Announcements

Anthony Dudo Elected AAAS Fellow

April 18, 2024

The Center for Media Engagement congratulates Anthony Dudo on his election as an American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Fellow. Each year, AAAS elects members whose “efforts on…...
Anthony Dudo Elected AAAS Fellow

6 Important Outcomes from Our Research This Year

December 19, 2023

In 2023, the Center for Media Engagement worked to improve newsroom practices, help scientists with communication training, challenge students to think about ethical questions from multiple vantage points, and educate…...
6 Important Outcomes from Our Research This Year

CME at AEJMC

August 7, 2023

  Catch CME researchers at the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication conference, August 7-9! MONDAY, AUGUST 7 Catalyzing Effects: Paradoxical Effects of Attempts to Chill on Journalism…...
CME at AEJMC

Catch Us at ICA ’23

May 22, 2023

Attending ICA ’23? Don’t miss these presentations from our Center for Media Engagement researchers....
Catch Us at ICA ’23

EVENT: Higher Ed Strikes & Workers’ Rights: I...

February 6, 2023

  Join us for a free panel discussion with graduate worker organizers who will share their insights into labor issues that news coverage often overlooks. RSVP: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/higher-ed-strikes-workers-rightsimproving-news-coverage-of-labor-issues-tickets-532211909147…...
EVENT: Higher Ed Strikes & Workers’ Rights: Improving News Coverage of Labor Issues

EVENT: “Woman, Life, Freedom”: Reporting #MahsaAmi...

October 12, 2022

Discussion with Iranian journalists and media scholars on what reporting in solidarity with Iranian women means right now....
EVENT: “Woman, Life, Freedom”: Reporting #MahsaAmini Protests in Solidarity

CME Journalism Team Adds Senior Faculty Research A...

October 12, 2022

The Center for Media Engagement is thrilled to welcome Ashwin Rajadesingan to the team....
CME Journalism Team Adds Senior Faculty Research Associate

EVENT: Putting Voters First: Solidarity Reporting ...

September 20, 2022

Join us for a workshop on solidarity reporting for democracy, including concrete guidance on priorities and practices for how news organizations can move from declaring themselves “pro-democracy” to putting promises into practice as a public service for voters....
EVENT: Putting Voters First: Solidarity Reporting for Democracy

CME Researchers Presenting at ICA

May 23, 2022

Attending ICA ’22? Don’t miss these presentations from our Center for Media Engagement researchers....
CME Researchers Presenting at ICA

Congressional Testimony: Dr. Samuel Woolley on Ele...

April 25, 2022

Dr. Samuel Woolley to testify in front of the U.S. House of Representatives....
Congressional Testimony: Dr. Samuel Woolley on Electoral Propaganda Targeting Communities of Color

Event: Digital Data Conference (D2C)

March 20, 2022

The Digital Data Conference brings together researchers collecting and analyzing digital media data to discuss the practice and ethics of digital data research....
Event: Digital Data Conference (D2C)

Event: How the Internet Improves Humanity

March 19, 2022

This talk will highlight one underappreciated aspect: how the Internet has the capacity to improve the human species by increasing pro-social interactions and reducing anti-social ones....
Event: How the Internet Improves Humanity

Event: Who Gets to Speak in News Coverage? Solidar...

March 19, 2022

News coverage of trans issues has grown in recent months, with reporting on legislation, protests, and profiles of trans individuals. Yet much of this coverage still silences, re-marginalizes, and alienates trans people. How can journalism do better?...
Event: Who Gets to Speak in News Coverage? Solidarity Reporting on Trans Issues

Event: “Is that Really Journalism?”

October 20, 2021

Join us for a panel discussion that explores the connection between journalism and advocacy....
Event: “Is that Really Journalism?”

