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, her work focuses on journalism, media history, visual communication, and cultural memory. She holds degrees from Hebrew University of Jerusalem (B.A., 1976; M.A., 1981) and a Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania (1990).

Her research explores how media shapes public perception during crises, with notable works like About To Die: How News Images Move the Public (2010) and Media and Propaganda in an Age of Disinformation (2025). She has authored/co-edited 16 books and over 200 articles, addressing themes such as propaganda, media accountability, and journalism’s role in democracy.

• Research affiliations include the Center for Media at Risk, Center on Digital Culture and Society, and Media, Inequality & Change Center.
• Awards: American Academy of Arts and Sciences membership, Guggenheim Fellowship, and multiple international fellowships.

Zelizer’s recent work critiques modern disinformation and propaganda, emphasizing historical continuities. She has advised global media platforms and serves on editorial boards of top journals. Her media contributions appear in The Nation, CNN, and other outlets.