Barbie Zelizer

Barbie Zelizer is the Raymond Williams Professor of Communication and Director of the Center for Media at Risk at the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg School for Communication. A former journalist, she is renowned for her scholarship on journalism, culture, memory, and visual studies, particularly during crises. Her work includes fifteen books and over 150 articles, with notable titles such as About To Die and Remembering to Forget.

Key Positions

• Raymond Williams Professor of Communication (University of Pennsylvania, 2002–present)
• Director of the Center for Media at Risk (University of Pennsylvania)
• Past President, International Communication Association
• Former Director, Scholars Program in Culture and Communication

Research Focus

Zelizer’s research bridges journalism studies, visual culture, and collective memory, with a focus on how media shapes public understanding of crises and historical trauma. She is currently exploring how the Cold War influenced journalistic norms.

Scientific Awards and Honors

• Elected Member, American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2020)
• Elected Member, British Academy (2021)
• Guggenheim Fellowship
• Freedom Forum Center Research Fellowship
• Fellowship, Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies
• Fulbright Senior Scholar
• ACLS Fellowship

Leadership and Recognition

She has held leadership roles such as Coeditor of Journalism: Theory, Practice and Criticism and Judge of the Peabody Awards. Her work has been translated into 11 languages, underscoring her global academic impact.