How early U.S. newspapers brokered slavery
Forced, unpaid labor formed the stilts that propped up numerous aspects of early American industry. Newspapers were no exception. New research shows how they brokered and propagated slavery.
Media
Research roundups, articles, explainers and tip sheets about how journalists report the news and how audiences consume it
Expert Commentary
How the news media portray Latinos in stories and images: 5 studies to know
Reading research on how the news media portray Latinos can help journalists improve their coverage. Here are five studies to know about.
Expert Commentary
Election Beat 2020: Why U.S. voting rights are less than absolute
Harvard professor Thomas E. Patterson explains why journalists must help the public understand why U.S. voting rights are less than absolute.
Expert Commentary
Election Beat 2020: The real and false risks of mail-in voting
“If states were to greatly expand their mail-balloting option, risks will remain, though the risks do not include some of the possibilities that have attracted substantial news coverage,” writes Thomas E. Patterson.
Expert Commentary
Election Beat 2020: The other problem with journalists’ use of polls
As in their coverage of the 1948 presidential election, journalists still tend to build their narratives and candidate images around poll results.
Expert Commentary
Race and the newsroom: 7 studies to know
The conversation about newsroom diversity, race in journalism and coverage of race in the news is one the profession has been circling back to for decades. These seven papers can help inform the discussion.
Expert Commentary
Election Beat 2020: Journalists’ meta-narratives of political candidates
“Election Beat 2020” is a new series of columns authored by Thomas E. Patterson at Harvard Kennedy School. In his inaugural piece, he discusses the problem of “meta-narratives.”
Expert Commentary
Readers respond on COVID-19 coverage: Tips from scholars to journalists (and vice versa)
Among the main takeaways: Journalists would like academics to explain the practical relevance of their research – preferably in accessible language. And academics would like journalists to understand that context is important.
Expert Commentary
Embedding Trump’s tweets into news stories could boost his voter support, study finds
When journalists embed President Donald Trump’s tweets into news stories, they could unknowingly help him gain voter support, a new paper finds.
Expert Commentary
Covering NASCAR’s ties to the Confederate flag and conservative politics: 5 tips for journalists
Florida State University researcher Joshua I. Newman offers guidance to help journalists better understand and report on the link between NASCAR and U.S. politics.
Expert Commentary