Stewart Coles

Stewart M. Coles is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His research focuses on how media depictions of marginalized groups influence public opinion, prejudice, and political behavior, with a particular emphasis on entertainment media's political effects and audience susceptibility to media messages.

He earned his Ph.D. in Communication and Media (2020) from the University of Michigan, an M.A. in Journalism & Media Studies (2012) from San Diego State University, and a B.S. in Media Arts & Design (2005) from Drexel University. Prior to academia, Coles served 10 years in the U.S. Marine Corps as a public affairs officer and worked in public relations, advertising, and multimedia design.

• Research Interests: Political Communication, Social and Digital Media, Entertainment Media and Politics, Media Psychology, Public Opinion, Intergroup Conflict.
• Key Research: Examines cultivation effects of entertainment media on stereotypes, polarization dynamics in social media, parental mediation of media use, and intersectional invisibility of Black women in social justice contexts.
• Email: smcoles@illinois.edu