Communication Research Center
@bucomresearch.bsky.social
The Communication Research Center at Boston University is a vibrant community of faculty and students who explore communication phenomena using cutting-edge theories and methods.
--
🔗 https://campsite.bio/bucomresearch
✉️ [email protected]
--
🔗 https://campsite.bio/bucomresearch
✉️ [email protected]
CRC Director, @commscholar.bsky.social, and @newbooksnetwork.bsky.social sit down to chat about Content Confusion and how advertising is now inextricably linked to the news we consume.
🎧 Listen here --> newbooksnetwork.com/content-conf...
🎧 Listen here --> newbooksnetwork.com/content-conf...
September 3, 2026 at 3:14 PM
CRC Director, @commscholar.bsky.social, and @newbooksnetwork.bsky.social sit down to chat about Content Confusion and how advertising is now inextricably linked to the news we consume.
🎧 Listen here --> newbooksnetwork.com/content-conf...
🎧 Listen here --> newbooksnetwork.com/content-conf...
BU COM's Prof. Donovan (@bostonjoan.bsky.social) in the Washington Post: conspiracy theories about the WHCD shooting spread within minutes - even with firsthand reporting readily available.
www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...
www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...
First came the shooting. Then, the conspiracy theories.
After the shooting at the White House correspondents’ dinner, online influencers quickly spread conspiracy theories that it was an elaborate hoax.
www.washingtonpost.com
May 5, 2026 at 7:51 PM
BU COM's Prof. Donovan (@bostonjoan.bsky.social) in the Washington Post: conspiracy theories about the WHCD shooting spread within minutes - even with firsthand reporting readily available.
www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...
www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...
BU COM's Dr. Katy Coduto (@katycoduto.bsky.social) in USA TODAY: better AI image tools also mean higher risk for deepfakes and non-consensual imagery. "Custom-generated anything" cuts both ways.
www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2...
www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2...
No more extra fingers? The good, bad and ugly of ChatGPT Images 2.0
ChatGPT Images 2.0 can search the web in real time, process up to eight image outputs at once and offer renderings in a wider range of languages.
www.usatoday.com
May 5, 2026 at 7:36 PM
BU COM's Dr. Katy Coduto (@katycoduto.bsky.social) in USA TODAY: better AI image tools also mean higher risk for deepfakes and non-consensual imagery. "Custom-generated anything" cuts both ways.
www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2...
www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2...
BU COM's Prof. Tammy Vigil calls last week's Epstein statement a rare "speech of self-defense" - and says what makes it stand out is that she did it without the president's approval.
Full piece → www.eastwingmagazine.com/p/a-speech-o...
Full piece → www.eastwingmagazine.com/p/a-speech-o...
‘A Speech of Self-Defense’
The thoughts and opinions about Melania Trump’s surprising Epstein remarks
www.eastwingmagazine.com
April 24, 2026 at 4:01 PM
BU COM's Prof. Tammy Vigil calls last week's Epstein statement a rare "speech of self-defense" - and says what makes it stand out is that she did it without the president's approval.
Full piece → www.eastwingmagazine.com/p/a-speech-o...
Full piece → www.eastwingmagazine.com/p/a-speech-o...
BU COM's Dr. Michelle Amazeen @commscholar.bsky.social speaks with Columbia Journalism Review on how native advertising and sponsored content are eroding public trust in media - and what the news industry can do about it.
Read below:
www.cjr.org/the-intervie...
Read below:
www.cjr.org/the-intervie...
Coverage of the Fossil-Fuel Industry ‘Doesn’t Have to Be This Way’
Michelle Amazeen says oil and gas money is fueling conflicts of interest.
www.cjr.org
April 17, 2026 at 3:54 PM
BU COM's Dr. Michelle Amazeen @commscholar.bsky.social speaks with Columbia Journalism Review on how native advertising and sponsored content are eroding public trust in media - and what the news industry can do about it.
Read below:
www.cjr.org/the-intervie...
Read below:
www.cjr.org/the-intervie...
The COMversation is now available on Pocket Casts 🎧
You can now listen to all our episodes exploring media, communication, and culture on even more platforms.
You can now listen to all our episodes exploring media, communication, and culture on even more platforms.
