I study the causes and effects of media freedom. I am especially interested in the role of media in the repression-protest nexus. As a recovering journalist, I remain a news junkie, if not a news hound. My book, Historical Guide to World Media Freedom, a Choice Outstanding Academic Title for 2015 (CQ Press/SAGE 2014, with Douglas Van Belle), analyzes the evolution and devolution of media freedom in 196 countries from 1948 to 2013. My articles have been published in The Journal of Conflict Resolution, International Studies Quarterly, and Political Communication, Political Science Research and Methods, The International Journal of Press/Politics and The Journal of Human Rights.
Here’s an interview about my work with Doug Van Belle on Global Media Freedom featured on Maria Armoudian’s The Scholars’ Circle.
You can find the Global Media Freedom Dataset here.
In addition to my published work, I am writing a book on media freedom, democracy and human rights that is under contract with Columbia University Press. I am also engaged in the Global Academic Freedom Project, a qualitative and quantitative dataset, with AJ Angulo and students in the Emerging Scholars Program.