Jennifer Holt

Jennifer Holt is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Film and Media Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB). She holds a PhD in Critical Studies of Film, Television, and Digital Media from UCLA, an MA in Critical and Cultural Studies of Film and Television from the University of Texas at Austin, and a BS in Broadcast Journalism from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Her research focuses on digital media policy, cloud infrastructures, and media historiography. She has authored influential books like Cloud Policy (MIT Press, 2024) and co-edited volumes such as Connected Viewing (Routledge, 2014). Holt has also been a Fellow with the Center for Democracy & Technology and has advised institutions like Warner Bros. and the FCC. She co-founded the open-access journal Media Industries.

Her teaching includes courses on media criticism, television history, and media industries. Research highlights include analyzing regulatory frameworks for digital infrastructure and the transformation of media distribution models. Holt's work bridges academia and industry, with global lectures on media policy in over 20 countries.