The COMversation
Welcome to 'The COMversation', where we sit down with leading faculty researchers to celebrate the impact of communication research. Hosted by the Communication Research Center, this series offers casual, insightful conversations that uncover the real-world relevance of communication expertise. Our guests break down their work and make complex ideas approachable and exciting for everyone. Whether you're curious about the role of communication in society or simply love learning from experts, this podcast invites you to explore how communication shapes our world, one conversation at a time.
pocketcasts.com
April 10, 2026 at 5:08 PM
The COMversation is now available on Pocket Casts 🎧
You can now listen to all our episodes exploring media, communication, and culture on even more platforms.
You can now listen to all our episodes exploring media, communication, and culture on even more platforms.
“Tinder presents potential partners as a stack of cards. So you’re essentially looking at a card deck of people that you could potentially go on a date with," says @katycoduto.bsky.social.
www.wgbh.org/news/local/2...
www.wgbh.org/news/local/2...
Swiping for love: How dating apps have changed romance both for better and for worse
From eHarmony to Hinge — BU assistant professor of media science Kathryn Coduto says the evolution of dating apps over time has changed how people view relationships.
www.wgbh.org
April 2, 2026 at 4:58 PM
“Tinder presents potential partners as a stack of cards. So you’re essentially looking at a card deck of people that you could potentially go on a date with," says @katycoduto.bsky.social.
www.wgbh.org/news/local/2...
www.wgbh.org/news/local/2...
Content creators could be doing more harm than good, when sharing their ‘what I eat in a day’ videos.
@katycoduto.bsky.social warns, “I think that’s a different kind of danger, where maybe you are seeing what they eat in a day, but that is also still very curated.”
@katycoduto.bsky.social warns, “I think that’s a different kind of danger, where maybe you are seeing what they eat in a day, but that is also still very curated.”
The internet has always fueled eating disorders. Influencers could be adding to the harm.
Algorithms and seemingly innocuous posts like "what I eat in a day" videos are where dangerous eating behaviors begin, experts warn.
19thnews.org
April 2, 2026 at 4:44 PM
Content creators could be doing more harm than good, when sharing their ‘what I eat in a day’ videos.
@katycoduto.bsky.social warns, “I think that’s a different kind of danger, where maybe you are seeing what they eat in a day, but that is also still very curated.”
@katycoduto.bsky.social warns, “I think that’s a different kind of danger, where maybe you are seeing what they eat in a day, but that is also still very curated.”
“Universities play in their sandbox, and governments play in theirs […] and we want to avoid [that],” says Eric Gordon of @misibu.bsky.social. But, what happens when cities and universities finally stop working in silos?
Read here: www.route-fifty.com/artificial-i...
Read here: www.route-fifty.com/artificial-i...
It’s time for cities and higher education to join forces on effective AI, experts say
Local governments and academic institutions haven’t always aligned their goals and priorities. But for either sector to unlock artificial intelligence’s potential, they must work more closely together...
www.route-fifty.com
April 2, 2026 at 4:36 PM
“Universities play in their sandbox, and governments play in theirs […] and we want to avoid [that],” says Eric Gordon of @misibu.bsky.social. But, what happens when cities and universities finally stop working in silos?
Read here: www.route-fifty.com/artificial-i...
Read here: www.route-fifty.com/artificial-i...
Interesting piece from @commscholar.bsky.social on how native advertising blurs the line between journalism and sponsored content - especially in energy and climate coverage.
Worth a read ⬇️
Worth a read ⬇️
With energy prices rising, renewables deserve our urgent attention—not dismissal. I explore how big oil has compromised legacy media's independence and why we need stronger oversight to protect public information.
#climate #commsky #journalismsky
caad.info/analysis/ins...
#climate #commsky #journalismsky
caad.info/analysis/ins...
March 25, 2026 at 4:39 PM
Interesting piece from @commscholar.bsky.social on how native advertising blurs the line between journalism and sponsored content - especially in energy and climate coverage.
Worth a read ⬇️
Worth a read ⬇️
🎙️ New episode of The COMversation is live!
Dr. Michelle Amazeen joins Dr. Charlotte Howell to discuss her book Content Confusion—exploring how native advertising blurs the line between journalism and ads in today’s media landscape.
🎧 Listen: [https://x.gd/nemqE]
📖 Learn more: [https://x.gd/V8Vax]
Dr. Michelle Amazeen joins Dr. Charlotte Howell to discuss her book Content Confusion—exploring how native advertising blurs the line between journalism and ads in today’s media landscape.
🎧 Listen: [https://x.gd/nemqE]
📖 Learn more: [https://x.gd/V8Vax]
March 17, 2026 at 4:55 PM
🎙️ New episode of The COMversation is live!
