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Letter from the Director: December 2025

The Fall 2025 Semester in Review By: Michelle Amazeen December marks the conclusion of another bustling semester for the CRC which kicked off with our annual open house co-hosted this year with the Center for Media Innovation & Social Impact. Our fall programming included our Colloquium Series, which consists of monthly research presentations that highlight […]

Survey: Falling Confidence that American Businesses will Help Stop Climate Change

By Burt Glass Americans’ understanding of the problem of climate change hasn’t changed, but their faith in corporations’ promises to address the issue is falling, according to a new opinion survey. In the latest Media & Technology Survey from Boston University’s College of Communication and IPSOS, 61% of Americans expressed the belief that climate change […]

Letter from the Director: November 2025

Content Confusion: Why Americans Are Losing Faith in Corporate Climate Promises—and the Media’s Role By: Michelle Amazeen As the world wrestles with an accelerating climate crisis, hope rests on collective action from governments, corporations, and citizens. Yet last week’s conclusion of COP30 produced an agreement largely seen as “incremental at best” and far less than […]

Letter from the Director: October 2025

Navigating Pressures and Protecting Free Speech: Public Views and the Future of Media Freedom By: Michelle Amazeen Following recent government pressure to remove Jimmy Kimmel from his ABC late-night show over his politically charged remarks about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, Boston University’s Communication Research Center (CRC) conducted a nationwide survey to gauge […]

Survey: Large, Bipartisan Majorities Oppose Government Censorship of Talk Show Hosts, Media Companies

By Burt Glass Almost three out of four Americans (73%) across political lines agree that the First Amendment should protect private speakers, like media companies and talk show hosts, from government censorship so their speech is virtually unrestricted, except for inciting violence. That’s a key finding in a new Media & Technology Survey by Boston […]

Survey: Big Margins Support Protections Against AI-Powered “Deepfakes” on Social Media

By Burt Glass An overwhelming majority of Americans across the political spectrum support protections against “deepfakes” in media that use a person’s voice and visual likeness without permission, according to a new opinion survey designed by the Communication Research Center at Boston University’s College of Communication and conducted by Ipsos. More than four of five […]

Letter from the Director: September 2025

Back to School 2025 By: Michelle Amazeen With the crispness of fall settling in and the start of a new semester, I hope all Communication Research Center (CRC) fellows are re-energized and entering this semester with renewed enthusiasm for their important work. Many of us have continued advancing our research and sharing insights throughout the […]

Letter from the Director: August 2025

Information Under Threat: Protecting Truth and Democracy in Uncertain Times By: Michelle Amazeen As a professor in higher education, I spent this summer advancing my research, planning new courses, and observing with growing concern the narrowing of public information in our society. Last week, I attended the journalism and mass communication educators’ conference in San […]

Letter from the Director: June 2025

The CRC at 66: A Legacy of Inquiry in a Changing Media Landscape By: Michelle Amazeen COM graduate students in the division of Emerging Media Studies hosted their annual #ScreentimeBU conference on June 23rd. This year’s theme was The Human Algorithm: Exploring Digital Behavior, AI Influence, & Inclusive Futures. I was honored to deliver the […]