Northwestern in the Media

Your colleagues in the news

Check out the top-reaching stories of academic impact in traditional media. Metrics draw from English-language print, broadcast and online global media outlets.

Top stories (Sept. 28- Oct. 4)

• Dr. Nabeel Yaseen finds genetics play a role in determining a person’s ability to adhere to a strict vegetarian diet long term. Yaseen was cited in 100 stories for a reach of 9.1 million. Top outlets include NBC News, CNN, The Telegraph, Gizmodo and The Washington Post. 

• Charles Whitaker discusses the potential drivers behind findings of a new study that reveals broad concerns among Black Americans about how they are depicted in the news media. Whitaker was cited in 72 stories for a reach of 3 million.  Top outlets include The Christian Science Monitor.

• Daniel Horton discusses the role breadfruit plays in the implementation of strategies to adapt to climate change. Horton was cited in 4 stories for a reach of 2.4 million. Top outlets include Forbes.

*To allow time for data processing and validation, the reporting period for top stories and quantitative media metrics runs Thursday-Wednesday.

In the Spotlight

Read in-depth coverage of Northwestern work and research.

Roger Guenveur Smith reaches to the past to address today’s issues, in new one man show

From WGN-TV

Otto Frank's story comes to life in a one-man show by Roger Guenveur Smith at the Wirtz Center for Performing and Media Arts. Guenveur speaks to WGN about how he tries to bring context of the present moment into the historically rooted solo performance.

Astronomers may have solved one of Webb’s first puzzles

From Mashable

Weinberg's Claude-André Faucher-Giguère leads a study that explains prior observations made using the James Webb Space Telescope of ancient galaxies that appear too bright for their age. Using computer simulations, the team found that the galaxies’ unusually bright features could be a result of irregular bursts of star formation.

Gossip is good. Tattling is bad.

From Vox

As a recent TikTok trend emboldens people to eavesdrop and then post covert recordings of random gossipers, School of Education and Social Policy’s Alexandra Solomon speaks to Vox about what drives people to gossip, noting that many use gossip as a means to bond.

NU Voices

Read perspectives from Northwestern faculty in national media.

It’s time we address isolation and loneliness as the systemic issues they are

From Amy Eisenstein, Chicago Tribune

“The ground around this issue is beginning to swell. Now is the time to build on this momentum and address isolation and loneliness as the systemic issues that they are. Programs and policies can go beyond the individual to focus on communities and society as a whole,” Feinberg’s Amy Eisenstein writes in the Chicago Tribune.

Is Chinese youth unemployment as bad as it looks?

From Nancy Qian, The Korea Times

“Is China’s economy really in dire straits? The short answer is no. Since emerging from COVID-19 lockdowns last year, the country’s rebound has been relatively strong. The Chinese economy grew by 6.3% year on year in the second quarter of 2023, outpacing the average annual growth rate of OECD countries,” Kellogg’s Nancy Qian writes in The Korea Times.

Announcements

Op-ed media training, Nov. 14

Faculty are invited to attend a fall media training session dedicated to op-ed writing. Guest speaker Torie Bosch, editor of First Opinion at STAT, will lead an interactive conversation with attendees. She has spent years editing academics and other experts and is excited to share her tips on writing smart, accessible, engaging and conversation-driving op-eds for a general-interest audience. 

Although STAT (produced by the Boston Globe Media group) covers health, medicine and the life sciences, Torie’s tips on writing op-eds are universal to all disciplines.  

• When: 10-11 a.m. CT, Tuesday, Nov. 14
• Where: Virtual event
• Register here

About

About the Northwestern in the Media briefing

This weekly newsletter serves as a resource for faculty and communications staff, sharing news opportunities and highlighting faculty and University successes in traditional media. It also provides communications tools such as media training resources and announcements about upcoming sessions.

By providing these resources, we hope to help faculty show their expertise to a national and international audience as well as recognize those who are making an impact.

We welcome your feedback on this and all of our communications tools. You can reach us any time at media@northwestern.edu.