Stephanie Edgerly

Stephanie Edgerly is a Professor and Associate Dean of Research at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. Her research explores how new media features alter news consumption, engagement, and the blending of news with entertainment. She examines social media’s role in audience behavior, media literacy, and news avoidance. Recent work focuses on youth media repertoires, political communication, and civic engagement in hybrid media environments.

• Academic Rank: Professor
• University: Northwestern University
• School: Medill School of Journalism

Edgerly’s research spans news avoidance, social media dynamics, and audience-driven journalism. Her 2020 Walder Award-winning work centers on "news-ness" as a concept for hybrid media environments. Articles highlight civic engagement trends among Gen Z, partisan media repertoires, and platform-specific news evaluation.

Notable honors include:

• 2020: Outstanding Article in Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly
• 2019: Sharon Dunwoody Early Career Award
• 2020: Walder Award for Research Excellence
• 2018: Finalist for Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly award

Edgerly is a U.S. State Department speaker on fake news and media trust. She collaborates with the Lillian Lodge Kopenhaver Center and Northwestern’s Institute for Policy Research, emphasizing global and institutional impacts of her work.