CME Welcomes New Faculty

August 23, 2021

The Center for Media Engagement is thrilled to welcome Dr. Craig R. Scott and Dr. Anita Varma to the team....
CME Welcomes New Faculty

Event: Solidarity Reporting on Afghanistan

August 19, 2021

Join Azeta Hatef and Anita Varma for a discussion of key issues in reporting on Afghanistan....
Event: Solidarity Reporting on Afghanistan

CME Propaganda Team Adds Senior Faculty Research A...

April 1, 2021

The Center for Media Engagement is thrilled to announce Dr. Josephine (“Jo”) Lukito as a Senior Faculty Research Associate on our Propaganda team....
CME Propaganda Team Adds Senior Faculty Research Associate

Event: SXSW Panel “How Newsrooms Can Help Bridge D...

March 12, 2021

Join us for our SXSW panel “How Newsrooms Can Help Bridge Divides.”...
Event: SXSW Panel “How Newsrooms Can Help Bridge Divides”

Event: Overdoing Democracy: The Problem of Politic...

February 24, 2021

In this talk, Robert Talisse (Vanderbilt University) draws from current findings regarding political polarization to argue that, as important a social good as democracy is, it is nonetheless possible for citizens to overdo it....
Event: Overdoing Democracy: The Problem of Political Polarization

Civic Signals Research Unveiled at New_ Public Fes...

January 12, 2021

Civic Signals, a project created to explore what makes digital spaces public-friendly, released the results of a two-year-long study, the largest global survey of social media superusers to date....
Civic Signals Research Unveiled at New_ Public Festival

Event: COGSEC Registration is Now Open!

January 11, 2021

The Center for Media Engagement is proud to host COGSEC, an online conference that will bring together a community of practitioners on the front lines of dealing with and actively combatting the efforts of malign actors online....
Event: COGSEC Registration is Now Open!

The Latest Issue of Media Ethics Magazine is Onlin...

December 21, 2020

The latest issue of Media Ethics Magazine is available online....
The Latest Issue of Media Ethics Magazine is Online

Panel: A Reflection on the Media in 2020

December 10, 2020

The Center for Media Engagement is joined by panelists David Fahrenthold, Arthel Neville, and Dan Rather for a conversation on the media's role in 2020 events....
Panel: A Reflection on the Media in 2020

Event: Press Freedom in the Age of Alternative Fac...

November 10, 2020

What is the role of journalism and the press in a time when the truth is malleable, fake news is on the rise, and journalistic freedom is being put into…...
Event: Press Freedom in the Age of Alternative Facts

Catch CME at ICA’s Virtual Conference

May 21, 2020

Attending ICA's virtual conference? CME Researchers will be virtually presenting on a variety of topics....
Catch CME at ICA’s Virtual Conference

Civic Science Fellow Joins Center for Media Engage...

May 19, 2020

The Center for Media Engagement welcomes Clio Heslop as a Civic Science Fellow....
Civic Science Fellow Joins Center for Media Engagement

Science Communication Program Adding New Faculty

March 11, 2020

The Center for Media Engagement welcomes Dr. Lucy Atkinson and Dr. Lee Ann Kahlor to the team!...
Science Communication Program Adding New Faculty

Upcoming Event: Cognitive Security Conference

March 2, 2020

((POSTPONED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE… Stay tuned for more details)) The Center for Media Engagement is thrilled to announce the inaugural Cognitive Security (COGSEC) Conference. The conference will be held at The University of…...
Upcoming Event: Cognitive Security Conference

CME Program Director Samuel Woolley Publishes Book

January 6, 2020

Fake news posts and Twitter trolls were just the beginning. What will happen when misinformation moves from our social media feeds into our everyday lives?...
CME Program Director Samuel Woolley Publishes Book

CME Launches Propaganda Division

January 1, 2020

Under the direction of Dr. Samuel Woolley, our propaganda division will focus on how emergent technologies are used in and around global political communication....
CME Launches Propaganda Division

10 Newsroom Lessons We Learned in 2019

December 19, 2019

1. Build trust by using an “Explain Your Process” box. Audience trust is key to a newsroom’s success. But in this era of “fake news” and fading confidence in the media, it can…...
10 Newsroom Lessons We Learned in 2019

