Thomas E. Patterson

Tom Patterson is Bradlee Professor of Government & the Press at Harvard Kennedy School’s Shorenstein Center on the Media, Politics and Public Policy.

Expert Commentary

Informing the news: The need for knowledge-based reporting

by Thomas E. Patterson | October 8, 2013

Essay by Thomas E. Patterson, Bradlee Professor of Government and the Press at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Shorenstein Center.

Expert Commentary

Recommendations for improving Election Night coverage: Keeping the lessons of 2000 alive

by Thomas E. Patterson | November 5, 2012

Article and tip sheet for news media doing election night coverage, aggregating key lessons learned from the 1968 and 2000 elections.

Economics, Environment, Health

Here are the answers to 15 common questions about fluoride in drinking water

December 17, 2024

We scoured decades of published academic research to address questions about water fluoridation, including what it is, who makes decisions about it, and how safe and effective it is.

Economics, Health, Politics & Government

Pharmacy benefit managers: What journalists need to know about the prescription drug middleman industry

December 6, 2024

Read on to learn how pharmacy benefit managers influence drug prices in the U.S., and how academic studies can help you gain a deeper understanding of the concerns about PBMs. PLUS: 4 tips for localizing and covering stories about PBMs.

Education, Health

How school nurses can help fight chronic absenteeism

November 20, 2024

In this research-based explainer, we examine the rise in chronic student absenteeism in recent years and the various ways school nurses, an underutilized resource in the push to improve attendance, can help.