Annenberg School at Penn

Applications are now open for the Master of Communication and Media Industries (MCMI) at the Annenberg School for Communication. The program combines coursework, real-world projects, and mentorship from experts working across the media industries: www.asc.upenn.edu/graduate/mas...

“We’re in uncharted territory at this point,” says Presidential Professor Deen Freelon in @nytimes.com about how AI is reshaping what voters encounter ahead of the midterms:

In his new book “Goodthink,” Professor Damon Centola explains how the structure of our social networks can make groups more intelligent — or lead them astray:

Last month, journalist and political analyst Andrew Ryvkin spoke at @asc.upenn.edu for Pop-Propaganda: How the Kremlin Markets Its War Like Disney and Coca-Cola, a colloquium with @penn-rees.bsky.social. Watch the full talk on YouTube here: buff.ly/2qVsT5D

Applications are now open for Annenberg’s Master of Communication and Media Industries program! Join us today, October 20, from 5–6 p.m. ET for an in-person information session to learn more about the program, curriculum, and application process. Register here: www.asc.upenn.edu/news-events/...

The midterms. Redbaiting in the early communication field. AI and science. Americans' civics knowledge. Read these stories and more on our website: www.asc.upenn.edu/news-events/...

As the midterm elections in the United States approach, we talked to Professors Sandra González-Bailón and Deen Freelon about their research on how social media affected the 2020 election:

Join us on October 20 for an in-person information session about Annenberg's Master of Communication and Media Industries program: forms.cloud.microsoft/Pages/Respon...

Doctoral candidates Calvin Isch and Timothy Dörr led a new study that shows that almost half of cross-sectional social science studies overuse causal language:

Who decides what's real in the age of AI? 🧠🤖 Professor Emeritus Joseph Turow will be at the Penn Bookstore to discuss "The Problem With Personalization" and how to move forward when each of us experiences a different version of the world. 📆 Thursday 10/15, 5:30 PM

The Neuroscience of Decluttering: @upenn.edu neuroscientist Emily Falk (@falklab.bsky.social @asc.upenn.edu @appc.upenn.edu) writes about letting go -- and how your imagination and connection to others can help. www.nytimes.com/2026/10/11/o...

Research analyzes the viral “Kamala is Brat” trend to show how everyday meme creators helped construct a presidential candidate’s public identity:

Why is it so hard to let go of things? Annenberg’s Emily Falk, a neuroscientist who studies decision making, explains in a new essay for the @nytimes.com:

Matthew Levendusky, Professor of Communication and Political Science at the Annenberg School for Communication, breaks down why data centers have become a flashpoint heading into the 2026 midterms:

Annenberg students have produced Rated H, a four-part podcast on how HBO went from a cash-bleeding startup to a global cultural force. The series draws on the HBO Oral History Project, 37 interviews conducted by alum Howard Burkat (M.A.C. '65). Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts:

Siren! is a magazine for feminism, media, art, and activism, founded by a collective of doctoral students at the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania.

The Washington Post wrote about our survey findings on childhood #vaccines and #autism. @washingtonpost.com wapo.st/4jzKg6a @asc.upenn.edu

Professor @sjjphd.bsky.social "A Second Sight" was named one of the best books of the year by Washington Post Opinions!

New research from the Social Action Lab examined HIV prevention policies across the United States:

In a new essay, Professor @victorpickard.bsky.social traces how redbaiting and the Second Red Scare shaped the early communication field:

The Media Bias Detector integrates large language models with near-real-time news scraping to analyze political lean, tone, topics and major events across hundreds of articles per day, enabling new ways to inform voters and study selection and framing bias in the modern news landscape:

Congratulations to doctoral candidate Thandi Lyew, who was named a @perryworldhouse.bsky.social World House Graduate Fellow! Read more: www.asc.upenn.edu/news-events/...

How does communication shape public policy? The Annenberg Public Policy Center invites @upenn.edu faculty, grad students, & postdocs to apply for research grants on this. See the flyer below. @asc.upenn.edu @penngse.bsky.social @sas.upenn.edu @pennmindcore.bsky.social @pennsp2.bsky.social

Do algorithms drive online polarization? A review by Duncan Watts and coauthors finds the evidence is inconclusive. What users seek out matters too, though platforms aren't off the hook. infodem.upenn.edu/research-com...