Where to Find CME at NCA

November 14, 2019

Attending the NCA Convention? Don’t miss these presentations by our CME team members. Thursday, November 14 The Impact of Relationship Quality and Partisan In-group/Out-group Perception on Perceived Interpersonal Competence in…...
Where to Find CME at NCA

Moving Into New Roles

September 20, 2019

The Center for Media Engagement is thrilled to announce new roles for two of our team members. Gina Masullo Chen will move into the Associate Director position, taking on new…...
Moving Into New Roles

CME Launches Connective Democracy Initiative

July 22, 2019

Whether political or social, the divisions in our society seem to be growing swiftly and aggressively. And with these divides come new challenges in facilitating the exchange of information. The…...
CME Launches Connective Democracy Initiative

Attending ICA? Come Find Us!

May 20, 2019

CME researchers are presenting on a variety of topics. Find one that interests you and check it out!   5/24 Friday  Pre-Conference Principles for Elevating Engaged Journalism on Social Media:…...
Attending ICA? Come Find Us!

10 Things We Learned in 2018 (And How They Can Hel...

December 17, 2018

1. Images and links at the bottom of the page help keep readers on your site.  Getting readers to stay on your site can be a challenge. Our research found…...
10 Things We Learned in 2018 (And How They Can Help Your Newsroom)

CME Expanding into New Research Fields

December 12, 2018

The Center for Media Engagement is thrilled to announce two new additions to our team. Dr. Anthony Dudo and Dr. Scott R. Stroud will expand CME’s reach by…...
CME Expanding into New Research Fields
Gina Masullo Chen headshot

CME Announces New Assistant Director

February 27, 2018

We are happy to announce that Dr. Gina Masullo Chen has been appointed Assistant Director of the Center for Media Engagement. Gina is a former journalist and an assistant professor…...
CME Announces New Assistant Director

Media Ethics Citizen Scholars Program

November 13, 2017

UT Austin Students: Are you interested in an internship in media ethics? Check out the Media Ethics Citizen Scholars Program!...
Media Ethics Citizen Scholars Program

Stroud Named to SciLine Advisory Board

November 9, 2017

Dr. Talia Stroud, director of the Center for Media Engagement, has been named to the advisory board for SciLine, a new service from the American Association for the Advancement of…...
Stroud Named to SciLine Advisory Board

ENP Relaunches as Center for Media Engagement

October 2, 2017

The Engaging News Project – a news media research and outreach initiative in the Moody College of Communication at the University of Texas at Austin – is expanding and renaming…...
ENP Relaunches as Center for Media Engagement

Director Leads Talk With Pulitzer Winner

September 25, 2017

Photo courtesy of New Politics Forum. Dr. Talia Stroud, director of the Center for Media Engagement, had the opportunity to lead a talk with Washington Post…...
Director Leads Talk With Pulitzer Winner

Vote for CME's SXSW Panel

August 22, 2017

Want to learn how to make political content go viral? Then vote for our proposal in the SXSW PanelPicker! Click here to vote for our session, titled…...
Vote for CME's SXSW Panel

Join CME for Chat on Homepage Redesigns

August 9, 2017

How do you measure the success of a news site homepage? And what makes for a good news homepage in 2017? Researchers from the Center for Media Engagement will be…...
Join CME for Chat on Homepage Redesigns

Watch: LMA Webinar on Audience Challenges

July 31, 2017

Dr. Talia Stroud, director of the Center for Media Engagement, recently led a webinar on audience engagement for the Local Media Association (LMA). Slides and video of the presentation, “Top…...
Watch: LMA Webinar on Audience Challenges

Director Presents Research at ISOJ

May 2, 2017

CME Director Talia Stroud speaks during the ISOJ breakfast panel. Center for Media Engagement Director Dr. Talia Stroud was one of five researchers to participate in…...
Director Presents Research at ISOJ

CME Collaborators Named Pulitzer Finalists

April 11, 2017

Center for Media Engagement collaborators at the Chattanooga Times Free Press were recently named finalists for the Pulitzer Prize. Journalists at the newspaper were recognized for their series “…...
CME Collaborators Named Pulitzer Finalists

Watch: Webinar on Best Practices for Engaging Audi...