Dr. Michelle Amazeen joins Dr. Charlotte Howell to discuss her book Content Confusion—exploring how native advertising blurs the line between journalism and ads in today’s media landscape.
🎧 Listen: [https://x.gd/nemqE]
📖 Learn more: [https://x.gd/V8Vax]
Dr. Michelle Amazeen joins Dr. Charlotte Howell to discuss her book Content Confusion—exploring how native advertising blurs the line between journalism and ads in today’s media landscape.
🎧 Listen: [https://x.gd/nemqE]
📖 Learn more: [https://x.gd/V8Vax]
🎮 Can video games support mental health?
A new article from Futurity highlights research from @comatbu.bsky.social, led by Jim Cummings and Tiernan Cahill, exploring how gaming can play a role in emotional regulation and stress management.
🔗 Read More:
A new article from Futurity highlights research from @comatbu.bsky.social, led by Jim Cummings and Tiernan Cahill, exploring how gaming can play a role in emotional regulation and stress management.
🔗 Read More:
Video games can help your mental health
Gaming can serve as an effective method of stress management and emotional regulation—and that may be why people game in the first place.
www.futurity.org
March 6, 2026 at 5:41 PM
🎮 Can video games support mental health?
A new article from Futurity highlights research from @comatbu.bsky.social, led by Jim Cummings and Tiernan Cahill, exploring how gaming can play a role in emotional regulation and stress management.
🔗 Read More:
A new article from Futurity highlights research from @comatbu.bsky.social, led by Jim Cummings and Tiernan Cahill, exploring how gaming can play a role in emotional regulation and stress management.
🔗 Read More:
New coverage from GBH News highlighting insights from @comatbu.bsky.social professor Joan Donovan on how misinformation spreads during fast-moving global events.
🔗 Read the full piece: www.wgbh.org/news/local/2...
🔗 Read the full piece: www.wgbh.org/news/local/2...
GBH Daily: Telling truth from disinformation
From a disinformation expert.
www.wgbh.org
March 6, 2026 at 5:39 PM
New coverage from GBH News highlighting insights from @comatbu.bsky.social professor Joan Donovan on how misinformation spreads during fast-moving global events.
🔗 Read the full piece: www.wgbh.org/news/local/2...
🔗 Read the full piece: www.wgbh.org/news/local/2...
“You can’t become an effective leader without being an effective communicator,” says @comatbu.bsky.social's Assistant Professor, April Yue.
In a new interview, following her latest book release, April explains how execs manage visibility, crisis communication, & more.
🔗
In a new interview, following her latest book release, April explains how execs manage visibility, crisis communication, & more.
🔗
New book explores why, and how, successful CEOs communicate | College of Communication
To be a great business leader, a chief executive officer must be a great communicator. That belief, hardly controversial, has…
tinyurl.com
March 5, 2026 at 8:33 PM
“You can’t become an effective leader without being an effective communicator,” says @comatbu.bsky.social's Assistant Professor, April Yue.
In a new interview, following her latest book release, April explains how execs manage visibility, crisis communication, & more.
🔗
In a new interview, following her latest book release, April explains how execs manage visibility, crisis communication, & more.
🔗
How closely are Americans following news about ICE operations? Very.
A new @comatbu.bsky.social + IPSOS survey, led by Arunima Krishna, finds many Americans are paying attention, and some say they’re ready to act, including supporting boycotts.
🔗
A new @comatbu.bsky.social + IPSOS survey, led by Arunima Krishna, finds many Americans are paying attention, and some say they’re ready to act, including supporting boycotts.
🔗
Americans closely following news of ICE operations – and many moved to act, says survey
Americans are closely following news of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity in Minnesota and other cities across the…
tinyurl.com
March 4, 2026 at 8:47 PM
How closely are Americans following news about ICE operations? Very.
A new @comatbu.bsky.social + IPSOS survey, led by Arunima Krishna, finds many Americans are paying attention, and some say they’re ready to act, including supporting boycotts.
🔗
A new @comatbu.bsky.social + IPSOS survey, led by Arunima Krishna, finds many Americans are paying attention, and some say they’re ready to act, including supporting boycotts.
🔗
Despite skepticism around trust and AI, Americans aren’t ditching dating apps.
Use is up, and nearly half believe you can find a soulmate online, according to a new CRC x IPSOS survey led by @katycoduto.bsky.social.
