The final entry for the "Blog Blog Project" this semester comes from UD junior Christina Mavrikis, a Criminal Justice and Psychology major, who examines how technology has changed the way we learn about and understand tragedies like the Boston bombings.

I remember sitting in my third-grade class, more...

As part of the "Blog Blog Project," I've been posting blogs about politics, media, and technology from the courses I teach at the University of Delaware. This blog, written by UD junior Eric Hastings, a Criminal Justice major, discusses how the media are (or are not) covering the...

In an era where we face a daily deluge of online petitions, emails from candidates, and provocative political tweets, what does it mean to be a citizen? The image of Americans crowded into a town hall to debate current issues has been replaced by that of a single person in...

The January after a presidential election year is a great time for academics like me to reflect on the long road to the White House. What I am most amazed by, every four years, is how much the American media landscape -- and as a result, the electorate -- change....

I was recently asked to speak to our chapter of the Communication Honor Society, Lambda Pi Eta, as part of their induction ceremony. These students are the highest achieving in our major, and it was a pleasure to speak to them. I am posting an excerpt of that...

The final entry for my "Blog Blog Project" this semester comes from Alec Nathan, a junior Communication major. As part of this project, students in my fall semester Politics and Technology class at the University of Delaware have been writing blogs on issues surrounding campaigns. A recent class examined the...

As part of the "Blog Blog Project" I began last semester, students in my fall semester Politics and Technology class at the University of Delaware are writing blogs on current issues surrounding the campaign. A recent class looked at how minority candidates are using technology to get out...

This semester (and presidential campaign) are in full swing, and my students have a lot to say. As part of the "Blog Blog Project" I began last semester, students in my fall semester Politics & Technology class at the University of Delaware are writing blogs on current issues,...

Underneath the buttons and hats, past the strategically placed signs waving in the arena, the conventions look a lot different. It is, of course, impossible for media to cover every aspect of political conventions. But because of a long-standing narrative that dominates media coverage of these events, what happens on...

The newest political app for Election 2012? The status quo. Although we've seen dramatic changes in campaigns' use of technology since the first websites in 1996, the 2012 campaigns are focusing more on existing platforms. Those first websites were essentially tightly controlled carbon copies of campaign promotional materials: positions on...

Imagine a family -- two parents, two children -- at the dinner table. They are discussing the issues of the day, and learning from each other as each person expresses a viewpoint. Now think of an identical family, but this one discourages open discussion in favor of discipline and deference...

Students in my spring semester Politics and Media class at the University of Delaware wrote blogs on current issues, relating them to class content. I've been posting some of their work as part of the "Blog Blog Project." This entry, written by UD student Cori Schreider, asks whether...

Ah, the end of another semester! Time to replenish, renew, and research. Because research is such a central component of my identity as a professor, I'm always relieved to be done with grades, lectures, and meetings. As much as scholarship is a collaborative effort, it is also by necessity a...

Students in my Politics and Media class at the University of Delaware have been writing blogs on current issues and relating them to class content this semester. As outlined in a previous blog, I'm posting some of their work as part of the "Blog Blog Project."...

Blogs, social networking sites, traditional news, political satire, print news... the list of sources for political information multiplies daily. Because my research examines media and politics in a digital era, this ever-evolving and growing media landscape means that my research is never quite finished. That's a good thing for someone...

A requirement in my Politics and Media class at the University of Delaware is that students write blogs on current issues and relate them to class content. As outlined in a previous blog, I'm posting some of their work as part of the "Blog Blog Project."...

The blogosphere has become ubiquitous in tight circles of political pundits and analysts, and is growing in popularity thanks to sites like this one. But I believe that blogs can serve as a great outlet for college students to voice their concerns and opinions in a mediated environment that is...

I began teaching in the fall of 2007, when the hype about the 2008 election was already well underway. As I approach my second presidential election as a professor of political communication, I'm reminded of a few things I've discovered about teaching politics in the college classroom.

Like many other...