News

Kathleen Hall Jamieson standing in front of a desk smiling

Faculty News 6 May 2022

Kathleen Hall Jamieson Receives 2022 Mitofsky Award

Professor and APPC Director honored for her pioneering work on fact checking and research into political deception and misinformation in America

Penn students gather on lawn in front of College Hall, photo credit Eric Sucar / University of Pennsylvania

Graduate Student News 6 Apr 2022

Nicholas Dias Receives Penn Prize for Excellence in Teaching

A joint doctoral student in Communication and Political Science, Dias was one of 10 recipients.

Political Communication

Protestors wearing COVID-protective facemasks march holding Black Lives Matter signs

Research 2 Mar 2022

The Black Lives Matter Movement, but not COVID-19, Encouraged Voters Toward Biden in the 2020 Election

As swing voters registered more awareness about discrimination against Black Americans, they became more likely to vote for the party they felt would best rectify that — Democrats.

Research 28 Jan 2022

Hard Barriers and Soft Power: Study Assesses Outsider Perceptions of Border Walls

A new University of Pennsylvania study published in PNAS explores how border walls damage a country’s international image, with real soft power implications.

Political Communication

Cover of "Creating Conspiracy Beliefs". A handprint is displayed against a blank background.

Research 21 Jan 2022

A novel theory on how conspiracy theories take shape

In a new book, Dolores Albarracín, Kathleen Hall Jamieson, and colleagues show that two factors—the conservative media and societal fear and anxiety—have driven recent widespread conspiracies, from Pizzagate to those around COVID-19 vaccines.

Red and blue paper cutouts of a donkey and an elephant

Research 21 Jan 2022

Want to Reduce Political Polarization? Start by Looking Beyond Politics

Is bonding over non-political similarities the key to depolarizing political discussions? New research sheds light on how even hardliners can be swayed when coming in contact with opposing viewpoints.