Policy & Issues Research
The Pen and the Sword: Reporting ISIS
July 5, 2016, 6:00 amBy Paul Wood
A new paper by Paul Wood, Joan Shorenstein Fellow (fall 2015) and BBC world affairs correspondent, tells the harrowing story of a kidnapping by ISIS, and examines the ethical dilemmas that arise when reporting on terrorist organizations. Between November 2012 and…
The United States and the European Refugee Crisis: Standing with Allies
May 4, 2016, 4:30 pmBy Michael Ignatieff, Juliette Keeley, Betsy Ribble and Keith McCammon
Executive Summary The US-European relationship remains a cornerstone of American security and prosperity. It is never in America’s interest to remain a bystander when Europe’s cohesion is under threat. The refugee crisis in Europe is such a threat. This report…
The United States and the Syrian Refugee Crisis: A Plan of Action
January 27, 2016, 3:00 pmBy Michael Ignatieff, Rana Abdelhamid, Juliette Keeley, Lina Dakheel, Merissa Khurma, Rihab Elhaj, Alex Maza, Nikola Ilic, Betsy Ribble, Uran Ismaili, Shannon Thomas and Brynna Quillin
A new white paper by Michael Ignatieff, Edward R. Murrow Professor of Press, Politics and Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Shorenstein Center, and Harvard students, argues that it is in America’s national interest to help Europe manage and overcome the refugee crisis…
The Persistent Advocate: The New York Times’ Editorials and the Normalization of U.S. Ties with Cuba
December 16, 2015, 7:00 amBy Marie Sanz
A paper by Marie Sanz, Joan Shorenstein Fellow (fall 2015) and senior correspondent for Agence France Presse, examines The New York Times’ editorials on U.S.-Cuba relations over the past five decades, and the role of the press in the restoration…
Exporting the First Amendment: Strengthening U.S. Soft Power through Journalism
December 14, 2015, 12:00 pmBy David Ensor
A paper by David Ensor, Joan Shorenstein Fellow (fall 2015) and former director of the Voice of America (VOA), makes the case for protecting and strengthening VOA as an independent journalistic voice in order to increase American soft power. VOA’s…
The Sanctions Against Russia: What Did the West and the Media Expect?
January 26, 2015, 2:42 pmBy Celestine Bohlen
A paper by Celestine Bohlen, Fall 2014 Fellow and columnist at The International New York Times, explores the nature of the 2014 sanctions against Russia, their effects, and the resulting media coverage. Since 2014 the US and EU have targeted…
Reporting on the 2008 Financial Crisis, and the Next One
December 15, 2014, 10:13 amBy Robert Lenzner
A new paper by Robert Lenzner, Spring 2014 Fellow and contributor to Forbes Media, examines why the media failed to detect the warning signs of the 2008 financial crisis – and how it can avoid missing them the next time…
Everyone Lies: The Ukraine Conflict and Russia’s Media Transformation
August 20, 2014, 3:27 pmBy Jill Dougherty
A new paper by Jill Dougherty, Spring 2014 Fellow and former CNN Moscow bureau chief, traces the shift in Russia’s ideology and its effect on media coverage of the Ukraine conflict.
The Media and Markets: How Systematic Misreporting Inflates Bubbles, Deepens Downturns and Distorts Economic Reality
August 11, 2014, 12:06 pmBy Stefan Theil
A paper by Fall 2013 Fellow Stefan Theil looks at the systematic mistakes that editors and reporters repeatedly make when they cover the economy.
A Letter to Journalists from a Former FCC Commissioner
February 20, 2014, 2:01 pmBy Michael Copps
Fall 2013 Fellow Michael Copps, former Federal Communications Commissioner, shares concerns and offers advice regarding government regulation of corporate media.