April 6, 2017

The Center for Media Engagement conducted a webinar for the Institute for Nonprofit News on best practices for engaging digital audiences. During the webinar, Director Dr. Talia Stroud discussed:…...
Watch: Webinar on Best Practices for Engaging Audiences

Clickbait Research Presented at Copy Editing Confe...

March 28, 2017

Faculty Research Associate Dr. Josh Scacco recently presented Center for Media Engagement’s research on clickbait headlines at the American Copy Editors Society’s national conference. In his research with Dr....
Clickbait Research Presented at Copy Editing Conference

Test Your Audience's Knowledge with End of Ye...

December 19, 2016

2016 was filled with major news stories, including unprecedented elections, interesting political moves and events that brought the world together. As the year comes to a close, we’ve created an…...
Test Your Audience's Knowledge with End of Year Quiz

Digital leaders share experiences with social medi...

November 16, 2016

On Friday, November 11, the Center for Media Engagement hosted their first Social Media Summit in partnership with the UT School of Journalism. During the summit, digital news…...
Digital leaders share experiences with social media

Team Earns Awards from National Communication Asso...

November 10, 2016

Congratulations to the CME team members who won the Applied Communication Division’s 2016 Bill Eadie Distinguished Award for a Scholarly Article from the National Communication Association! The team received their award…...
Team Earns Awards from National Communication Association

CME Research Shared at ONA Conference

October 3, 2016

Research Associate Shannon McGregor presented Center for Media Engagement research at the Online News Association’s annual conference in Denver. Shannon was joined by Scott Smallwood of The Chronicle of Higher…...
CME Research Shared at ONA Conference

Registration Open for Social Media Summit

September 15, 2016

  There’s no question that social media has forever changed the way news organizations connect with their audiences. But has that change helped or harmed news organizations? And what’s…...
Registration Open for Social Media Summit

Researcher Presents Commenting Survey Results

September 12, 2016

Research Associate Emily Van Duyn presents CME research. Research Associate Emily Van Duyn recently presented Center for Media Engagement research at the 2016 American Political Science Association Political…...
Researcher Presents Commenting Survey Results

Millennials and the News

July 7, 2016

This post first appeared on the Center for Media Engagement’s Medium page In what can feel like a never-ending list of issues…...
Millennials and the News

Webinar: Increasing Engagement

June 10, 2016

The Center for Media Engagement recently joined Gatehouse Media and Viafoura on a webinar to share what it takes to increase engagement, build a civil community and win in the…...
Webinar: Increasing Engagement

Gender and Age in the Mobile News Landscape

June 7, 2016

Photo: Girl waiting for the train by Toshihiro Gamo on Flickr. This post was written by CME Director Dr. Talia Stroud and first…...
Gender and Age in the Mobile News Landscape

"Respect" Research Published in Academic...

May 5, 2016

The Center for Media Engagement’s paper, “Like, recommend, or respect? Altering political behavior in news comment sections,” has been published in the latest edition of the New…...
"Respect" Research Published in Academic Journal

CME Leads Engagement Workshop at ISOJ

April 21, 2016

Josh Scacco shares CME research at the pre-ISOJ workshop. Photo courtesy of the Knight Center. The Center for Media Engagement’s Josh Scacco and Katie Steiner, along…...
CME Leads Engagement Workshop at ISOJ

Director Presents at SXSW Interactive Festival

March 24, 2016

Dr. Talia Stroud discusses our latest report on commenters and comment readers at the SXSW Interactive Festival. CME Director Dr. Talia Stroud was part of a panel…...
Director Presents at SXSW Interactive Festival

CME Hosts News Tools Workshop

March 22, 2016

Participants listen to one another at the News Tools Workshop in Austin, TX. In February, the Center for Media Engagement hosted its third workshop – the…...
CME Hosts News Tools Workshop

Make Your Own ‘Respect’ Button with En...

February 10, 2016

The Center for Media Engagement has developed a new WordPress plugin that allows users to customize the buttons on their websites, including adding a “Respect” button. With Engaging…...
Make Your Own ‘Respect’ Button with Engaging Buttons

CME Makes List of Top Digital News Research of 201...

December 14, 2015

The Center for Media Engagement is featured twice in Nieman Lab’s list of top 10 digital news research articles of 2015. For the list, a range of…...
CME Makes List of Top Digital News Research of 2015

CME Selected to Speak at SXSW

October 22, 2015

The Center for Media Engagement was recently selected for one of more than 500 sessions at the 2016 SXSW Interactive conference, taking place March 11-15 in Austin, Texas. Our panel, “Comments Are…...
CME Selected to Speak at SXSW

New Report Examines Headlines

October 13, 2015

The Center for Media Engagement has begun conducting research on the content and effects of different types of headlines. As the first part of our research efforts, we have a…...
New Report Examines Headlines

CME Celebrates News Engagement Day

October 6, 2015

On Oct. 6, the Center for Media Engagement took part in the second News Engagement Day, a day devoted to raising awareness about the importance of news engagement. News Engagement…...
CME Celebrates News Engagement Day

CME Represented at Various Conferences

October 1, 2015

Center for Media Engagement team members have been busy the past couple months traveling across the country to present at various conferences. Research Associate Alex Curry presented at the Association…...
CME Represented at Various Conferences

Why 'Dislike' When You Can 'Respect...

September 16, 2015

When Facebook makes a change, everyone has an opinion. That was definitely the case when Mark Zuckerberg announced that the…...
Why 'Dislike' When You Can 'Respect'

Homepage Design Affects Page Views, Learning from ...

July 27, 2015

There is a significant increase in page views when people browse a news website with a contemporary design compared to a website with a classic design, according to a new…...
Homepage Design Affects Page Views, Learning from News Articles

CME Provides Training on Managing Comment Sections

June 22, 2015

The Center for Media Engagement recently gave a training presentation to GateHouse Media editors on best practices for managing comment sections. During the…...
CME Provides Training on Managing Comment Sections

Philly.com, Inspired by ENP, Makes Changes to Comm...

May 14, 2015

Philly.com, the website for the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Philadelphia Daily News, recently made changes to its comments section that were inspired, in part,…...
Philly.com, Inspired by ENP, Makes Changes to Comments

Digital Leaders Share Challenges, Ideas

November 15, 2014

For its second News Engagement Workshop, the Center for Media Engagement brought together a group of digital news leaders including, from left: Jennifer Carroll, Gannett Digital; Barry…...
Digital Leaders Share Challenges, Ideas

Online Polls and Quizzes

November 14, 2014

Many news websites have online polls on their sites. Although polls can be engaging for site visitors, there are downsides. Specifically, some site visitors may believe that online poll results…...
Online Polls and Quizzes

CME Researches Interactive Features

May 22, 2014

In a recent report, the Center for Media Engagement examined a representative sample of 155 newspaper and television news websites to understand how they were using social media buttons, comment…...
CME Researches Interactive Features

Public Agenda Adopts "Respect" Button

May 22, 2014

The nonprofit, nonpartisan organization Public Agenda has begun using a version of the “Respect” button, developed by the Center for Media Engagement. On Public Agenda’s blog,…...
Public Agenda Adopts "Respect" Button

Director Speaks at ISOJ

May 22, 2014

CME Director Natalie Stroud speaks at the Global Roundup Breakfast at the 2014 International Symposium on Online Journalism. In early April, Center for Media Engagement Director…...
Director Speaks at ISOJ

Nieman Journalism Lab Features Recent Research

May 22, 2014

The Nieman Journalism Lab covered featured recent research from the Center for Media Engagement on how television and news organizations use interactive features on their websites......
Nieman Journalism Lab Features Recent Research

Texas Tribune Uses Respect Button on New Site

May 13, 2014

The Texas Tribune has begun using the “Respect” button on their new site, TribTalk. TribTalk is a digital forum for dialogue, featured submitted commentary and opinion…...
Texas Tribune Uses Respect Button on New Site

Solutions Journalism Benefits Readers, News Organi...