A new survey by @appc.upenn.edu finds that the majority of Americans believe climate change is increasing the risk of respiratory diseases and heat- and insect-related illnesses:

New: In the hottest summer on record, 2 in 3 Americans say climate change is increasing heat-related illnesses. The survey finds that extreme heat is affecting the everyday lives of most Americans. www.annenbergpublicpolicycenter.org/in-hottest-s... @asc.upenn.edu @upenn.edu @penncssm.bsky.social

Most people know the best defense against West Nile virus and dengue fever is preventing mosquito bites and controlling mosquitoes around the home, but far fewer know how to correctly apply or choose insect repellent, an @appc.upenn.edu survey finds:

Over a third of U.S. adults (35%) cannot name all three branches of the government and under half can name four of the five rights protected by the First Amendment, according to the 2026 Annenberg Constitution Day Civics Survey from @appc.upenn.edu:

Congratulations to new Annenberg doctoral student Michael Brumm, who won an Emmy on Monday for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series for his work on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert!

The Center on Digital Culture and Society (CDCS) at the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania has announced that recent Annenberg doctoral graduate Adetobi Moses (Ph.D. ‘26) will be the newest CDCS postdoctoral fellow:

Join us tomorrow, September 17 at 12 p.m. ET for a virtual information session about Annenberg’s Master of Communication and Media Industries (MCMI) program. Learn more about the program, the student experience, and what MCMI has to offer. Register: upenn.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

Annenberg researchers studied how Black Americans’ self-identity and social relationships relate to the extent to which they perceive themselves as adjusting their communication in different settings:

🗳️ Voting is now open for the International Communication Association’s 2026 election! Members can vote for association-wide officers and bylaws changes, as well as in Division/Interest Group elections. Among this year’s candidates for ICA President is our very own Professor @sjjphd.bsky.social:

Today marks 25 years since the attacks of September 11, 2001. In a new guest column for The Daily Pennsylvanian, Annenberg Professor Emeritus Barbie Zelizer reflects on what 9/11 revealed about American journalism — and what, a quarter-century later, still hasn’t changed:

🎉Xinyi Wang (Ph.D. '25), a postdoctoral fellow at the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania, has been named a 2026 Penn Climate Scholar.

Professor Emeritus Joseph Turow explains how marketers use personal data to predict what consumers buy and shape how they see the world.

Data centers. Dating apps and Love Island. Anti-violence campaigns targeting local youth. Read these stories and more on our website: www.asc.upenn.edu/news-events/...

TOMORROW! Join Dean Sarah Banet-Weiser in conversation with Ralina L. Joseph, UCLA Vice Provost of Inclusive Excellence, hosted by Ms. Magazine in Los Angeles!

Professor Matthew Levendusky was recently on @whyy.org to discuss the AI data center debate, how it's reshaping our politics, and what it reveals about Americans' fears about the tech industry and AI:

New research from the Health Communication & Equity Lab calls for moving beyond one-size-fits-all approaches in public health campaigns targeting LGBTQ+ young adults.

APPC's director emerita, Kathleen Hall Jamieson, is featured on the @apha.org podcast the Nation's Health, on vaccines, science, and trust: rss.com/podcasts/pub... 1 takeaway: "The public overwhelmingly supports vaccination." @asc.upenn.edu @upenn.edu

The show Furious, which follows a female killer targeting powerful, abusive men, might sound familiar. “The media’s super smart and savvy about picking up on cultural frustrations and trends,” Dean Sarah Banet-Weiser told @cnn.com. "So what do we do? We watch a show..." Read more:

Congratulations to Assil Frayha, who successfully defended her dissertation, “Becoming Megaphone: How Media Actors Shape Media Outlets," last week! Join us in congratulating Dr. Frayha!

Americans continue to express high levels of confidence in their own healthcare providers, despite a decline in confidence in federal health agencies over the course of 2025, says @appc.upenn.edu:

Welcome back, everyone! Here are some important dates to remember this semester:

Today's lead in the @nytimes.com cites affiliated faculty Matt Levendusky's new @appc.upenn.edu polling, showing 61% of Americans oppose data center construction in their area. www.nytimes.com/2026/08/23/u...

Science Communication that Changes Minds & Behaviors Panel discussion with Penn Professors: 🍂Emily Falk 🍂Michael Mann 🍂Kathleen Hall Jamieson moderated by WHYY's Maiken Scott Friday, Sept 11, 2026 at 11 AM Open to alll @appc.upenn.edu @sas.upenn.edu

The students in the School's newest cohort of doctoral students study everything from gender representation in Bollywood to AI-based fortune-telling in China:

The first cohort of master’s students will interact with leading experts in media, digital content platforms, entertainment, and the tech industry to deepen their classroom learning and provide a pathway to industry opportunities: