Profile

Lauren Feldman

Assistant Professor
School of Communication

  • Lauren Feldman is a full-time professor of Public Communication. She joined the SOC faculty in 2008 after receiving a Ph.D. from the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania. Her research interests focus on political communication and media effects, with an emphasis on how less traditional sources of political information, like late-night comedy and opinionated cable news programs, shape citizens' engagement with and understanding of politics. Her research has been supported by grants from the Carnegie-Knight Task Force on Journalism and published in a number of edited volumes and peer-reviewed journals, including Communication Research, Political Communication, and Journalism: Theory, Practice, and Criticism.

  • Degrees

    BA English, Duke University; MA Communication, Annenberg School for Communication, University of Pennsylvania; PhD Communication, Annenberg School for Communication, University of Pennsylvania

  • OFFICE

  • SOC - School of Communication
  • McCabe - 221

  • CONTACT INFO

  • (202) 885-2041
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  • FOR THE MEDIA

  • To request an interview for a
    news story, call AU Communications
    at 202-885-5950 or submit a request.

Teaching

  • Fall 2011

    • HNRS-302 Honors Collqm in Social Sc: Entertainment, Comedy & Polit
    • Description

Scholarly, Creative & Professional Activities

Selected Publications

  • Feldman, L. (forthcoming). The effects of journalist opinionation on learning from the news. Journal of Communication.
  • Feldman, L. (2011). The opinion factor: The effects of opinionated news on information processing and attitude change. Political Communication, 28(2), 163-181. [Abstract]
  • Feldman, L., Leiserowitz, A., and Maibach, E. (2011). The science of satire: The Daily Show and The Colbert Report as sources of public attention to science and the environment. In A. Amarasingam (Ed.), The Stewart/Colbert effect: Essays on the real impact of fake news (pp. 25-46). Jefferson, NC: McFarland and Company.
  • Nisbet, M. C., and Feldman, L. (2011). Political communication. In D. Hooks, B. Franks, and M. Bauer (Eds.), Communication, culture and social change: The social psychological perspective (pp. 284-289). London: Palgrave MacMillan.   
  • Feldman, L. (in press). Partisan differences in opinionated news perceptions: A test of the hostile media effect. Political Behavior. [Online First]   
  • Feldman, L., Nisbet, M. C., Leiserowitz, A., and Maibach, E. (2010). The climate change generation? Survey analysis of the perceptions and beliefs of young Americans. Joint report of American University's School of Communication, The Yale Project on Climate Change, and George Mason University's Center for Climate Change Communication. [PDF]   
  • Price, V., and Feldman, L. (2009). News and politics. In R. L. Nabi & M. B. Oliver (Eds.), The Sage handbook of media processes and effects (pp. 113-129). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
  • Feldman, L., and Young, D. G. (2008). Late-night comedy as a gateway to traditional news: An analysis of time trends in news attention among late-night comedy viewers during the 2004 presidential primaries. Political Communication, 25(4), 401-422. [Abstract]
  • Pasek, J., Feldman, L., Romer, D., and Jamieson, K. H. (2008). Schools as incubators of democratic participation: Building long-term political efficacy with civic education. Applied Developmental Science, 12(1), 26-37. [Abstract]   
  • Feldman, L., and Price, V. (2008). Confusion or enlightenment? How exposure to disagreement moderates the effects of political discussion and media use on candidate knowledge. Communication Research, 35(1), 61-87. [Abstract]   
  • Price, V., and Feldman, L. (2008). News processing and retention. In W. Donsbach (Ed.), The international encyclopedia of communication, vol. 7 (pp. 3260-3266). Oxford, UK: Wiley-Blackwell.
  • Feldman, L., Pasek, J., Romer, D., and Jamieson, K. H. (2007). Identifying best practices in civic education: Lessons from the Student Voices program. American Journal of Education, 114(1), 75-100. [PDF]   
  • Feldman, L. (2007). The news about comedy: Young audiences, The Daily Show, and evolving notions of journalism. Journalism: Theory, Practice, and Criticism, 8(4), 359-380. [Abstract]

Grants and Sponsored Research

  • Spanish Ministry of Science. "Democratically Important Media Effects: Selective Exposure to News Media and the Forced-Choice Error Problem." Role: Co-Investigator; PI: M. Wojcieszak.
  • Research Projects Support Programme of Junta de Castilla y Leon, Spain. "The Political Effects of Forced Versus Selective Exposure." Role: Co-Investigator; PI: M. Wojcieszak.
  • John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, as part of the Carnegie-Knight Initiative on the Future of Journalism Education. "To Opine or Not to Opine: The Consequences of Opinionated News for Information Processing, Attitudes, and Knowledge." Role: Co-PI, with V. Price.

