Bridging Divides on Social Media: A New Approach D...
February 6, 2025
Examining a novel approach to identifying “connective language” that brings people together on social media. Read More
Bridging Divides on Social Media: A New Approach D...
February 6, 2025
Examining a novel approach to identifying “connective language” that brings people together on social media. Read More
What We Learned in 2024: From GenAI to Election Co...
December 16, 2024
Important findings from our 2024 research. Read More
Solidarity Reporting Beyond “The Latino Vote” and ...
November 25, 2024
Prompted by media discourse and criticism in the aftermath of the 2024 U.S. election, the Center for Media Engagmenent held a workshop focused on encouraging journalists to move beyond reductive, monolithic labels, and identifying specific reporting practices for doing so. Read More
Navigating Election Prep in Battleground Areas: Ne...
October 31, 2024
As Election Day approaches, how are newsrooms tasked with covering contentious races handling the pressure? 10 editors at newsrooms in battleground districts or states to learn more about the opportunities and challenges they face. Read More
Navigating Election Prep in Battleground Areas: Ne...
October 31, 2024
As Election Day approaches, how are newsrooms tasked with covering contentious races handling the pressure? 10 editors at newsrooms in battleground districts or states to learn more about the opportunities and challenges they face. 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
How News Audiences Respond to Journalist Race and ...
May 22, 2024
Exploring how different racial and ethnic groups respond to bylines from journalists who share their race or ethnicity. Read More
How News Audiences Respond to Journalist Race and ...
May 22, 2024
Exploring how different racial and ethnic groups respond to bylines from journalists who share their race or ethnicity. Read More
Fact-Checking Approaches for Broadcast News
February 2, 2024
A test of two fact-checking approaches found that both work equally well to correct misperceptions. Read More
6 Important Outcomes from Our Research This Year
December 19, 2023
Learn more aboout the key outcomes of our research from the past year. 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
A Simple Online Game Can Help Bridge Political Div...
November 16, 2023
New research that examines whether an online guessing game that includes questions about political issues can help address people’s misperceptions about the other side. Read More
A Simple Online Game Can Help Bridge Political Div...
November 16, 2023
New research that examines whether an online guessing game that includes questions about political issues can help address people’s misperceptions about the other side. 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
Curbing the Decline of Local News Through Engaged ...
September 6, 2023
Practicing engaged journalism, where newsrooms build relationships with their audience by responding to community concerns, can offer a lifeline. Read More
Curbing the Decline of Local News Through Engaged ...
September 6, 2023
Practicing engaged journalism, where newsrooms build relationships with their audience by responding to community concerns, can offer a lifeline. Read More
5 Ways to Build Trust and Bridge Divides
July 1, 2023
Strategies to to combat news distrust and connect with communities that feel underserved by their local newsrooms. Read More
Do Democrats and Republicans Live in Different Wor...
June 27, 2023
A look at whether political partisanship is predictive of people's beliefs in true and false claims. Read More
Do Democrats and Republicans Live in Different Wor...
June 27, 2023
A look at whether political partisanship is predictive of people's beliefs in true and false claims. Read More
How Multiple-Choice Quizzes Can Help Fact-Checkers
June 14, 2023
How online multiple-choice quizzes present an opportunity to encourage readers to engage with fact-checking content and to help them learn. Read More
How Multiple-Choice Quizzes Can Help Fact-Checkers
June 14, 2023
How online multiple-choice quizzes present an opportunity to encourage readers to engage with fact-checking content and to help them learn. Read More
Build Trust Through Your Storytelling Process
April 28, 2023
Five actions newsrooms can throughout the storytelling process that can improve trust. Read More
5 Steps for More Effective Solidarity Reporting
March 15, 2023
When reporting on marginalized communities, it’s imperative to get the story right by including people who help tell the whole story. 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
What We Can Learn from People in News Deserts
January 15, 2023
While news deserts undeniably pose a problem, there is something to be learned from the way people in news deserts think about access to local information. Read More
A Year in Review: 10 of Our Most Interesting Resea...
December 22, 2022
Person-centered terms encourage stigmatized groups’ trust in news. The Center for Media Engagement, with support from Resolve Philly and Democracy Fund, asked people in recovery from substance abuse disorder, people who have experienced homelessness, and people with a disability for their feedback on news articles. We tested whether the use… 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
Using the Phrase “Fake News” Hurts Trust in Your J...
December 8, 2022
How three commonly used phrases for false content - fake news, false news, and misinformation - affect public perceptions of journalists and news media. Read More
Using Person-Centered Language Can Build Trust
November 11, 2022
Using person-centered language can foster trust and help news organizations better connect with stigmatized groups. It can also help some marginalized groups feel better represented by news coverage. 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
How Newsrooms Can Address Election Fraud Beliefs
September 15, 2022
Better understanding why some people think Trump likely won in 2020 gives news organizations the opportunity to address legitimacy concerns in future election coverage. 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
Help Audiences Learn By Adding Quizzes to Stories
July 15, 2022
Adding quizzes to news sites can provide a fun, interactive learning experience for users while also benefitting the news organization. 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
Building a Local System to Fight Misinformation
May 31, 2022
The Center for Media Engagement is working to build a local system for surfacing misinformation that can be adapted for different communities. 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
Who’s Funding Primetime News – And Why It Matters
April 1, 2022
Do you know who funds the news you watch? As is widely known, some news programs focus on facts, while others focus on opinions. Behind all these programs are advertisers who drive revenue – meaning they have the power to hold news outlets accountable for their coverage. 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
Making Political Points with Humility Can Bridge D...
