lauren_feldman

Lauren
Feldman

Associate Professor of Journalism and Media Studies

Faculty

OFFICE:
AnB 253
PHONE:
848-932-8783
FAX:
732-932-6916
EMAIL:
lauren.feldman@rutgers.edu
OFFICE HOURS:
WEB LINKS:
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Lauren Feldman studies media effects in political and science contexts, and her recent work emphasizes three primary areas of interest: media and climate change, partisan media and opinion polarization, and political satire. Her research has been supported by grants from the National Science Foundation, the Carnegie-Knight Task Force on Journalism, and the Spanish Ministry of Science, and has been published in numerous peer-reviewed journals and edited volumes. 

Education

University of Pennsylvania
Ph.D., Communication

University of Pennsylvania
M.A., Communication

Duke University
B.A., English

Research

Lauren Feldman's research focuses on the effects of news and other political media on public knowledge, opinion, and behavior. Her current research emphasizes the following three themes:

  • Media and climate change: Feldman studies media coverage of climate change and its influence on public opinion and engagement. She is particularly interested in understanding the media’s contribution to political polarization around climate change and in developing and testing message strategies to help reduce partisan and ideological divides and to encourage broader public involvement with the issue.
  • Partisan media: Feldman is interested in the democratic implications of the rise of opinionated, partisan news in outlets such as Fox News and MSNBC. Her research in this area investigates how audiences cognitively process partisan news and the effects these media have on public opinion and political polarization, as well as how the availability of these media influence how people select news. 
  • Political entertainment: Feldman studies the intersection of politics and entertainment, and how less traditional sources of political information, particularly political comedy and satirical news programs, contribute to political discourse and shape citizens’ engagement with and knowledge of political and science issues. 

Centers, Labs, and Clusters

Funded Projects

National Science Foundation, “The Influence of Efficacy, Framing, and Political Orientation on Selective Perception and Selective Exposure: The Case of Atmospheric Change” ($219,292) 2012-2016

Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, “Democratically Important Media Effects, Selective Exposure to News Media, and the Forced-Choice Error Problem” (€40,000) 2011-2013

Research Projects Support Programme of Junta de Castilla y León, Spain, “The Political Effects of Forced versus Selective Exposure” (€ 6,383) 2010-2011

John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, as part of the Carnegie-Knight Initiative on the Future of Journalism Education, “To Opine or Not to Opine: The Consequences of Opinionated News for Information Processing, Attitudes, and Knowledge” ($9,820) 2007

Selected Publications

Feldman, L., & Hart, P. S. (2018). Climate change as a polarizing cue: Framing effects on public support for low-carbon energy policies. Global Environmental Change, 51, 54-66.

Feldman, L., & Hart, P. S. (2018, Advanced Online Publication). Broadening exposure to climate change news? How framing and political orientation interact to influence selective exposure. Journal of Communication.

Feldman, L., & Hart, P. S. (2018). Is there any hope? How climate change news imagery and text influence audience emotions and support for mitigation policies. Risk Analysis, 38(3), 585-602.

Borum Chattoo, C., & Feldman, L. (2017). Leveraging entertainment storytelling for public engagement in global poverty: The role of documentary and comedy in social change. Journal of Communication, 67(5), 678-701.

Feldman, L., Hart, P. S., & Milosevic, T. (2017). Polarizing news? Representations of threat and efficacy in leading U.S. newspapers’ coverage of climate change. Public Understanding of Science, 26(4), 481-497.

Awards & Recognitions

Top Faculty Paper Award (with P. S. Hart), Environmental Communication Division, International Communication Association, 2016

Excellence in Teaching Award, Journalism & Media Studies Department, Rutgers University, 2014

Top Faculty Paper Award (with T. A. Myers, J. D. Hmielowski, & A. Leiserowitz), Political Communication Division, International Communication Association, 2013

Keith R. Sanders and Lynda Lee Kaid Best Article of the Year Award, Political Communication Division, International Communication Association, 2012

Top Faculty Paper Award (with J. D. Hmielowski, T. A. Myers, & A. Leiserowitz), Mass Communication Division, International Communication Association, 2012

Research Keywords

Other