5/18
Annenberg School for Communication
Which Americans are most isolationist? It may not be who you think
A course taught by Diana Mutz is designed to teach and implement research methodology, discovered a major shift in young Americans’ isolationist views on foreign aid.
Do shared life experiences make it harder to understand others?
A new Annenberg School of Communication study reveals that having similar life experiences can actually diminish our ability to perceive other people’s unique feelings and circumstances.
Frontline voices from the pandemic’s early days
In his new book, “The Wuhan Lockdown,” Guobin Yang uses personal diaries from that city’s residents to recreate how it felt at the epicenter of what was then a scary and unknown new virus.
Desmond Patton appointed Penn Integrates Knowledge University Professor
Patton will be Penn’s Brian and Randi Schwartz University Professor, with joint appointments in the School of Social Policy & Practice and the Annenberg School for Communication and a secondary appointment in the Perelman School of Medicine.
Are Republicans and Democrats driven by hatred of one another? Less than you think
Rather than being fueled by animosity for the other side—negative partisanship—a new study finds that Americans are at least as motivated by the passion they have for their own party.
How do media depictions of tobacco influence smoking decisions for young adults?
Two studies from the Annenberg School for Communication’s Robert Hornik find that media portrayals of such behaviors can change actions and perception, but how and by how much depends on a range of factors.
Moving away from ‘average,’ toward the individual
In a course from Annenberg’s David Lydon-Staley, seven graduate students conducted single-participant experiments. This approach, what’s known as an “n of 1,” may better capture the nuances of a diverse population than randomized control trials can.
How storytelling can motivate us to help others
A new study from Annenberg School’s Communication Neuroscience Lab finds that personal stories—instead of cold facts—make people want to help keep others safe.
Ben Franklin: A voice from the past that speaks to our time
At the 2022 Silfen Forum, Penn Interim President Wendell Pritchett chatted with filmmaker Ken Burns about his new two-part documentary on Benjamin Franklin.
Tech’s role in Russia’s war on Ukraine
Media scholar Courtney Radsch says tech platforms should have been faster to address Russian government propaganda, misinformation, and censorship.
In the News
Presidential candidates on trial
Kathleen Hall Jamieson of the Annenberg Public Policy Center discusses the impact Donald Trump’s conviction or imprisonment could have on his presidential campaign.
FULL STORY →
There is one major element missing from the debate on kids and social media
In an opinion essay, PIK Professor Desmond Upton Patton says that gun violence needs to be part of the conversation about how smartphones and social media impact young people.
FULL STORY →
A Taylor Swift-themed addiction recovery group started in Philly and became ‘a community with the vibe of a Taylor concert’
Jessa Lingel of the Annenberg School for Communication says that online music fandoms have always been places where people make sense of stigmas.
FULL STORY →
Trump trial tests his campaign strategy of embracing bad publicity
Kathleen Hall Jamieson of the Annenberg Public Policy Center says that Donald Trump’s trial is giving him is the opportunity to bookmark his appearances with on-camera access, underscored by Truth Social.
FULL STORY →
Why losing political power now feels like ‘losing your country’
Yphtach Lelkes of the Annenberg School for Communication says that political elites, not average voters, are driving the democratic backsliding that is occurring in America.
FULL STORY →