Sarah J. Jackson

Sarah J. Jackson is a Presidential Associate Professor at the Annenberg School for Communication, University of Pennsylvania. She co-directs the Media, Inequality & Change (MIC) Center, which explores media, technology, policy, and social justice. Her research focuses on how marginalized communities, particularly Black and feminist spaces, use media and technology to drive social change. She holds a Ph.D. in Mass Communication and has authored influential books like Black Celebrity, Racial Politics, and the Press (2014) and Hashtag Activism: Networks of Race and Gender Justice (2020).

Her work integrates critical theories of race, media, and social movements. Awards include the Andrew Carnegie Fellowship (2020) and recognition from the Harvard Shorenstein Center, International Communication Association, and others. She advises on policy interventions with community leaders and serves on editorial boards of major communication journals. Jackson previously taught at Northeastern University and collaborates with the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society.

Key research interests include digital culture, counterpublics, and the intersection of technology with race, gender, and activism. Her op-eds appear in NYTimes, Atlantic, and Washington Post, and she is frequently cited in media outlets like NPR, CNN, and PBS.