School of Journalism Archives

Caleb Gayle

Journalism Professor of the Practice

Abortion rights advocates and anti-abortion protesters demonstrate in front of the Supreme Court of the United States Supreme Court of the United States in Washington, DC.

Plain and simple: Abortion rights is a healthcare story

Coverage of the Supreme Court’s reported decision to strike down abortion rights should deal with the effects that will be borne by women and other people who need reproductive healthcare, says Meg Heckman, a Northeastern assistant professor who researches journalism from a feminist point of view.

by Ian Thomsen May 3, 2022

Former Alaska governor Sarah Palin arrives at a federal courthouse in Manhattan for her libel suit against the New York Times. Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Free-speech protection could be fundamentally changed by Sarah Palin's libel suit

Palin, the former governor of Alaska, is suing the New York Times over a 2017 editorial. Proving defamation is hard, Northeastern experts say, but Palin could lose the battle yet still win the war.

by Peter Ramjug February 10, 2022

Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

Free speech on social media doesn’t mean the same thing around the world

A Northeastern study of four democracies found that people in other countries differ from Americans as to how social media companies should be regulated—especially in cases that cause harm or distress.

by Ian Thomsen January 18, 2022

Founder and CEO of BuzzFeed Jonah H. Peretti celebrates ringing the bell with team members during BuzzFeed Inc.'s Listing Day at Nasdaq in New York City.

BuzzFeed went public. It’s about time.

The 15-year-old company went public in December, and Vox Media is considering a similar leap. The moves are long overdue and may offer examples of how smaller digital companies can survive, say Northeastern experts.

by Ian Thomsen January 6, 2022

Fired from CNN, Chris Cuomo may well resurface at another network. 'People make comebacks all the time,' says Northeastern journalism professor Mike Beaudet. Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Turner

Could Chris Cuomo end up back on the air? ‘I wouldn’t be surprised,’ say journalism professors

Chris Cuomo crossed a journalistic ethical line by using his position to help his brother Andrew, the embattled former governor of New York, navigate sexual harassment allegations, say Northeastern journalism professors Meg Heckman and Mike Beaudet. But Chris Cuomo is a celebrity, too, and that can affect how media personalities are viewed, Heckman adds.

by Peter Ramjug December 6, 2021

South African students decry omicron travel bans as a ‘knee-jerk reaction’

Itumeleng ‘Tumi’ Mosiah and Gina Izerel are students on the Boston campus who are plowing ahead with plans to visit their native South Africa despite the travel ban against their country. They don’t know if or even when they will be allowed back into the United States, so they’re making contingency plans with their professors.

by Peter Ramjug December 6, 2021

Local TV news has become ‘stale.’ Here’s how networks can liven up the broadcast

Northeastern researchers found that data visuals and other rich digital content helped TV viewers understand stories better. It’s the second phase of a research project looking at ways to improve the news media’s storytelling process.

by Peter Ramjug September 29, 2021

Study finds broad bipartisan support for social media ‘labeling’ to counter misinformation, problematic speech

The results of the national survey, published on Wednesday, may speak to new concerns about misinformation during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly surrounding the use of vaccines and other health protocols, says John Wihbey, an assistant professor of journalism and media innovation at Northeastern and co-author of the study.

by Tanner Stening September 16, 2021

Northeastern students gather at Krentzman Quad before the start of the fall semester

Campus infused with new energy as students move into dorms for the fall

After the pandemic lull, people are excited to be back on campus and mixing face-to-face with others again. “There's definitely an energy,” says one student of the upbeat mood.

by Peter Ramjug August 31, 2021