Annenberg Conversations

About Annenberg Conversations

Welcome to Annenberg Conversations, a new podcast series where host Sarah Banet-Weiser, Dean of Annenberg School of Communication at the University of Pennsylvania examines the vital and pressing issues in the field of communication studies with leading Annenberg scholars. In each episode, we will delve into the latest research, trends, and debates shaping the world of communication. From polarization in presidential elections to how popular feminism in TikTok is changing how we understand feminism, from communicating effectively around a range of health-related issues, to understanding climate change, our conversations hope to provide a deeper understanding of the forces that influence how we connect and communicate.

Publisher

Annenberg School for Communication

Category

education · news · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

21 Oct 2024

Latest episode

30 Apr 2026

Latest episodes

7 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   30 Apr 2026

   Season 2, Episode 03: Having a Conversation About Climate

   Climate change often feels overwhelming and too big to tackle, so most of us simply avoid talking about it. But what if talking about it was actually the key? In this episode, Dean Sarah Banet-Weiser sits down with Penn’s Vice Provost for Climate Policy and Action, Sanya Carley, and Annenberg’s Vice Dean and communication neuroscientist Emily Falk to model exactly what a rich, honest climate conversation can look like. Drawing on research in energy justice, behavior change, and the science of persuasion, they explore how connecting climate action to personal values and everyday joy is more effective and why the climate crisis deserves the same urgency as AI.

2. 

   19 Dec 2025

   Season 2, Episode 02: Journalism in a Changing Information Landscape

   Professors Victor Pickard and Duncan Watts explore journalism's evolving role in democracy amidst budget cuts, fake news accusations, and changing media consumption habits in an interview with Dean Sarah Banet-Weiser.

3. 

   24 Sept 2025

   Season 2, Episode 01: Following Global Media Flows

   Dean Sarah Banet-Weiser discusses the regulation of global media systems, digital borders, and infrastructural roles with Professor Aswin Punathambekar and Assistant Professor Juan Llamas Rodriguez in an interview about global media flows.

4. 

   17 Sept 2025

   Introducing Season Two (Promo)

   Dean Sarah Banet Weiser previews Annenberg Conversations' second season, highlighting discussions with faculty experts on global media flows and climate communication.

5. 

   17 Mar 2025

   Episode 02: Lessons in Joy and Care

   Dean Sarah Banet-Weiser talks to Annenberg Professors Desmond Upton Patton and Julia Ticona about centering joy and care within institutions, building communities of compassion and trust, creating a joy plan, and how researchers, social workers, and even social media users should think about these terms.

6. 

   14 Mar 2025

   Lessons in Joy and Care (Promo)

   🎤 MONDAY, MARCH 17 🎤 Listen as Dean Sarah Banet-Weiser talks to Annenberg Professors Desmond Upton Patton and Julia Ticona in the latest episode of Annenberg Conversations. They discuss centering joy and care within institutions, building communities of compassion and trust, creating a joy plan, and how researchers, social workers, and even social media users should think about these terms.

7. 

   21 Oct 2024

   Episode 01: Unpacking Election Politics

   In the inaugural episode, Dean Banet-Weiser speaks to Sarah J Jackson, and Yphtach Lelkes, associate professors at Anneneberg School for Communication about how affective polarization, uncommitted movement, and race and gender are shaping the 2024 presidential elections in the United States.

Who has been a guest on Annenberg Conversations

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Victor Pickard
• Duncan Watts
• Aswin Punathambekar
• Juan Llamas Rodriguez

Podcast Authority Score: 13 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

26

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

0

Contact Annenberg Conversations

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

Questions about Annenberg Conversations