Political Communication and Civic Engagement

Faculty in the College of Communication Arts and Sciences studying the relationship between media, politics and civic life are conducting research on the role of communication in the circulation of public affairs news and information. Working across the fields of journalism, political communication, information sciences, computer science and strategic communication, our researchers are using empirical findings to design interventions and promote engaged, informed citizenship in a rapidly changing media ecology.

Centers and Labs

The college's new Spartan Newsroom and Immersive Media Studio invite students to collaborate, gain real-life experiences and build professional skills. The expansive learning spaces sit in the middle of the first floor of the ComArtSci building. Students and faculty are free to move seamlessly from one area to the next when producing or creating content, or when working on collaborative media projects. In addition to applying their skills in news, animation and motion capture arenas, students and faculty can design and produce virtual reality broadcasts and 360 animation renderings for immersive storytelling. The newsroom and studio open up possibilities for cross-campus collaborations in almost any area, including those underway in athletics, health and medicine and theatre.

Learn More

The Knight Center for Environmental Journalism teaches student and professional journalists how to better report on the issues affecting the environment.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE KNIGHT CENTER

Featured Video

ComArtSci Talks

Kjerstin Thorson, Assistant Professor in the Department of Advertising and Public Relations and the School of Journalism, discusses her research on social media and its effect on political interest and engagement.

Spartan Newsroom and Immersive Media Center

Offering the latest in motion capture and learning technologies for classroom collaboration, production and immersion, the college's new Spartan Newsroom and Immersive Media Studio invite students to collaborate, gain real-life experiences and build professional skills.

The innovative, cross-functional spaces equip students for 21st century jobs by engaging them in the development and delivery of news, animation, game design and immersive interactive media content involving motion capture, augmented and virtual realities.