Annenberg Conversations

Welcome to Annenberg Conversations, a new podcast series where host Sarah Banet-Weiser, Dean of the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania, examines vital and pressing issues in the field of communication studies with leading Annenberg scholars.

In each episode, we will delve into the latest research, trends, and debates shaping the world of communication. From polarization in presidential elections to how popular feminism in TikTok is changing how we understand feminism, from communicating effectively around a range of health-related issues, to understanding climate change, our conversations hope to provide a deeper understanding of the forces that influence how we connect and communicate.

Season 2:

Episode 1: Following Global Media Flows

As tariffs and the transnational flow of goods are dominating political debates, Dean Sarah Banet-Weiser takes a look at the cross-border flow of media with Annenberg professor Aswin Punathambekar and assistant professor Juan Llamas Rodriguez. Punathambekar also directs the Center for Advanced Research in Global Research where Llamas is associate director. 

Season 1:

Episode 2: Lessons in Joy and Care

Dean Sarah Banet-Weiser talks to Annenberg Professors Desmond Upton Patton and Julia Ticona about centering joy and care within institutions, building communities of compassion and trust, creating a joy plan, and how researchers, social workers, and even social media users should think about these terms. 

Episode 1: Unpacking Election Politics

In the inaugural episode, Dean Banet-Weiser speaks to Sarah J. Jackson, and Yphtach Lelkes, associate professors at Annenberg School for Communication about how affective polarization, uncommitted movement, and race and gender are shaping the 2024 presidential elections in the United States.