Skip to content
John Wihbey
Assistant Professor of Journalism and New Media

John Wihbey in the Press

John Wihbey for Northeastern Global News

Will gutted safeguards doom social media – and the election – in 2024?
Meta, TikTok, and 'X' social media logos are displayed over a black background.

Will gutted safeguards doom social media – and the election – in 2024?

The social media landscape and its impact for the 2024 elections—experts share insights into the role of platforms and the challenges ahead.
Most Americans are concerned about AI’s impact on the 2024 presidential election, Northeastern survey finds
Circular stickers that have US Flags on them and say "I Voted"

Most Americans are concerned about AI’s impact on the 2024 presidential election, Northeastern survey finds

A survey conducted by the AI Literacy Lab found that 83% of respondents are worried about the spread of misinformation in the 2024 election.
Why did Ron DeSantis kick off his presidential campaign with Elon Musk and Twitter?
Ron DeSantis speaking at political event in front of a US flag

Why did Ron DeSantis kick off his presidential campaign with Elon Musk and Twitter?

Ron DeSantis is announcing his candidacy in an unconventional way: on Twitter. Is it a strategic move or a misstep?
Is NPR really ‘US state-affiliated’ media?
NPR headquarters building

Is NPR really ‘US state-affiliated’ media?

NPR has been affixed with a “US state-affiliated media” label on Twitter, a move that prompted swift condemnation from outlets and experts.
The Bloomberg memes say he’s got enough money to take risks. But what do they say about democracy?

The Bloomberg memes say he’s got enough money to take risks. But what do they say about democracy?

Since entering the presidential race in November, Michael Bloomberg’s campaign has poured tens of millions of dollars into a media blitz to promote his candidacy. Northeastern professor John Wihbey says that while the candidate's strategy may be placing him in an unfavorable light from an optics standpoint, he has the financial wherewithal to experiment with different modes of advertising.
Race, gender, shape high school students’ support for First Amendment protections

Race, gender, shape high school students’ support for First Amendment protections

Boys and white students are less inclined than girls and students of color to agree with the statement: “The First Amendment goes too far in the rights it guarantees,” researchers at Northeastern and the Knight Foundation found.
To fight misinformation and fake news in the 2020 US presidential election, the news media needs to be reinvented

To fight misinformation and fake news in the 2020 US presidential election, the news media needs to be reinvented

Journalists need to provide their audience with more context for stories in order to fight misinformation and fake news.
Media coverage of the New Zealand mosque shooting needs scrutiny, Northeastern professor says

Media coverage of the New Zealand mosque shooting needs scrutiny, Northeastern professor says

The nonstop, global coverage of every facet of the attack in New Zealand that left 50 people dead has created a media narrative that only serves to reinforce such violence, says John Wihbey, an assistant professor at Northeastern whose research focuses on the intersection of news and social media.
Northeastern professors are trying to get local TV news to improve 2020 election coverage

Northeastern professors are trying to get local TV news to improve 2020 election coverage

Journalists and the public criticized the way news outlets covered the 2016 election, and they sought to fix coverage problems for 2020.
The United States isn’t quite a melting pot, this data visualization artist says. It’s more like a tree.

The United States isn’t quite a melting pot, this data visualization artist says. It’s more like a tree.

Pedro Cruz thinks of the United States as a tree. Specifically, as a tree trunk, with its concentric rings demarking growth throughout the years. As the Northeastern professor imagines it, each ring, instead of being formed by the birth and death of new plant cells, is formed by the flow of new immigrants arriving to the country.