About

I’m an assistant professor in the Department of Journalism & Creative Media at The University of Alabama. Previously, I was a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Communication at the University of Vienna, and I completed my Ph.D. training at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication.

I study news and public opinion, with a particular interest in the institutions, cultural norms, and digital platforms that shape how people encounter news about politics and science and form or express their opinions. I’ve also taught and designed courses focused on concepts, methods, and skills in the areas of media and politics, media and technology, and journalism.

More specifically, my research revolves around the three interrelated topics of (1) media trust, credibility, and bias; (2) news exposure and engagement; and (3) social networks, discussion, and expression. Furthermore, my research on these topics focuses on multiple national contexts beyond the United States, including countries in Europe and Latin America. Ultimately, my goal is to improve our understanding of the dynamics of news and public opinion in democratic societies, and in light of the growing threats to democratic institutions worldwide, doing so has rarely been more important than it is now.

In the classroom, I’m dedicated to helping students explore the ever-evolving media and communication practices and systems, and I aim to foster an understanding of their impacts on audiences and societies. I’ve taught seminars and conceptual courses in political communication, journalism and social media, and global media systems. I’ve also taught methods courses including research methods and survey methodology, and I’ve taught skills courses in data journalism and news visualization.