Resisting the Era of Darkening: The Researcher Support Consortium By: Michelle Amazeen Last week, I moderated a panel of experts on the growing intimidation and harassment faced by researchers studying misinformation. As I’ve noted in previous writings, scholars investigating the origins, spread, and impacts of misinformation are increasingly becoming targets of congressional hearings, subpoenas, doxxing, and […]
By Violet Li Jessy Wang, a committed Ph.D. student in Emerging Media Studies, explores the intricate relationship between media psychology, mental health, and human-computer interaction, with a specific focus on the cognitive effects of emerging media. Recently, they engaged in a detailed discussion with Violet Li, a Communication Assistant at the Communication Research Center, to […]
By Violet Li Lilian Naa Korkoi Tackie, a dedicated Ph.D. student in Emerging Media Studies, specializes in the critical areas of misinformation and disinformation, with a keen focus on employing A.I. and machine learning for effective fact-checking. Recently, she sat down with Alyssa Hance, a Research Assistant from the Communication Research Center, to discuss her […]
By Violet Li James Crissman is a PhD student focused on visual communications, information accessibility and governance, misinformation, and algorithmic injustice. Recently, Alyssa Hance, the Research Assistant from Communication Research Center, interviewed him where he shared insights on his visual communication research. This conversation shed light on his academic journey, how he balances rigorous research […]
By Burt Glass Nearly three of four Americans (72%) surveyed say skills in media literacy are important inthe face of intentionally misleading or inaccurate information in the media, according to the new Media and Technology Survey out today from Boston University’s College of Communication conducted by Ipsos. Read the full article here.
By: Michelle Amazeen Welcome to the Fall 2023 Semester! With the start of the academic year, I’d like to welcome you to the fall 2023 semester and share some information about the CRC. First established at Boston University in 1959, the CRC serves to support its fellows as thought leaders who advance communication-related theory and […]
By: Michelle Amazeen Barbie: Covert Influence and Representation The billion-dollar blockbuster movie this summer was Barbie. As I prepared to go see it with my mother in July, I reminded myself that I was going to see what amounts to a 2-hour advertisement for a child’s toy, a practice also known as branded entertainment. As […]
By: Michelle Amazeen Speaking Out: Then They Came for the Academics… During my spring 2023 research sabbatical, I have continued my studies of disinformation. While having the time, resources, and support to focus exclusively on research is an increasingly rare privilege in academia, as I prepared to return as COM’s Director of the Communication Research […]
By: Michelle Amazeen As the Fall 2022 semester wraps up, there is an impressive number of new faces and activities at the CRC to reflect on. We welcomed four new faculty research fellows: Dr. Nivea Cannali Bona, Lecturer, Media Science; Dr. Katy Coduto, Assistant Professor, Media Science; Dr. Pablo Miño, Assistant Professor, Public Relations, and […]
AI: Cause to Rejoice or Frankenstein-like Foreboding? Artificial intelligence (or AI) has moved from science fiction to mainstream computer science. No longer is it simply the lore of Frankenstein-like creations but rather something that people use in their everyday lives. For instance, web searches using Google rely upon AI. So do the recommendation systems in […]