Douglas McLeod

Ph.D., Professor, Head of Graduate Studies, School of Journalism & Mass Communication, University of Wisconsin

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Douglas McLeod is a professor and Head of Graduate Studies in the School of Journalism & Mass Communication at the University of Wisconsin. Before coming to the University of Wisconsin in 2000, he taught for 11 years in the Department of Communication at the University of Delaware. An alumnus of the University of Wisconsin, he majored in journalism and psychology. He earned an M.A. and Ph.D. in mass communication and sociology from the University of Minnesota.

McLeod has published 60 journal articles and book chapters, and one edited book. McLeod’s research develops two lines of inquiry into the antecedents and consequences of mass communication: 1) social conflicts, movements and the mass media; and 2) media effects on public opinion. The first program of research focuses on the role of the media in both domestic and international conflicts, including media coverage of social movements and its impact on the audience. McLeod’s second line of research studies the impact of media content on public attitudes and opinions, including research on framing and priming effects.

Currently, McLeod is part of a team of communication researchers affiliated with the START Center looking the role of the mass media and other forms of communication in the processes by which different Islamic social movements in Indonesia attempt to influence the public. He is also finishing a book about how news framing of the USA Patriot Act influences audience assessments of issues related to national security and civil liberties.