Amy B. Becker (B.A. Brown University; M.A. & Ph.D. University of Wisconsin-Madison) is a Professor of Communication and Media at Loyola University Maryland in Baltimore. Named as Loyola’s 2023 Distinguished Scholar of the Year, Becker’s research focuses on four areas in the field of political and mass communication including: 1) the effects of exposure and attention to political comedy and entertainment, (2) public opinion and citizen participation on controversial political issues, (3) new media and youth political engagement, and (4) public engagement with science.
Becker has published in a variety of top-tier communication and interdisciplinary social science journals including Human Communication Research, Information, Communication & Society, Mass Communication & Society, Political Communication, Public Opinion Quarterly, Science Communication, and Social Media + Society.
Becker co-edited a 2018 book entitled, Political Humor in a Changing Media Landscape: A New Generation of Research (with Jody Baumgartner for Lexington Books) and served as an editor of The International Journal of Public Opinion Research from 2018-2021. Becker often offers media commentary on her research and on political entertainment, celebrity politics, polling, elections, and the new media environment.
An expert in survey research, Becker worked in the world of political polling and corporate market research, providing analysis and strategic insight to political candidates running for national and state office and for major corporations looking to redefine their brand image.
At Loyola, Becker teaches courses on mass communication, political communication, popular culture, political entertainment, and travel reporting.
Becker lives with her family in Columbia, Maryland but remains a loyal fan of Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band and a Jersey girl at heart. For more on her teaching and research, please visit: https://amybreebecker.com/