May 10, 2014

A new report from the Center for Media Engagement and the Solutions Journalism Network illustrates that solutions-based journalism is an effective journalistic tool that benefits both readers and news organizations....
Solutions Journalism Benefits Readers, News Organizations

CME Teams With NICD For Online Discourse Research

May 9, 2014

The Center for Media Engagement and the National Institute for Civil Discourse have teamed up on a literature review that presents an overview of what the organizations already know about…...
CME Teams With NICD For Online Discourse Research

Team Shares Quiz Tool At ONA Conference

May 8, 2014

In late September, Center for Media Engagement Director Natalie Stroud and Developer John Macon presented the team’s new Create a Quiz feature at the Online News Association’s 2014 Conference in…...
Team Shares Quiz Tool At ONA Conference

CME Celebrates News Engagement Day

May 7, 2014

On Oct. 7, the Center for Media Engagement took part in the inaugural National News Engagement Day, a day devoted to raising awareness about the importance of news engagement....
CME Celebrates News Engagement Day

Research Featured in Top Academic Journal

May 6, 2014

The Center for Media Engagement’s research on civility and quality discussion in comment sections will be released soon in the Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication. In the…...
Research Featured in Top Academic Journal

Progress Report on Comment Moderation

May 5, 2014

The Center for Media Engagement has released a progress report on its work to find new approaches to comment moderation. For three months, CME research associate Arielle Cardona attempted…...
Progress Report on Comment Moderation

CJR Publishes Q&A With Dr. Stroud

May 2, 2014

The Columbia Journalism Review recently published an in-depth Q&A with Center for Media Engagement Director Dr. Talia Stroud. In the Q&A, Stroud provides background on the Center for Media…...
CJR Publishes Q&A With Dr. Stroud

Benefits, Limits to Using Three-Column Comment Sec...

May 1, 2014

There are several benefits – and limits — to using a three-column comment section as opposed to using a traditional one-column section, according to a new report by the Center…...
Benefits, Limits to Using Three-Column Comment Section

Digital Leaders Share Ideas, Challenges

May 1, 2014

For its second News Engagement Workshop, the Center for Media Engagement brought together a group of digital news leaders including, from left: Jennifer Carroll, Gannett Digital; Barry…...
Digital Leaders Share Ideas, Challenges

Young People Reluctant to Discuss Politics, Accord...

May 1, 2014

Photo courtesy of iStock. Young people today are reluctant to discuss politics with people who disagree with them and view online spaces as somewhat treacherous for…...
Young People Reluctant to Discuss Politics, According to New Report

ENP, WAN-IFRA Host Media Innovation Workshop

May 1, 2014

Rolf Dyrnes Svendsen of NxtMedia in Norway presents during the workshop. During this year’s SXSW Interactive Festival, the Center for Media Engagement hosted the…...
ENP, WAN-IFRA Host Media Innovation Workshop

Quiz Tool Used by News Organizations

May 1, 2014

In honor of Tax Day, which was April 15, the Center for Media Engagement put together a 4-questions quiz using our “Create a Quiz” tool. The quiz…...
Quiz Tool Used by News Organizations

Research Published in ISOJ Journal

May 1, 2014

Research Associate Josh Scacco presents CME research at the International Symposium on Online Journalism. The Center for Media Engagement’s paper, “Digital Divisions: Organizational…...
Research Published in ISOJ Journal

Digital News Innovators Gather for Workshop

April 29, 2014

Digital news leaders from across the country came to Austin, Texas for the Engaging News Workshop. Ten digital news innovators recently came together to visit about current…...
Digital News Innovators Gather for Workshop