The views expressed in Shorenstein Center Discussion Papers are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard University or the organizations and institutions with whom the authors are affiliated. Discussion Papers have not undergone formal review and approval. Such papers are included in this series to elicit feedback […]
Each year, the Shorenstein Center presents the Goldsmith Career Award for Excellence in Journalism to recognize outstanding contributions to the field and honor work that has enriched our political discourse and our society. This year’s winner is Anderson Cooper, award-winning CNN anchor and CBS 60 Minutes correspondent. “Year after year, Anderson Cooper has navigated the
Our judging committee was tasked with reviewing over 120 entries for this year’s Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting. The following semifinalists are the top 30 entries that our judges deemed to be of extremely high quality and in keeping with the Prize’s criteria for impact on US government, public policy, or the practice of politics.
Announcing the semifinalists for the 2025 Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting Read More »
The Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy is pleased to announce the Spring 2025 cohort of Shorenstein Fellows. Shorenstein Fellows join the center for a semester or year of research, events, and engagement with HKS students, faculty, and the wider university community. This semester’s fellows range from technologists and entrepreneurs to political strategists,
Announcing the Spring 2025 Shorenstein Fellows Read More »
The Shorenstein Center is proud to announce the Spring 2025 cohort of Documentary Film Fellows. The group joins the Center under the auspices of the Documentary Film in the Public Interest Initiative and will spend the semester conducting research and engaging with the HKS community about the challenges facing the field and its impact on
Announcing Spring 2025 Cohort of Documentary Film Fellows Read More »
Journalism is facing a trust crisis. Audiences are increasingly skeptical that mainstream media serves their interests and are turning their attention away from traditional news outlets. Meanwhile, online content creators who engage in journalist-style work are building huge, loyal audiences that eclipse those of traditional media. Walter Shorenstein Fellow Julia Angwin, a longtime technology and investigative journalist, explains what journalists can learn from creators about building audience trust.
The Future of Trustworthy Information: Learning from Online Content Creators Read More »
Submissions are now being accepted for the 2025 Goldsmith Awards, including the Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting, the Goldsmith Book Prize, and the brand new Goldsmith Prize for Explanatory Reporting. The Goldsmith Awards Program, launched in 1991, has as its goal the encouragement of a more insightful and spirited public debate about government, politics and
Nominations now open for the 2025 Goldsmith Awards Read More »
Independent films illuminate untold stories, spark discourse, and broaden our perspectives – but independent film in the United States is at risk. In this groundbreaking new research, film industry leader Keri Putnam brings new data together to analyze the overall audience for independent film and the collapse of the financial model driven by the streaming economy, and offers recommendations and opportunities for the future.
US Independent Film Audience and Landscape Study Read More »
The Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy is pleased to announce the Fall 2024 cohort of Shorenstein Fellows. Shorenstein Fellows join the center for a semester or year of research, events, and engagement with HKS students, faculty, and the wider university community. Alex Smith | Joan Shorenstein Fellow Alex Smith founded The
Fall 2024 Shorenstein Fellows Read More »
As a Documentary Film in the Public Interest Fellow (Spring ’24), Karin Chien’s research focused on how the most impactful documentary projects get funded, and presented recommendations for new economic models that center sustainability and creative risk.
The Shorenstein Center welcomes veteran news technology, business, and strategy executive Ben Monnie as a 2024-25 Joan Shorenstein fellow. Monnie recently joined CNN as Senior Vice President of Strategy & Business Operations, where he is leading efforts to expand and grow that organization’s digital consumer business. Prior to joining CNN, Monnie was a director at
News Business Model Pioneer Ben Monnie Joins Shorenstein Center as Visiting Fellow Read More »
The Shorenstein Center is proud to announce the Fall 2024 cohort of Documentary Film Fellows. The group joins the Center under the auspices of the Documentary Film in the Public Interest Initiative and will spend the semester conducting research and engaging with the HKS community about the challenges facing the field and its impact on
Announcing Fall 2024 Cohort of Documentary Film Fellows Read More »
Despite the flurry of post-debate headlines and statements from politicians and pundits, a new survey from the nonpartisan Civic Health and Institutions Project (CHIP50) finds little evidence that the first presidential debate between President Biden and former President Trump meaningfully shifted voter preferences. President Biden’s performance during the first 2024 presidential debate on June 27
Smoking continues to rank as the foremost preventable cause of premature death. In a paper published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science (PNAS), Harvard researchers report findings that evoking feelings of gratitude in people who smoke helps reduce their urge to smoke, and increases their likelihood of enrollment in a
The following are excerpts from a new peer-reviewed journal article published June 5, 2024 in Science Advances. Abstract Over 30,000 field experiments with The Washington Post and Upworthy showed that readers prefer simpler headlines (e.g., more common words and more readable writing) over more complex ones. A follow-up mechanism experiment showed that readers from the
Reading dies in complexity: Online news consumers prefer simple writing Read More »
New research co-authored by Shorenstein Center resident faculty member Todd Rogers suggests that simpler writing may be the key to attracting readers in today’s crowded online news landscape. A large-scale study analyzing over 30,000 headline experiments on news websites found that readers were consistently more likely to click on and engage with news headlines written
Reading Dies in Complexity – new study co-authored by Professor Todd Rogers Read More »
A new report published out of Harvard Kennedy School’s Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy provides a framework to help AI practitioners and policymakers ensure transparency in artificial intelligence (AI) systems. The report, titled “A CLeAR Documentation Framework for AI Transparency: Recommendations for Practitioners & Context for Policymakers,” outlines key recommendations for documenting
New Report Provides Framework for Transparency in AI Systems Read More »
Authors Kasia Chmielinski* (Data Nutrition Project & Harvard University) Sarah Newman* (Data Nutrition Project & Harvard University) Chris N. Kranzinger* (Data Nutrition Project) Michael Hind (IBM Research) Jennifer Wortman Vaughan (Microsoft Research) Margaret Mitchell (Hugging Face) Julia Stoyanovich (New York University) Angelina McMillan-Major (independent researcher) Emily McReynolds (independent researcher) Kathleen Esfahany (Data Nutrition Project &
The Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy is pleased to announce the addition of Kathleen Carroll, Katie Couric, Norm Pearlstine, Ben Sherwood, and Nabiha Syed to its Advisory Board. As the newest members of the Center’s Advisory board, they will provide insights and guidance in support of the Shorenstein Center’s mission to provide
Meet the newest members of the Shorenstein Center’s Advisory Board Read More »
For the first time in the 18 year history of the Nyhan Prize for Political Journalism, administered by the Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School, the selection committee has chosen three co-winners for this year’s Nyhan Prize. Robert Downen, reporter at The Texas Tribune, and the team of Mike
The Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy is a Harvard Kennedy School research center dedicated to exploring and illuminating the intersection of press, politics and public policy in theory and practice. The Center strives to bridge the gap between journalists and scholars, and between them and the public.
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