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Institute for Democracy, Journalism & Citizenship 🏛️

@syracuseidjc

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🔍 Nonpartisan research and teaching
🤝 Joint initiative from @newhousesu and @maxwellschoolsu
📍Washington D.C.

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New series alert 🚨 We’re kicking off a mini-series with IDJC Director Margaret Talev sharing her insider take on all things journalism and media literacy with us.

First up: clickbait. You know the headlines that make you rage-click before you even think twice. 🧠📰

Tomorrow, Margaret breaks down exactly how to spot clickbait headline — tips you’ll actually use next time your feed tries to bait you. 📲

Follow along so you don’t miss it. 🍊🧡

#MediaLiteracy #News #SyracuseUniversity #journalism by @syracuseidjc

What makes local journalism land with readers? 🎥 📰

Joshua Darr, IDJC senior researcher and director of the Local News Experimental Testing Lab (Local NExT Lab)🔎 🏘️

“We learned a lot about local journalism’s role as a place where people can identify solutions to problems, celebrate what makes their area unique, and learn about new and evolving local issues that affect their lives directly.” 💬

The findings come from randomized experiments with newsroom partners across four states, testing real-world questions from editors and publishers about better serving their readers. 📊

And the lab is growing! In 2026-27, it doubles to eight newsrooms, with the American Journalism Project joining the W.K. Kellogg Foundation as a partner. 🙌

You can find out more about Local NExT Lab on our website 🔗
#localnews #syracuseuniversity #journalism #newhouse by @syracuseidjc

🗳️ What’s really driving the 2026 midterms?

From the cost of living and health care to immigration and the war in Iran, what issues will shape voters’ decisions on November 3?

At the latest State of Democracy Lecture, hosted by the Campbell Public Affairs Institute, journalists, pollsters, and Syracuse University scholars broke down the races to watch, what the polls can (and can’t) tell us, and what the results could mean for Congress and the road to 2028.

🎥 Click the link in our bio to watch the full panel discussion!

#2026Midterms #StateOfDemocracy #Election2026 #PoliticalPolling #syracuseuniversity by @syracuseidjc

We had so much fun co-hosting @washingtonpostcreator Thursday morning for its very first Verified Live: Creators & Campaigns Event in D.C. along with @creatoreconomysu

The conversation focused on the growing influence of creators in politics ahead of the midterms and how it’s shaping journalism.

The panel featured political strategists Annie Wu Henry and Merrill Hersam, Federal Elections Committee Chair Shana M. Broussard and political creator and attorney Cheyenne Hunt.

A huge thank you to Sara Goo and The Washington Post team!

📸 Lancer Photography by @syracuseidjc

💡 New research from Syracuse University’s Local NExT Lab shows how testing assumptions about story formats, presentation and audience engagement can help newsrooms make more informed decisions about their journalism and long-term strategy.

From the value of pairing investigative reporting with community stories at @mstodaynews to the impact of on-camera video at @deepsouthtoday’s Arkansas Today, the findings offer practical lessons for local news leaders.

And we’re excited to help bring these insights to more newsrooms. AJP is joining @syracuseidjc and the @kelloggfoundation as a partner for the Lab’s next cohort, which will include eight newsrooms, four of them AJP-supported organizations.

Read more about what newsrooms learned and how they’re putting those findings into practice at the link in our bio. by @syracuseidjc

Verified is going live! 🗣️

Join us in D.C. on Oct 15 for Creators & Campaigns, presented by Syracuse University’s Center for the Creator Economy & IDJC to hear from key leaders across media, politics, and creator strategy!

…and we’ll have some matcha for your morning with @celeste.matcha.haven ☁️✨

See you there! by @syracuseidjc

What’s really driving the 2026 midterms and who ends up controlling Congress? 🤨

Join us next week with the Campbell Public Affairs Institute for a lively conversation to examine which issues voters care about, the political mood across the country, the races that will determine control of Congress, and what the polls are (and aren’t) telling us with Election Day approaching.

Register through the link in our bio 🔗 by @syracuseidjc

A story you likely never heard in history class that changed the trajectory of the Civil War.

@repjamesclyburn retells the harrowing escape that made Robert Smalls one of the most consequential Americans to ever serve in Congress.

Listen to @mtalev & @ghaelfobes’s full #250AF podcast interview

Link in bio. by @syracuseidjc

IDJC’s Local NExT Lab has published its inaugural impact report🔬

The lab launched in 2025 to empower local news organizations to test and implement evidence-based strategies strengthening journalism and community impact.

To read the report and learn more about the lab, check out our website 🤓 by @syracuseidjc

You can thank Levi’s for Casual Friday. 👖

Edward Bernays helped pioneer the playbook for modern PR. Levi’s used similar PR principles to send an HR pamphlet to workplaces showing employers how employees could dress casually without looking unprofessional.

The idea caught on. Khakis became office-appropriate, “business casual” entered the workplace lexicon, and Casual Friday became a cultural norm.

As Gina Luttrell of Syracuse’s @newhousesu explains on 250 American Firsts, this is part of a much bigger story: PR doesn’t just sell products. It can change behavior.

🎧 If you want to hear more about the PR campaigns behind some of America’s everyday habits tune into 250 American Firsts with Margaret Talev, Ghael Fobes, and Gina Luttrell.

#PublicRelations #PRHistory #syracuseuniversity by @syracuseidjc

In the report, “A Hard Reality: Independent Local Journalism in the United States,” Merrill Brown and Jacob Spudich draw on responses from 112 publishers in 37 states and Washington, D.C. to learn more about the state of independent local journalism 🗞️

What they found: Burnout is the top challenge.

Find the full report and see what they view as the next steps for the journalism industry on our website 🔗 by @syracuseidjc

Not the host city you might expect! 📍

Legendary broadcaster Bob Costas takes us back to the first US-hosted @olympics 🏅🏹🏟️🏊⛷️

Listen to our full conversation, including Bob’s favorite memories from past games and what he’s looking forward to @la28

Link in bio!

#olympics #250af #250america by @syracuseidjc