Annenberg School for Communication

Founded in 1959 through the generosity and vision of diplomat and philanthropist Walter Annenberg, The Annenberg School for Communication stands at the forefront of education, research, and policy studies on the processes, nature, and consequences of existing and emerging media. The School offers students a firm grounding in a wide range of approaches to the study of communication and its methods, drawn from both the humanities and the social sciences. Home to a wide range of centers and projects, including the Annenberg Public Policy Center, the Center of Excellence in Cancer Communication Research, the Center for Global Communication Studies, the Scholars Program in Culture & Communication, the Institute for Public Service, and others, research at Annenberg encompasses political communication, global communication, health communication, visual communication, cultural studies, children and media, as well as new media and information technologies, with interests extending beyond the classroom. For decades, research conducted by faculty and students at the Annenberg School has influenced public discussion of the role of the media in shaping the perceptions of the viewing public.

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  • Publication
    Computing Krippendorff's Alpha-Reliability
    (2011-01-25) Krippendorff, Klaus
    Krippendorff’s alpha (α) is a reliability coefficient developed to measure the agreement among observers, coders, judges, raters, or measuring instruments drawing distinctions among typically unstructured phenomena or assign computable values to them. α emerged in content analysis but is widely applicable wherever two or more methods of generating data are applied to the same set of objects, units of analysis, or items and the question is how much the resulting data can be trusted to represent something real.
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    In Search of Local Knowledge on ICTs in Africa
    (2015-01-01) Gagliardone, Iginio; Kalemera, Ashnah; Kogen, Lauren; Nalwoga, Lillian; Stremlau, Nicole; Wairagala, Wakabi
    By reviewing and comparing literature on the role of ICTs in statebuilding and peacebuilding in Africa, with a particular focus on neighboring Somalia, Kenya, and Ethiopia, this paper examines whether the claims of the transformative power of ICTs are backed by evidence and whether local knowledge – e.g., traditional mechanisms for conflict resolution – is taken into consideration by ICT-based initiatives. Several key findings emerged, including: 1) empirical evidence on the successful use of ICTs to promote peacebuilding and statebuilding is thin; 2) few differences exist between scholarship emanating from the Global North and from Africa; and 3) the literature exhibits a simplistic assumption that ICTs will drive democratic development without sufficient consideration of how ICTs are actually used by the public.
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    Ecological Narratives; Reclaiming the Voice of Theorized Others
    (1998-05-27) Krippendorff, Klaus
    The urge to theorize has been a driving force of Western intellectual tradition. It underlies academic discourse, giving the scientific enterprise its vitality. Without systematic theorizing much of contemporary culture, particularly technology, would be virtually unthinkable. Naturally, theorizing has not been without critics. The skeptics have raised their voices against the ability of theory to describe anything at all. Radical empiricists, such as Francis Bacon, and even some logical positivists, have had stories to tell of the "blindness of abstraction." Now, postmodernists, poststructuralists, constructionists, deconstructionists, and many others are questioning the intelligibility of master narratives and the ability of unifying theories or logical/ mathematical systems to represent reality. From their perspective, science, literature, and law are just three of many literary genres, each cultivating their own reading of texts. The most recent critique comes from feminist scholars. Although feminism is not a unified perspective, feminist thought has grown far beyond its early advocacy of equal rights, be it by conceptualizing patriarchal society, exploring gender differences, or contributing scathing critiques of male rationality, technological world constructions, and the oppressive consequences of theory. Along its path, feminism has emphasized the embodied nature of knowledge, for example by accounting for voices instead of texts. Feminism advocated relational epistemologies, insisted on the participation of emotions, and discovered validation in practical actions that could lead to personal liberation.
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    Design
    (2016-01-01) Krippendorff, Klaus
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    The Perils of Randomization Checks in the Analysis of Experiments
    (2012-01-01) Mutz, Diana; Pemantle, Robin
    In the analysis of experimental data, randomization checks, also known as balance tests, are used to indicate whether a randomization has produced balance on various characteristics across experimental conditions. Randomization checks are popular in many fields although their merits have yet to be established. The grounds on which balance tests are generally justified include either 1) the credibility of experimental findings, and/or 2) the efficiency of the statistical model. We show that balance tests cannot improve either credibility or efficiency. The most common “remedy” resulting from a failed balance test is the inclusion as a covariate of a variable failing the test; this practice cannot improve the choice of statistical model. Other commonly suggested responses to failed balance tests such as post-stratification or re-randomization also fail to improve on methods that do not require balance tests. We advocate resisting reviewer requests for randomization checks in all but some narrowly defined circumstances
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    Uchaguzi: A Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis of ICTS, Statebuilding, and Peacebuilding in Kenya
    (2015-02-27) Bowman, Warigia; Bell, Bob; Ngugi, Wambui; Mungai, Wainaina; Githaiga, Grace; Cavallari, Paola
    What do scholars know about the internet, social media, and other ICTs in African elections? Information on the role electronic media plays in politics on the African continent is limited, with little scholarly work empirically examining the role of electronic media in African elections. In this report, we focus specifically on crowd-sourced publics in the Kenyan context. We intend to contribute to literature on ICT4D and governance, particularly highlighting the potential and limitations of non-profit ICT-using intermediaries and their work to re-define the relationship between citizens and the State. Throughout this report, we center on questions about the role of the crowdsourcing initiative Uchaguzi. This inquiry examines technical challenges, the organization’s ability to catalyze responses to reports of violence, the organization’s connection with the media establishment and the wider public as well as Uchaguzi’s overall role in strengthening electoral transparency and accountability. To address these questions, we employed mixed methods involving both qualitative and quantitative analyses as well as field methods and desk research. Data collection focused on review of documentary sources in addition to collection of both qualitative and quantitative data. Empirical and qualitative sources included fourteen semi-structured qualitative interviews with founders, designers, and implementers. We also conducted a short survey to assess citizens’ familiarity with Uchaguzi, reaching a total of 446 people and covering most regions in Kenya.
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    Paradox and Information
    (1982-10-10) Krippendorff, Klaus