Annenberg Public Policy Center

Student Voices at Philadelphia’s Central High Receives $100,000 Award

Wed, 07 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The Student Voices program at Philadelphia’s Central High School has been recognized with a $100,000 award to further civic engagement among students and communities. Central is one of seven schools nationwide to receive the award. The awards were presented by AARP, which is celebrating its 50^th anniversary this year.

Central’s “Power of Student Voices” project, a culmination of three years of Student Voices programming, included prize-winning Civics Fair entries, last year’s mayoral forum held at the high school (view the forum), and ongoing student civics projects. The award was officially presented to Philadelphia School District Chief of Staff Claudia Averette and Central High Principal Sheldon Pavel at the school on Tuesday, May 6.

Public Sees Different Strengths and Weaknesses in Democratic Contenders

Tue, 06 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT

After two months of controversies surrounding statements made by Democratic candidates Illinois Sen. Barack Obama and New York Sen. Hillary Clinton, Sen. Clinton maintains an edge among Democrats on the character traits of experience, strong leadership, patriotism and judgment.

Democrats see Sen. Obama as stronger on the traits “trustworthy” and “saying what he/she believes.” Democrats see no difference between the candidates on the trait “shares my values.” These new findings are being released today by the National Annenberg Election Survey (NAES) of the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania.

No Spinning This: FactCheck and FactCheckED Garner Three Webby Awards

Mon, 05 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Annenberg Political Fact Check (www.FactCheck.org) and its offspring, FactCheckED (www.FactCheckED.org), have been named winners in the 12^th Annual Webby Awards competition, it was announced today. FactCheck.org was named the best political website by the Webby judges, and also garnered a People’s Voice Webby, which is awarded based on voting by web users worldwide. FactCheckED received a People’s Voice Webby in the education category.

FactCheck.org is a nonpartisan, nonprofit "consumer advocate" for voters that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics. Both websites are projects of the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania.

Media Fairness? It’s in the Eye of the Beholder, National Annenberg Election Survey Data Show

Thu, 01 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Are the media being fair this campaign season? The answer is in the eye of the beholder. Supporters of the candidate who is doing well in public opinion at the time perceive press coverage as fair, whereas those supporting the opposition see it as lopsided.

These perceptions, however, can change as quickly as public opinion shifts, according to new data released today by the National Annenberg Election Survey (NAES) of the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania.

“It is common for strong supporters of a candidate to blame media coverage when their candidate’s popularity suffers, and to consider press coverage unfair and the likely reason for their candidate’s lack of apparent success,” said Diana Mutz, Director of Innovation for the National Annenberg Election Survey. “Conversely, when things are going well, it is simply because their candidate is receiving his or her ‘fair’ shake from the press. Media coverage is a highly visible potential cause of shifts in opinion, but it is difficult to please strong advocates on different sides of a contest.”

Amy Jordan on Children and Electronic Media

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Amy Jordan, director of the Media and the Developing Child sector of the Annenberg Public Policy Center, has authored “Children’s Media Policy,” the final article in the latest issue of the journal The Future of Children, which is devoted exclusively to children and electronic media.

The journal is a collaboration of the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University and The Brookings Institution in Washington.

In her article, Dr. Jordan addresses the philosophical tension between constitutional protections and government regulation of content and delivery systems for children’s media.

Mutz elected to American Academy of Arts & Sciences

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Diana Mutz, the Samuel A. Stouffer professor of political science and communication at the University of Pennsylvania and director of the Annenberg Public Policy Center’s Institute for the Study of Citizens and Politics, has been elected to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, one of the nation’s oldest and most prestigious honorary societies. Mutz also serves as director of innovation of the National Annenberg Election Survey.

Mutz was among 212 scholars, scientists, artists, civic, corporate and philanthropic leaders from 20 states and 15 countries elected to this year’s class. Also newly elected to AAAS membership were U.S. Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice John Paul Stevens, computer company founder Michael Dell, former cabinet secretary and White House Chief of Staff James A. Baker III, Academy Award-winning filmmakers Ethan and Joel Cohen and blues guitarist B.B. King.

Condom labeling study published

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

An article examining the effectiveness of Food and Drug Administration proposed condom package labeling, co-authored by Amy Bleakley, a research scientist in the Health Communication Group of the Annenberg Public Policy Center, has been published in the journal AIDS and Behavior.

Bleakley, and co-authors Martin Fishbein, director of APPC’s Health Communication Group, and David Holtgrave of the Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University, write that the impact of the FDA proposed changes for condom labels on HIV-related beliefs and intentions to use a condom is not different from the impact of the current label.

Satisfaction with Presidential Primary Process Dropping Among Both Parties, Annenberg Data Show

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Fewer than one in three Democrats (30.9%) is satisfied with the presidential primary process this election season. That level has dropped significantly since the beginning of the year. Although satisfaction rates with the primary process are significantly higher among Republicans, those rates also have declined substantially since the first of the year.

The data are being released today by the National Annenberg Election Survey of the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania.

In another finding released today, public opinion on the role that superdelegates should play in deciding the Democratic nominee differs significantly between supporters of Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York and Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois.

Student Voices Builds Ongoing Civic Interest, New Study Finds

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Exposure to the civic engagement program Student Voices plays an important role in retaining long-term political and civic engagement, according to research published in the latest issue of the journal Applied Developmental Science.

Philadelphia high school students who had participated in the Annenberg Public Policy Center’s supplemental Student Voices curriculum in the 2002-2003 school year were contacted by researchers 1 ½ to two years later to determine if their earlier levels of interest had been maintained over time.

Student Voices Added to PennCORD Civics Offerings

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The Pennsylvania Coalition for Representative Democracy (PennCORD), a coalition of state and national organizations committed to implementing civics education in classrooms and after-school programs in every Pennsylvania community, has added the Annenberg Public Policy Center’s Student Voices program to its offerings.

Lead partners in the PennCORD effort are the Office of the Governor of Pennsylvania, under the leadership of First Lady Judge Marjorie O. Rendell; the National Constitution Center; the Pennsylvania Bar Association; and the Pennsylvania Department of Education. PennCORD activities are coordinated by the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.