Catherine Happer

Dr. Catherine Happer is a Senior Lecturer in Sociological & Cultural Studies at the University of Glasgow, serving as Director of the Glasgow University Media Group and Subject Group Lead for Media, Culture and Society. Her work focuses on media's role in shaping public opinion, particularly regarding climate change and environmentalism. She holds a Ph.D. from Lancaster University and has contributed to major research initiatives, including studies with Chatham House on sustainable behavior communication and an EPSRC-funded project on online content moderation. She has advised the Scottish Government, testified before the UK Parliament, and authored/co-authored books such as The Construction of Public Opinion in a Digital Age (2024) and Communicating Climate Change and Energy Security (2013).

• Teaches Honours courses in Sociological and Cultural Studies.
• Developed the MSc in Media, Communications and International Journalism.
• Currently leads a mixed-methods study on media and the cost-of-living crisis.

Research Interests: Climate communication, audience reception theory, digital media's impact on public opinion, and AI-driven content moderation. Her work bridges sociology, media studies, and environmental science.

Publications span 34+ articles, books, and reports across sociology, media studies, and environmental communication. Recent work explores TikTok's role in climate discourse and media framing of crises like the cost-of-living crisis. She regularly contributes to media评论 and appears on BBC and Al Jazeera.

Awards and Recognition: While no specific named awards are listed, her work has been widely cited and she holds editorial roles at Sociology and HumaNetten.

Grants: Lead or co-investigator on projects totaling over £250k, including EPSRC funding for content moderation research and international studies on climate communication.