👉 Read full story here: tinyurl.com/y9nrrde8
Use is up, and nearly half believe you can find a soulmate online, according to a new CRC x IPSOS survey led by @katycoduto.bsky.social.
👉 Read full story here: tinyurl.com/y9nrrde8
Despite skepticism, people sticking with dating apps, survey says
Reports of the death of dating apps, as Mark Twain might say, are greatly exaggerated. That’s one finding of the…
www.bu.edu
February 13, 2026 at 7:47 PM
Despite skepticism around trust and AI, Americans aren’t ditching dating apps.
Use is up, and nearly half believe you can find a soulmate online, according to a new CRC x IPSOS survey led by @katycoduto.bsky.social.
👉 Read full story here: tinyurl.com/y9nrrde8
Use is up, and nearly half believe you can find a soulmate online, according to a new CRC x IPSOS survey led by @katycoduto.bsky.social.
👉 Read full story here: tinyurl.com/y9nrrde8
Reposted by Communication Research Center
Roses are red
Violets are blue
Telling stories at COM
Is more magical with you!
Happy Valentine's Day to our #COMmunity!
Violets are blue
Telling stories at COM
Is more magical with you!
Happy Valentine's Day to our #COMmunity!
February 13, 2026 at 5:38 PM
Roses are red
Violets are blue
Telling stories at COM
Is more magical with you!
Happy Valentine's Day to our #COMmunity!
Violets are blue
Telling stories at COM
Is more magical with you!
Happy Valentine's Day to our #COMmunity!
New episode of The COMversation 🎙️ Migration, Media, and Memory features a conversation moderated by Dr. Charlotte Howell with Professor Roy Grundmann, Ph.D., and visual artist Julia Cumes.
🎧 Now streaming on Spotify
open.spotify.com/episode/1veB...
@comatbu.bsky.social
🎧 Now streaming on Spotify
open.spotify.com/episode/1veB...
@comatbu.bsky.social
February 9, 2026 at 5:37 PM
New episode of The COMversation 🎙️ Migration, Media, and Memory features a conversation moderated by Dr. Charlotte Howell with Professor Roy Grundmann, Ph.D., and visual artist Julia Cumes.
🎧 Now streaming on Spotify
open.spotify.com/episode/1veB...
@comatbu.bsky.social
🎧 Now streaming on Spotify
open.spotify.com/episode/1veB...
@comatbu.bsky.social
❄️In her last Director's Letter of 2025, Michelle Amazeen @commscholar.bsky.social gives a recap on all the past fall semester happenings at the CRC; including lecture series, research studies, podcast episodes, community-fostering, and more.
Read the December 2025 Letter here 👉 tinyurl.com/566rd2wj
Read the December 2025 Letter here 👉 tinyurl.com/566rd2wj
Letter from the Director: December 2025 | Communication Research Center
tinyurl.com
December 10, 2025 at 7:21 PM
❄️In her last Director's Letter of 2025, Michelle Amazeen @commscholar.bsky.social gives a recap on all the past fall semester happenings at the CRC; including lecture series, research studies, podcast episodes, community-fostering, and more.
Read the December 2025 Letter here 👉 tinyurl.com/566rd2wj
Read the December 2025 Letter here 👉 tinyurl.com/566rd2wj
CRC Director Michelle Amazeen (@commscholar.bsky.social) 's November 2025 Director's Letter is here! 🍁
In the midst of a climate crisis, she discusses Americans' diminishing faith in corporations' climate promises and the role media plays.
🔗 Read it here: tinyurl.com/mrxb6n4j
In the midst of a climate crisis, she discusses Americans' diminishing faith in corporations' climate promises and the role media plays.
🔗 Read it here: tinyurl.com/mrxb6n4j
Letter from the Director: November 2025 | Communication Research Center
tinyurl.com
November 24, 2025 at 5:07 PM
CRC Director Michelle Amazeen (@commscholar.bsky.social) 's November 2025 Director's Letter is here! 🍁
In the midst of a climate crisis, she discusses Americans' diminishing faith in corporations' climate promises and the role media plays.
🔗 Read it here: tinyurl.com/mrxb6n4j
In the midst of a climate crisis, she discusses Americans' diminishing faith in corporations' climate promises and the role media plays.
🔗 Read it here: tinyurl.com/mrxb6n4j
The latest CRC x IPSOS survey finds that Americans’ trust in corporations to tackle climate change is declining.
