Viewers of “The Colbert Report” who watched faux-conservative TV host Stephen Colbert set up a super PAC and 501(c)(4) organization during the last presidential election cycle proved to be better informed about campaign financing and the role of money in politics than viewers of other news channels and shows, according to a new study by researchers at the Annenberg Public Policy Center.
Politics
National Security Experts Urge Reform in Congressional Oversight of Homeland Security
More than 60 leaders in national defense urged Congress today to reform the way it oversees homeland security, saying that the current system jeopardizes national security and leaves the nation vulnerable to cyber-attacks, bioterrorism, and other threats.
Scholars confer on ‘Patterns of Deception’ and more
In January, the Annenberg Public Policy Center brought together scholars in the fields of communication and debate and speech at a conference in Honolulu to review and make recommendations on current projects at the policy center, ranging from FlackCheck.org's Patterns of Deception videos to Tobacco Watch to an examination of presidential debates.
How campaign micro-targeting affects fact-checking of political ads
In "Messages, Micro-targeting, and New Media Technologies," published in The Forum in October, Kathleen Hall Jamieson writes that the trend in politics of micro-targeting ads toward individual voters makes it more difficult for reporters and scholars to know "who is saying what to whom, where and with what effect."
Speaker series starts with William Jacoby on ‘Measuring Political Knowledge’
As the first lecturer in APPC's 2013-2014 lunchtime Speaker Series, Michigan State University political science professor William G. Jacoby will talk on Oct. 28 about "Measuring Political Knowledge." He will propose a simple approach to take into account interviewer bias and differences in judgment.
Report: Congress Could Make America Safer
On the 12th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, a bipartisan task force of homeland-security experts, government officials and former members of the 9/11 Commission has released a report outlining the need for stronger and clearer Congressional oversight of national security.