Lauren
Feldman
Associate Professor of Journalism and Media Studies
- Office:
- Annex B 253
- PHONE:
- 848-932-8783
- FAX:
- 732-932-6916
- EMAIL:
- lauren.feldman@rutgers.edu
- OFFICE HOURS:
- WEB LINKS:
- Google Scholar ResearchGate
Lauren Feldman studies media effects in political and science contexts, and her recent research emphasizes three primary areas of interest: climate change communication, partisan media and misinformation, and comedy and social change. She teaches courses on entertainment and politics, media effects, media and climate change, and quantitative research methods.
Education
University of Pennsylvania
Ph.D., Communication
University of Pennsylvania
M.A., Communication
Duke University
B.A., English
Research
Lauren Feldman studies the effects of media on public knowledge, opinion, and behavior, particularly in the contexts of political, science, and environmental issues. Her current work focuses on media and climate change, partisan media and misinformation, and comedy and social change.
Feldman's recent research on climate change communication investigates the influence of media and communication on political divides and misperceptions about climate change; the role of efficacy and solutions-focused messages in driving climate policy support and political activism; and how entertainment and comedy can be used to broaden public engagement with climate change.
Feldman is co-author, with Caty Borum Chattoo, of the book, A Comedian and An Activist Walk into a Bar: The Serious Role of Comedy in Social Justice (University of California Press, 2020), which examines the intersection of comedy and activism. The book explains how contemporary comedy – both in the entertainment marketplace and leveraged as cultural strategy – can engage audiences with issues such as global poverty, climate change, immigration, and racial justice, and how activists work with comedy to reach and empower publics in the networked, participatory digital media age.
Feldman is co-PI on a National Science Foundation grant (2019-2021) that is investigating the accuracy and fairness of algorithms used to detect misinformation in online political news. This two-year, interdisciplinary project combines media content analysis of political news articles with information science approaches to audit and improve the fairness of misinformation classification algorithms. A broad goal of the project is to better understand and address ideological asymmetries in political misinformation.
Feldman is an affiliate of the Rutgers Climate Institute and of the George Mason University Center for Climate Change Communication.
Centers, Labs, Working Groups, and Clusters
Funded Projects
National Science Foundation. “EAGER: SaTC: Early-Stage Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Fair and Accurate Information Quality Assessment Algorithms.” Role: Co-Principal Investigator; PI: V. Singh ($315,946), 2019-2021.
National Science Foundation. “The Influence of Efficacy, Framing, and Political Orientation on Selective Perception and Selective Exposure: The Case of Atmospheric Change.” Role: Co-Principal Investigator; PI: P. S. Hart ($219,292), 2012-2016.
Selected Publications
Kotcher, J., Feldman, L., Luong, K. T., Wyatt, J., & Maibach, E. (2021). Advocacy messages about climate and health are more effective when they include information about risks, solutions, and a normative appeal: Evidence from a conjoint experiment. The Journal of Climate and Health, 3.
Borum Chattoo, C., & Feldman, L. (2020). A comedian and an activist walk into a bar: The serious role of comedy in social justice. University of California Press.
Feldman, L., & Borum Chattoo, C. (2019). Comedy as a route to social change: The effects of satire and news on persuasion about Syrian refugees. Mass Communication & Society, 22(3), 277-300.
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). Broadening exposure to climate change news? How framing and political orientation interact to influence selective exposure. Journal of Communication, 68(3), 480-502.
Awards & Recognitions
2021 Honorary Mention for the Activism, Communication & Social Justice Division’s Outstanding Book Award, International Communication Association
2020 Article of the Year Award, Mass Communication & Society Division, Association for Education in Journalism & Mass Communication
2020 Excellence in Research Award, Journalism & Media Studies Department, Rutgers University
2019 Top-Three Finalist for the Frank Research Prize in Public Interest Communications
2018 Article of the Year Award - Second Place, Communicating Science, Health, Environment and Risk (ComSHER) Division, Association for Education in Journalism & Mass Communication
2016 Top Faculty Paper Award, Environmental Communication Division, International Communication Association
2014 Excellence in Teaching Award, Journalism & Media Studies Department, Rutgers University
2013 Top Faculty Paper Award, Political Communication Division, International Communication Association
2012 Keith R. Sanders and Lynda Lee Kaid Best Article of the Year Award, Political Communication Division, International Communication Association
2012 Top Faculty Paper Award, Mass Communication Division, International Communication Association