Experts
Matthew C. Nisbet
Professor of Communication, American University
Recent Activity
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On Tuesday, May 22, I will be delivering a lecture as part of the National Academies' Sackler Colloquium on the "Science of Science Communication," reviewing the role of the media in science policy debates. Below I have included a reading list specific to key subjects covered. Overviews on ... Read More
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MSNBC's Morning Joe is one of the few places on cable news where you can find genuine ideological cross-talk. It's not surprising then that the program hosted this week University of Pennsylvania President Amy Gutmann and co-author of the new book "The Spirit of Compromise: Why Governing Demands ... Read More
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--Guest post by Declan Fahy, AoE’s Science and Culture correspondent. Can popular science writing help diagnose a medical condition? It did for me. Since I was a teenager I had been suffering occasionally from crippling headaches that made me nauseous and bed-bound, sometimes for days. Before ... Read More
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As part of the American University project documenting the history of investigative reporting, School of Communication professor Charles Lewis asked Bob Woodward to reflect on the Bush administration's ability to influence the press, specifically on the topic of weapons of mass destruction. You ... Read More
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To say that we tend to demonize oil companies is an understatement. And for good reason, given the role in the past of companies like Exxon Mobil in sowing doubt around the science of climate change. But I also believe that the demonization strategy may often distract us from considering policy ... Read More
About Matthew C. Nisbet
Matthew C. Nisbet, Ph.D. is Associate Professor in the School of Communication at American University, Washington, D.C. and writer of the Age of Engagement blog at Big Think.
As a social scientist, Nisbet studies strategic communication in policy-making and public affairs, focusing on debates over complex policy problems like energy and climate change. Nisbet holds a Ph.D. and M.S. in Communication from Cornell University and an AB in Government from Dartmouth College.
He is the author of more than 35 journal articles and book chapters, and he serves on the editorial boards of the International Journal of Press/Politics and Science Communication. His scholarship has been cited more than 500 times in the peer-reviewed literature and in more than 150 books.
At American University, Nisbet co-led a team of faculty which founded the Doctor of Philosophy program in Communication, an interdisciplinary curriculum designed around the intersections of media, technology, and democracy. The program combines social scientific and humanistic approaches to the study of communication, analyzing the complex interactions among the news media, entertainment media, digital communications, nonprofit organizations, government, and business. Visit the program's web site for more information and to apply.
Nisbet's research on the climate change and energy debates is funded by the Nathan Cummings Foundation and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. He is also an inaugural member of the Google Science Communication Fellows program. A 2011 editorial at the journal Nature recommended Nisbet's research as "essential reading for anyone with a passing interest in the climate change debate."
At American University, Nisbet directs the Climate Shift Project, an initiative producing interdisciplinary research and independent media examining the climate change and energy debates. Climate Shift’s network of social scientists, scholars and professionals work with a diversity of organizations and agencies; train students, researchers and leaders; and convene forums and events that engage the Washington, D.C. community.