Only 48% believed that “corporate initiatives to address climate change will make a difference,” - a big drop from the 60% backing the statement in 2022
Read here 👉 tinyurl.com/52j2a6mt
Only 48% believed that “corporate initiatives to address climate change will make a difference,” - a big drop from the 60% backing the statement in 2022
Read here 👉 tinyurl.com/52j2a6mt
Falling confidence that American businesses will help stop climate change, survey says
Americans’ understanding of the problem of climate change hasn’t changed, but their faith in corporations’ promises to address the issue…
tinyurl.com
November 12, 2025 at 5:58 PM
The latest CRC x IPSOS survey finds that Americans’ trust in corporations to tackle climate change is declining.
Only 48% believed that “corporate initiatives to address climate change will make a difference,” - a big drop from the 60% backing the statement in 2022
Read here 👉 tinyurl.com/52j2a6mt
Only 48% believed that “corporate initiatives to address climate change will make a difference,” - a big drop from the 60% backing the statement in 2022
Read here 👉 tinyurl.com/52j2a6mt
In her October 2025 Director's Letter, Michelle Amazeen
@commscholar.bsky.social shares the findings of a CRC survey concerning First Amendment protections against government censorship in private media.
Read it here 👉 tinyurl.com/y7xpjpyd
@commscholar.bsky.social shares the findings of a CRC survey concerning First Amendment protections against government censorship in private media.
Read it here 👉 tinyurl.com/y7xpjpyd
Letter from the Director: October 2025 | Communication Research Center
tinyurl.com
October 30, 2025 at 4:14 PM
In her October 2025 Director's Letter, Michelle Amazeen
@commscholar.bsky.social shares the findings of a CRC survey concerning First Amendment protections against government censorship in private media.
Read it here 👉 tinyurl.com/y7xpjpyd
@commscholar.bsky.social shares the findings of a CRC survey concerning First Amendment protections against government censorship in private media.
Read it here 👉 tinyurl.com/y7xpjpyd
Reposted by Communication Research Center
Calling all 18-24 year-olds in Boston! 📢 Join our study on young adults’ media habits at @comatbu.bsky.social @bucomresearch.bsky.social. Your insights matter! See below to learn more & sign up. Please share with friends! #Boston #Research #MediaStudy
October 22, 2025 at 8:50 PM
Calling all 18-24 year-olds in Boston! 📢 Join our study on young adults’ media habits at @comatbu.bsky.social @bucomresearch.bsky.social. Your insights matter! See below to learn more & sign up. Please share with friends! #Boston #Research #MediaStudy
Reposted by Communication Research Center
In my October Director's Letter from @bucomresearch.bsky.social, I talk with Drs. @tvbookstvbooks.bsky.social & @morganweiland.bsky.social about public views on navigating governmental pressure, protecting free speech, and the future of media freedom.
#FirstAmendment
sites.bu.edu/crc/2025/10/...
#FirstAmendment
sites.bu.edu/crc/2025/10/...
October 26, 2025 at 5:51 PM
In my October Director's Letter from @bucomresearch.bsky.social, I talk with Drs. @tvbookstvbooks.bsky.social & @morganweiland.bsky.social about public views on navigating governmental pressure, protecting free speech, and the future of media freedom.
#FirstAmendment
sites.bu.edu/crc/2025/10/...
#FirstAmendment
sites.bu.edu/crc/2025/10/...
This interview with @katycoduto.bsky.social explores the adverse psychological effects true crime and compulsive social media usage has on consumers.
"You’re getting people who are saying, 'I literally can’t help but post and engage'", observes Prof. Coduto.
Read here: tinyurl.com/ms7uc4ym
"You’re getting people who are saying, 'I literally can’t help but post and engage'", observes Prof. Coduto.
Read here: tinyurl.com/ms7uc4ym
Is Following True Crime Bad for Your Well-Being?
Researcher Kathryn D. Coduto has studied why it’s hard to disconnect from cases like those of Karen Read or Gabby Petito.
tinyurl.com
October 21, 2025 at 3:18 PM
This interview with @katycoduto.bsky.social explores the adverse psychological effects true crime and compulsive social media usage has on consumers.
"You’re getting people who are saying, 'I literally can’t help but post and engage'", observes Prof. Coduto.
Read here: tinyurl.com/ms7uc4ym
"You’re getting people who are saying, 'I literally can’t help but post and engage'", observes Prof. Coduto.
Read here: tinyurl.com/ms7uc4ym