 election, we surveyed Snapchat users about their use of the app, specifically for news and politics. Read More
General Election News Coverage: What Engages Audie...
April 6, 2017
In the run-up to the 2016 general election, local news outlets focused less and less on coverage of issues, with coverage of corruption and scandal receiving more page views and social referrals. Read More
Rhetorics of the Good Life: Social Ontology, Ethic...
March 16, 2017
May 3, 2017: What is the nature of the good life and virtuous communication in the present social environment? Read More
Moral Psychology and Media Practice
March 8, 2017
April 10, 2017: How does human psychology inform media ethics? Read More
Stressing Ethics in an Unfiltered Age
March 3, 2017
It is more important than ever for members of the media to stay ethical and informed, according to Mary Bock, associate professor of in the School of Journalism, during a talk Read More
Cosmopolitan Media Ethics
March 2, 2017
April 4, 2017: What happens when ethics meets globalized and changing media technology? Read More
Ethical Issues in the Fight Against Revenge Porn
March 1, 2017
March 21, 2017: What are the ethical issues involved in online revenge porn, and what tough ethical decisions are involved in fighting it? Read More
Comment Section Survey Across 20 News Sites
January 12, 2017
We partnered with 20 U.S.-based news organizations to conduct one of the largest-ever surveys of online news commenters. Read More
Scientists’ Views about Communication Objectives
January 1, 2017
Scientists’ views about communication objectives. Read More
Journalism Ethics and Social Media
December 19, 2016
February 16, 2017: Journalistic ethics are no longer just for journalists. The digital media environment has flattened the information playing field, giving long-standing news institutions the same access to an audience as extremist propaganda, citizen bloggers and you: yes you. We’re all gatekeepers now... Read More
Journalism and Media Bias
December 13, 2016
January 31, 2017: Is the media biased? How do you even start to answer that question? Join us for a provocative talk by Dr. Robert Jensen... Read More
Ambedkar, Social Justice, and Buddhist Right Speec...
December 12, 2016
January 24, 2017: Following the 2013 release of Navayana's annotated critical edition of B. R. Ambedkar's Annihilation of Caste with an introductory essay by Arundhati Roy, Dalit (ex-Untouchable) activists angrily charged that Roy and the publisher were unqualified to write on Ambedkar by virtue of their high-caste backgrounds. We examine this war of words in the context of Ambedkar's career as the leading voice for Untouchable human rights and as principal draftsman of India's Constitution. We compare the attack on Navayana's Annihilation of Caste to the original attack on Ambedkar's 1936 speech. Read More
Trump, Clinton, and the Race for the Presidency
December 9, 2016
November 2, 2016: From their announcement speeches to the final debate, Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton have rhetorically constructed portraits of American democracy in their campaign rhetoric. What do those portraits look like? How are they constructed? Read More
Advertising, Ethics, and Culture
December 9, 2016
October 13, 2016: How do advertising practitioners in other cultures confront ethical issues? Read More
Why Reflect on the Media?
December 8, 2016
What is the purpose of the Media Ethics Initiative? Read More
Mobile News Notifications
October 27, 2016
People who receive mobile news notifications more frequently visit the corresponding news applications. Read More
Primary Election Coverage: What Types of News Enga...
October 11, 2016
Do audiences engage more with news coverage of campaign strategy or issues? Read More
How One Community Responded to Solutions Journalis...
September 20, 2016
In response to a newspaper series on the issue of poverty, the public tweeted more about poverty. The discussion, however, lasted only a short period. Read More
Journalists and Online Comments
August 30, 2016
By interviewing working journalists, we learned that they do read the comments and respond to commenters. Read More
Survey of News Editors and Directors
August 18, 2016
Our survey of news editors and directors offers a glimpse at current newsroom practices. Read More
Investigating the Influence of “Clickbait...
August 9, 2016
We tested whether headlines written using varying levels of uncertainty prompt different reactions. Read More
A Digital News Snapshot: An Analysis of 25 of the ...
July 20, 2016
As news habits change, it's important to understand what is available for news audiences across various platforms. Read More
10 Things We Learned by Analyzing 9 Million Commen...
June 21, 2016
This report describes what we learned from analyzing 9,616,211 comments people posted to The New York Times website. Read More
Solutions Headlines
June 2, 2016
Solutions-oriented headlines yield a modest increase in clicks over non-solutions headlines, but other factors may also affect clicks. Read More
Solutions Journalism & News Engagement
March 29, 2016
There are benefits to newsrooms using solutions-based journalism, but it is not a cure-all for audience engagement. Read More
Survey of Commenters and Comment Readers
March 14, 2016
We describe the demographic makeup, attitudes, and behaviors of the people who comprise the online commenting world. Read More
The Current State of News Headlines
December 1, 2015
Headlines are the marquees of news stories. These short statements located at the beginning of an article frame the information that is to follow. They encapsulate a portion of the story, presenting a snapshot of reality. The New York Times headlines an article as “Climate Change Will Disrupt Half of… Read More
Contemporary vs. Classic Design
July 27, 2015
There is a significant increase in page views and learning from articles when people browse a news website with a contemporary design compared to one with a classic, newsprint-style layout. Read More
Background Information & Facts
June 10, 2015
People are more willing to get involved in political discussion when they're provided with background information containing pro and con arguments. Read More
How We Use Online Spaces
March 11, 2015
Through six focus groups, we learned that people prefer in-person discussions about politics rather than those that take place online, and are concerned that political discussion might lead to conflict. Read More
Restructuring Comment Sections
January 30, 2015
There are several benefits - and limits - to using a three-column comment section as opposed to using a traditional one-column section. Read More
New Approaches to Comment Moderation
November 24, 2014
For three months, we attempted to code for incivility within online news comments in new ways. In this progress report, we share thoughts on what worked, what didn't, and what research can be done next. Read More
Journalist Involvement in Comment Sections
September 10, 2014
Uncivil comments decreased when a journalist interacted with online commenters. Read More
Improving Civil Discourse
September 10, 2014
We have partnered with the National Institute for Civil Discourse to research how to improve online discourse. We began by reviewing academic research on creating civil online spaces. In the coming months, we will conduct a series of focus groups to understand people's thoughts about discussing politics online. Read More
Solutions Journalism
June 2, 2014
We found that solutions-based reporting may be an effective journalistic tool that serves the needs of both audiences and news organizations, and that it has the potential to increase reader engagement. Read More
Analysis of News Sites
March 13, 2014
We examined 155 U.S. newspaper and television news websites to understand how they were using social media buttons, comment sections, online polls, lists of hyperlinks, and mobile version. Read More
Hyperlinks
September 18, 2013
Can hyperlinks be presented on a page in a way that prompts additional news use, as opposed to entertainment stories? And can hyperlinks be presented on a page in ways that encourage visitors to view editorial content from different political perspectives? Read More
How Online Quizzes Can Benefit Newsroom Websites
September 18, 2013
Although polls can be engaging for site visitors, there are downsides. Quizzes help news audiences learn more in a fun and engaging way. Read More
Social Media Buttons in Comment Sections
September 18, 2013
What if, instead of clicking a “Like” button, one could click “Respect”? Read More
How the Public Views Deletion of Offensive Comment...
June 16, 2021