Professional Presentations

  • Wojcieszak, M., Stroud, N. J., Feldman, L., & Bimber, B. (2010). The political effects of forced versus selective exposure to news media. Presented at the Annual American Political Science Association Pre-Conference on Political Communication, Washington, DC, 1 September.
  • Feldman, L., Roser-Renouf, C., & Leiserowitz, A. (2010). Climate on cable: The effects of Fox News, CNN, and MSNBC on global warming beliefs and perceptions. Presented at the Annual Conference of the International Communication Association, Singapore, 22-26 June.
  • Feldman, L. (2010). The consequences of opinionated, cable news for attitude polarization and persuasion. Presented at Transnational Connections: Challenges and Opportunities for Political Communication, Segovia, Spain, 24-25 March.
  • Feldman, L. (2009). The opinion factor: The effects of opinionated news on information processing and attitude change. Presented at the Annual Conference of the International Communication Association, Chicago, IL, 21-25 May.
  • Feldman, L. (2008). The tension between receiver bias and journalist bias in opinionated news: A study of information processing. Presented at the Annual Conference of the National Communication Association, San Diego, CA, 21-24 November.
  • Feldman, L. (2008). The effects of journalist opinionation on learning from television news.  Presented at the Annual Conference of the International Communication Association, Montreal, Canada, 22-26 May.
  • Feldman, L., & Price, V. (2007). Modeling the sources and consequences of opinion quality.  Presented at the Annual Conference of the National Communication Association, Chicago, IL, 15-18 November.
  • Price, V., Feldman, L., & Cappella, J. N. (2007). Public deliberation and public opinion about health care policy.  Presented at the Annual Conference of the American Association for Public Opinion Research, Anaheim, CA, 17-20 May.
  • Feldman, L., & Price, V. (2007).  Confusion or enlightenment? How exposure to disagreement moderates the effects of political discussion and media use on candidate knowledge.  Presented at the Annual Conference of the International Communication Association, San Francisco, CA, 24-28 May.
  • Feldman, L., & Price, V. (2006). Understanding the use of news media, its motivations,and their impact on civic engagement: A generational approach.  Presented at the Annual Conference of the National Communication Association, San Antonio, TX, 16-19 November.
  • Feldman, L., & Young, D. G. (2006).  Late-night comedy as a gateway to traditional news: An analysis of time trends in news attention among late-night comedy viewers during the 2004 presidential primaries. Presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association, Philadelphia, PA, 30 August – 3 September.
  • Price, V., Feldman, L., Freres, D., Cappella, J. N., & Zhang, W. (2006).  Informing public opinion about health care reform through online deliberation. Presented at the Annual Conference of the International Communication Association, Dresden, Germany, 31 Aug-3 Sept.
  • Feldman, L. (2005). Website interactivity and youth civic engagement. Presented at the Annual Conference of the National Communication Association, Boston, MA, 18-20 Nov.
  • Feldman, L. (2005). The news about comedy: Young audiences, The Daily Show, and evolving notions of journalism. Presented at the Annual Conference of the International Communication Association, New York, NY, 26-30 May.

Media Appearances

  • Quek, T. (2010, August 1). "US 'undermedia' undermines media; 'Race' clip stunt an attack by conservative blogger on mainstream press. Singapore Strait Times.
  • Duroni, L. (2010, April 13). "What do your kids know about climate change?" Philadelphia Weekly.
  • Libit, D. (2009, June 12). "Letterman, right's new public enemy?" Politico.
  • Birge, E. (2008, Nov. 11). "Late-night comedy: Must-see TV, must-do for candidates." The Star Ledger. 
  • The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer (2008, Oct. 29). "Comedy's influence on politics." CNN.
  • Pilkington, E. (2008, October 21). "The Feylin phenomenon." The Guardian. 
  • KGO Newstalk Radio, San Francisco (2008, Oct. 15). "The impact of late-night comedy in the 2008 election campaign."
  • News Channel 8, Live Tonight at 5, Washington, DC. (2008, Oct. 14).  "The impact of late-night comedy in the 2008 election campaign."

 

CURRICULUM VITAE

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AU Expert

Area of Expertise: Political communication; effects of the media on political knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors; cable news; partisan media; the political implications of entertainment, especially comedy and satire; youth and politics

Additional Information: Lauren Feldman conducts research that examines the effects of news and political communication on political knowledge, attitudes, and behavior. She is particularly interested in the intersection of news and entertainment, and how less-traditional sources of political information—like late-night comedy and opinionated cable news—contribute to political learning and engagement. In recent work, she used experimental methods to explore how the presence of journalist opinion alters the effects of broadcast news on audience perceptions of bias, political information processing, attitudes, and knowledge. In other studies, she has investigated the political function of comedy and satire programs like The Daily Show, arguing for their importance to political discourse and engagement. Her work on political communication and its effects has appeared or is forthcoming in a number of edited books and peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of Communication and Communication Research; Political Communication; and Journalism: Theory, Practice, and Criticism.
 

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