Experts Guide

Ruth is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalism professional experienced in broadcasting and podcasting, American politics and mass communications.

Martin is a survey researcher who studies relationships between media use and behaviors and attitudes, such as support for freedom of expression, reliance on social media influencers for news and fears of digital surveillance. He co-leads the "Life in Media Study," the first known longitudinal study of digital media use and well-being among 6,000-9,000 11- 13-year-olds, who will be tracked for decades into middle adulthood.

Ancu studies the role of online technologies, especially online social media, in political campaigns. Her research focuses on how political candidates and voters use social networking sites, blogs, podcasts and online advertising, and how these technologies affect political communication and political behavior.

Watson is a former journalist in Jamaica whose research focuses on journalism history and law, comparing developments in the Caribbean, U.S. and other countries in areas ranging from criminal and civil libel to regulation of the broadcast media.

Whitt is a veteran newsroom leader who has been a reporter, copy editor and editor at newspapers in Florida, California and North Carolina. Her editing experience includes investigative and enterprise reporting; local, state and national politics; and local news. Multimedia storytelling and news packaging/design are among her areas of expertise, and her teaching areas include First Amendment law, public affairs and local news reporting and multimedia storytelling.