February 1, 2022
We found that humility can help people bridge divides, making it a useful approach for news organizations looking to uplift content or comments that build bridges. Read More
10 Research Findings & What they Mean for New...
December 17, 2021
Ten takeaways from our research that can help newsrooms and journalists tackle challenges in the year ahead. 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
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
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
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
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
Solidarity Reporting and Coverage of Afghanistan
September 15, 2021
Learn about how journalists can apply solidarity journalism to coverage of Afghanistan. Read More
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
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 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 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
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
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
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
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 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
A Reflection on the Media in 2020
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Join Us: “A Reflection on the Media in 2020” with David Fahrenthold, Arthel Neville, and Dan Rather 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
Press Freedom in the Age of Alternative Facts
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David McCraw will draw on his experiences as a lawyer and as the Deputy General Counsel for The New York Times to explore the ethical challenges awaiting journalists and the American public that arise at the intersection of law, ethics, and technology. 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Race, Gender, and Toxicity Online Plenary Roundtab...
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Dr. Zizi Papacharissi (University of Illinois-Chicago), Dr. Lisa Nakamura (University of Michigan), Dr. Catherine Knight Steele (University of Maryland), Dr. Gina Masullo (The University of Texas at Austin) // April 25th, 2019 // 9:30am-11:00am // Belo Center for New Media (BMC) 5.208 Sponsored by: Social Science Research Council, Center for Media Engagement, and… Read More
Devaluing The News: How People Appropriate Journal...
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Dr. Pablo J. Boczkowski (Northwestern University) // April 11th, 2019 // 12:00pm-1:30pm // Jesse H. Jones Communication Center (CMA) 5.136 The Center for Media Engagement Speaker Series promotes discussion about critical issues in journalism, social technology, and other communication media. We feature renowned scholars, experts, and professionals to share their… Read More
Understanding News Avoidance: Perceptions About Au...
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Dr. Benjamin Toff (University of Minnesota) // April 5th, 2019 // 12:00pm-1:30pm // Belo Center for New Media (BMC) 5.102 The Center for Media Engagement Speaker Series promotes discussion about critical issues in journalism, social technology, and other communication media. We feature renowned scholars, experts, and professionals to share their… Read More
Challenges to the News-Information-Democracy Narra...
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Dr. Esther Thorson (Michigan State University) // March 28th, 2019 // 5:00pm-6:15pm // Belo Center for New Media (BMC) 3.206 The Center for Media Engagement Speaker Series promotes discussion about critical issues in journalism, social technology, and other communication media. We feature renowned scholars, experts, and professionals to share their… Read More
Making Politics Go Viral (Like Puppies): CME SXSW ...
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March 10th, 2018 // 5:00pm-6:00pm // JW Marriott Austin Donald Trump and other politicians are using social media to bypass the media and get their message straight to the public. So what can news organizations do to get their political content noticed? In this interactive session, panelists will share their… Read More
CME Social Media Summit
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November 11th, 2016 // 11:00am-4:00pm // Belo Center for New Media (BMC) 2.106 There’s no question that social media has forever changed the way news organizations connect with their audiences. But has that change helped or harmed news organizations? And what’s in it for social media companies to get involved… Read More
Rebuilding Democracy in Texas: Screening and Discu...
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October 22nd, 2019 // 6:00pm-8:30pm // Texas Union Theatre The machinery of American democracy is broken: Districts are rigged to keep power entrenched. Increasing numbers of citizens are denied access to the vote. And money has deeply corrupted campaigns. But individuals, civic organizations, and governments are working to fix the… 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
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
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
10 Newsroom Lessons We Learned in 2019
December 19, 2019
10 Newsroom Lessons We Learned in 2019. Read More
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
How Newsrooms Can Help Unite a Divided America
February 7, 2019
Bringing opposing groups together is a challenge, but it’s an important task the media needs to take on. 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
Strategies for Gaining New Subscribers
January 18, 2019
Subscriptions, donations, and memberships are critical for many newsrooms’ business models. But what strategies work for gaining new subscribers? Read More
10 Newsroom Lessons We Learned in 2018
December 17, 2018
10 newsroom lessons we learned in 2018. 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
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
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
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
Why We Really Need to Stop Saying Fake News
August 23, 2018
Exposure to the phrase “fake news” might matter more than exposure to fake news itself. 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Engaging News about Congress: Report from a News E...
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The Center for Media Engagement with the Agora Journalism Center at the University of Oregon partnered to host a regional news engagement workshop focused on engagement and political coverage. 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
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
Social Media Summit
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CME hosted a Social Media Summit to discuss the experiences, benefits, and challenges of using social media. 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
News Tools Workshop
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The Center for Media Engagement workshop -- the first to focus on news tools -- participants shared their experiences with using tools and brainstormed new tools to combat political polarization and get Millennials more involved in the news and politics. 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
News Engagement Workshop – Princeton
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In October, the Center for Media Engagement hosted its second News Engagement Workshop, bringing together 11 digital news innovators to discuss current practices and future possibilities. 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
News Engagement Workshop – Austin
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Ten digital news innovators recently came together to visit about current practices and future possibilities at a workshop hosted by the Center for Media 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