Research
At MISI, research is not an end in itself—it is a tool for understanding and improving the relationship between media, technology, and public trust. We investigate how media systems and algorithms shape what people see, believe, and trust, and how these dynamics influence democratic participation, institutional accountability, and social cohesion.
Our approach is distinct from conventional think tanks or innovation labs. We combine rigorous scholarship with applied experimentation, working in long-term partnership with communities, journalists, policymakers, and civic institutions. This allows us to test, refine, and evaluate new forms of communication in real-world contexts, with the goal of advancing more accountable, inclusive, and trustworthy practices. By embedding research in practice, MISI produces knowledge that is actionable, ethically grounded, and designed to make lasting social impact.
Initiatives
Transforming Narratives for Environmental Justice (TNEJ)
Recognizing that the global climate change crisis disproportionately impacts low-income and communities of color in Boston, and recognizing that universities are sitting on extraordinary resources of scholarly and creative talent, TNEJ focuses the role of the university to collaboratively imagine, with interdisciplinary teams of storytellers and humanistic scholars, the tools and tactics necessary for local climate adaptation. This work is supported by the Mellon Foundation.
Transforming Narratives of Gun Violence (TNGV)
TNGV is a collaborative initiative that reimagines how communities, institutions, and the media understand and communicate about gun violence in the U.S. This project centers the lived experiences of those most affected – survivors, families, neighborhood leaders, and frontline workers – and works across storytelling, research, and civic engagement to expose the structural roots of gun violence, including racial injustice, economic inequality, and disinvestment.
Projects
Fossil Fuel Native Advertising Observatory
An interactive dashboard to track narrative trends in sponsored news content
The Native Advertising Observatory, is a robust dataset of 2,500 native ads across nearly a dozen news outlets that will help advocates, journalists, and lawmakers to understand and represent the influence of native advertising on public perceptions of the fossil fuel industry.
PI: Michelle Amazeen
Satellite Mapping Environmental Justice
A resource to measure water quality in New England with satellite imagery
Using cutting-edge, localized satellite data to fill gaps in environmental justice data, so journalists, activists, lawmakers, and concerned citizens can focus their efforts where it matters most.
PI: Brooke Williams
On the Porch
A hyperlocal large language model (LLM) for community for community knowledge and representation
Built with the Talbot Norfolk Triangle community in Boston’s Dorchester neighborhood, this chatbot is a resource for community safety and cohesion. The model, trained on structured 311 and 911 data, policy reports and documents, and hours of community meeting and conversation data, will provide information about what’s happening, what people are thinking about, and what people can do.
PIs: Eric Gordon and Chris LeDantec, in partnership with The Boston Project Ministries
Generative AI for Senior Adults
Using AI chatbots to reduce loneliness and social isolation and promote intergenerational understanding and ethical communication
This project examines how generative AI in the form of chatbots can be designed to enhance technology literacy and mitigate loneliness and social isolation among senior adults.
PI: Yi Grace Ji