James Shanahan

Professor of Communication

PhD, University of Massachusetts-Amherst

James Shanahan is a mass media effects researcher. He holds a PhD in communication from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. His research interests focus on cultural indicators, cultivation theory, media effects and public opinion. Special areas of focus are communication in relation to science and the environment. He has co-authored several books, including Television and Its Viewers (with Michael Morgan, 1999), Nature Stories (with Katherine McComas, 1999) and Democracy Tango (with Michael Morgan, 1995). He has published numerous articles and chapters on topics related to media effects. He has served as the editor of the journal Mass Communication and Society, and is an editorial board member of the American Journal of Media Psychology; Communication Quarterly; Environmental Communication: A Journal of Nature and Culture; Learning, Media & Technology; and the Journal of Communication.