Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA Videos

Kate Okker-Edging: 988, Mental Health Chatbots, and Communication to Improve Mental Health
We have a new video! In this student profile, doctoral student Kate Okker-Edging shares her research on how emerging mental health resources — like AI-powered chatbots or the 988 National Mental Health Crisis Line — might be used to improve mental health outcomes within marginalized populations.

Congratulations to our doctoral grads! We're so proud of all of you! You did it! We can't wait to see what you do next! 📷: Prof. Sarah Jackson

Outreach in Appalachia: Supporting Families Affected by Opioid Addiction
Appalachia has been hard hit by the opioid crisis in the U.S., and injection drug use puts the region at high risk for HIV and hepatitis C outbreaks. Members of the Social Action Lab recently toured the region to hear from non-profit groups and others who live in these communities and help people with opioid use disorder move toward recovery. With the insight they gathered, they are exploring new ways to promote HIV and hepatitis C testing in the region and reduce the stigma of opioid addiction.

Annenberg School for Communication Assistant Professor Juan Llamas-Rodriguez talks about his new book, "Border Tunnels: A Media Theory of the U.S.-Mexico Underground."

Juan Llamas-Rodriguez on his new book, Border Tunnels: A Media Theory of the U.S.-Mexico Underground
Annenberg School for Communication Assistant Professor Juan Llamas-Rodriguez talks about his new book, "Border Tunnels: A Media Theory of the U.S.-Mexico Underground."

Alumni Profile: Jessica Davis Ba (C ‘93, MAC '97), U.S. Ambassador to Côte d'Ivoire
New video! After two decades in the U.S. Foreign Service serving in diplomatic roles across the world, Jessica Davis Ba (C ‘93, M.A.C. '97) was sworn in as the U.S. Ambassador to Côte d'Ivoire in January 2023. In this video, she talks about how her education at Annenberg prepared her for a career in diplomatic service, her day-to-day life as an ambassador, and how communication between the global community can build bridges and make the world a better place. Penn Alumni U.S. Embassy Abidjan

Antoine Haywood: Telling the Stories of Community Media Makers
🎥 New video! Doctoral candidate Antoine Haywood has a long history working with community media centers in both Atlanta and Philadelphia. As part of his dissertation research, he is profiling citizen storytellers at , Philadelphia’s Community Access Media center. In this video, Haywood talks about his passion for this work and helping Black mediamakers improve their community through media creation. With "Telling Our Stories: Community Media Portrait Project," Haywood has so far collected more than 40 photo portraits and 10 filmed interviews to tell the story of the storytellers.

Antoine Haywood: Telling the Stories of Community Media Makers
🎥 New video! Doctoral candidate Antoine Haywood has a long history working with community media centers in both Atlanta and Philadelphia. As part of his dissertation research, he is profiling citizen storytellers at , Philadelphia’s Community Access Media center. In this video, Haywood talks about his passion for this work and helping Black mediamakers improve their community through media creation. With "Telling Our Stories: Community Media Portrait Project," Haywood has so far collected more than 40 photo portraits and 10 filmed interviews to tell the story of the storytellers.

Antoine Haywood: Telling the Stories of Community Media Makers
🎥 New video! Doctoral candidate Antoine Haywood has a long history working with community media centers in both Atlanta and Philadelphia. As part of his dissertation research, he is profiling citizen storytellers at PhillyCAM, Philadelphia’s Community Access Media center. In this video, Haywood talks about his passion for this work and helping Black mediamakers improve their community through media creation. With "Telling Our Stories: Community Media Portrait Project," Haywood has so far collected more than 40 photo portraits and 10 filmed interviews to tell the story of the storytellers.

Convocation 2023, Annenberg School for Communication
Yesterday, we kicked off the new academic year with Convocation! Dean Banet-Weiser welcomed everyone back to campus, we heard from faculty and staff, met eight new doctoral students, and reunited with friends and colleagues.

Welcome Incoming Dean Sarah-Banet Weiser
Yesterday, President Liz Magill and Provost John L. Jackson, Jr. held a reception for the Annenberg community to welcome our incoming dean, Sarah Banet-Weiser. If you missed it, here's a short recap video!

A Tribute to Joe Cappella and Bob Hornik
There's no disputing that Joe Cappella and Bob Hornik are legends, both at Annenberg and in the field of Communication. This year at ICA, alum Itzhak Yanovitzky organized an all-star panel of alumni - some of their 100+ advisees! - to pay tribute to the much-beloved professors. The video features Bob and Joe (as themselves), Sijia Yang, Jeff Niederdeppe, Rebekah Nagler, Lourdes Ramirez, A. Susana Ramírez, Peter Monge, and Shawnika Hull. And don't miss your chance to play "spot the Annenberg alum" in the audience. The room was packed with Annenbergers!

International Communication Association 2023 Meeting in Toronto
What's more fun than thousands of Communiation scholars in one city? (Don't answer that!) ICA 2023 in Toronto was a delightful mix of scholarship and camraderie. Watch this 43-second recap video!

Today we give our beloved Dean John L. Jackson, Jr. a sendoff as he begins his new role, Penn Provost, tomorrow. We wish him nothing but happiness, success, and fulfillment, and we look forward to seeing him around campus. We bid him farewell with this montage from a party we threw in his honor just a few weeks ago. Thank you, Dean Jackson, for all you've done for Annenberg!

ICA 2023 in Toronto: Friday recap
ICA 2023 is ongoing, and it's been amazing to see so many Annenbergers past and present together in one city. Check out this quick recap of Friday's events!

Staff Profile: Tim Wortham, Jr.
Last fall, Tim Wortham, Jr. joined the Annenberg School for Communication as its Senior Director of Institutional Advancement. In this video, we talk to Tim about his hobbies and passions and what he plans to do at Annenberg.

Doctoral Graduation 2023 - Annenberg School for Communication
In this short video, we capture the tidal wave of pride, warmth, and gratitude that washes over us on graduation day at the Annenberg School. From faculty to staff to students to friends and family, we are all enormously proud of this year's 12 graduates.

Lauren Hitt (C'13) Delivers 2023 Communication Major Graduation Address
This past Sunday, former Communication major and alum Lauren Hitt (C'13) delivered the alumni address at the 2023 graduation ceremony for our Communication majors. The communications director for Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Hitt spoke about trusting your gut in making important life choices and showed through her own career path that often the "right choice" isn't the one that conforms to people's expectations.

Alumni Profile: Christopher Ali (PhD '13)
New video! Penn State University Professor and Annenberg Alum Christopher Ali (PhD '13) talks about his Annenberg experience, his media policy research on why tens of millions of rural Americans don't have affordable, high-speed internet connectivity, and how his figure skating background prepared him for the classroom.

"The Influencer Industry" (Princeton University Press) is a new book by alum and CDCS research affiliate Emily Hund (PhD '19)! It's all about social media influencers and their rise from "authentic" ordinary folks to a multi-billion-dollar industry. It's a fascinating look behind the monstera leaf of their perfect lives. Please enjoy it as much as we did making this video.