Research Seminar in Strategic Communication with David Coppini

Political populism, news media and place-based polarization in the United States

In the United States, there has been a vibrant public debate on cultural and political divides related to rural and urban identities. The literature in this area has identified several mechanisms that could be related to this phenomenon, for example partisan polarization and political campaign efforts (Jacobs & Munis, 2023; Munis, 2022). However, the role that news media play in this process remains unclear, and possible ways in which news organizations could mitigate this type of polarization remain unexplored. This presentation discusses these issues, presenting survey data from previous election cycles and data from interviews conducted in Pennsylvania just before the 2024 presidential election.

David Coppini is an Associate Professor in the Department of Media, Film and Journalism Studies at the University of Denver. His research is in the areas of political communication and journalism. He is interested in the relationship between different forms of political polarization, media consumption and media trust in the United States and Italy. In addition, he has worked on several projects that examine the quality of local news in Colorado and the level of trust towards news organizations in the state. At the University of Denver, he teaches classes in strategic communication, media and politics, and research methods.