Erik Nisbet
Associate Professor | School of Communication The Ohio State University
- Columbus OH
Expert in communication focused on non-democratic contexts, public diplomacy, foreign policy, public opinion and global problems.
Media
Biography
Nisbet's research centers on the role of media and digital communication in non-democratic contexts, public diplomacy, foreign policy, public opinion, and global problems such as climate change. He has published more than 25 book chapters and articles in academic journals such as the Journal of Communication, Communication Research, Political Communication, Annals of the American Academy of Political & Social Science, International Journal of Public Opinion Research, Nature Climate Change, and International Journal of Communication.
Nisbet has co-authored numerous reports such as "Data Driven Public Diplomacy: Progress Toward Measuring the Impact of Public Diplomacy and International Broadcasting Activities," published by the U.S. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy. He also recently co-authored a series of reports on attitudes toward Internet freedom in Russia, Turkey, and Pakistan. Beyond his teaching at Ohio State, Erik regularly teaches workshops on public diplomacy evaluation and research for the USC Center for Public Diplomacy.
Industry Expertise
Areas of Expertise
Accomplishments
Best Faculty Paper
2012
Environmental Communication Interest Group, International Communication Association
Published Article of the Year
2013
ComSHER Division, Association for Education in Journalism & Mass Communication
Top Faculty Paper
2014
Communication of Science, Health, Environment, & Risk Division, Association for Education in Journalism & Mass Communication
Best Faculty Paper
2014
International Communication Division, Association for Education in Journalism & Mass Communication
Faculty Outreach Award
2015
Social & Behavioral Sciences Division, Arts & Sciences College
Published Article of the Year
2016
ComSHER Division, Association for Education in Journalism & Mass Communication
Education
Cornell University
Ph.D.
Communication
Graduate Minor: Comparative Politics
Cornell University
M.S.
Communication
Cornell University
B.A.
Government/International Relations
Affiliations
- The Mershon Center for International Security Studies at the Ohio State University'
- The Communication, Opinion, and Political Studies Group at the Ohio State University
- Center for Climate Change Communication at George Mason University
- The Human Dimensions of the Environment Research Group at the Ohio State University
Links
Media Appearances
Is internet freedom a tool for democracy or authoritarianism?
The Conversation online
2016-07-20
The irony of internet freedom was on full display shortly after midnight July 16 in Turkey when President Erdogan used FaceTime and independent TV news to call for public resistance against the military coup that aimed to depose him.
In response, thousands of citizens took to the streets and aided the government in beating back the coup. The military plotters had taken over state TV. In this digital age they apparently didn’t realize television was no longer sufficient to ensure control over the message.
This story may appear like a triumphant example of the internet promoting democracy over authoritarianism.
Not so fast.
The tragedy of Turkish democracy in five acts
The Conversation online
2016-07-26
The failed July 15 military coup in Turkey was a long time in the making. Its aftermath is the final act in what may be viewed as the devolution of Turkish democracy into an authoritarian state.
Prelude: Turkish appetite for democracy
Turkey is a country where citizens’ demand for democracy has steadily grown over the last 15 years. A long period of competitive parliamentary elections and political liberalization created hope that democracy had become enshrined in Turkey’s political culture.
Everyday citizens embracing democratic governance as the only legitimate form of government are required for any democracy to be successful. When citizens do not demand democracy, preferring a strong authoritarian leader as in Russia, there is little hope for democracy to flourish.
How Russia is building a psychological firewall against the West
The Conversation online
2015-02-17
President Vladimir Putin of Russia may fear that the internet is a CIA project, but unfortunately he is not alone.
According to our recently released study about how the Russian public views the internet his views are widely shared by large portions of the the Russian public.
In fact, our research concludes, the Russian public’s distrust of Western sources and dissident information on the internet creates a “perceptual filter” that bolsters Putin’s foreign and domestic policies.
Research Grants
The Politicalization of Media Freedom & ICT Policy: Political Cleavages and Policy Preferences within the Turkish Electorat
University of Pennsylvania Internet Policy Observatory
June 2014
Principal Investigator: Erik Nisbet.
Turkish Election Project
Open Society Turkey
February 2015
Principal Investigator: Ali Carkoglu; Co-Principal Investigator: Erik Nisbet.
The Role of Social Media in Comparative Elections: Turkey and Brazil
The Ohio State University and the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP)
Principal Investigator: Erik Nisbet; Co-Investigators: Kelly Garrett, Robert Bond.
Political Communication Patterns within the 2016 Russian Parliamentary Campaign and Consequences for Opinion Formation about Foreign Policy.
Mershon Center for International Security Studies
Principal Investigator: Erik Nisbet; Co-Investigator: Olga Kamenchuk
Explicating Processes of Political Communication within 2016 Russian Parliamentary Campaign and Consequences for Democratic Citizenship & Foreign Policy.
School of Communication Miller Award
April 2016
Principal Investigator: E.C. Nisbet.
Recent Research
Internet use promotes democracy best in countries that are already partially free
The Ohio State University2012-04-04
Although use of the internet has been credited with helping spur democratic revolutions in the Arab world and elsewhere, a new multinational study suggests the internet is most likely to play a role only in specific situations.
Researchers at Ohio State University found that the internet spurs pro-democratic attitudes most in countries that already have introduced some reforms in that direction.
“Instead of the internet promoting fundamental political change, it seems to reinforce political change in countries that already have at least some level of democratic freedoms,” said Erik Nisbet, lead author of the study and assistant professor of communication at Ohio State University.
“Internet use is a less effective means to mobilize citizens for democracy in extremely authoritarian countries.”
In addition, demand for democracy is highest in a country when more people are connected to the internet and, most importantly, when they spend more time online.
Changing minds about climate policy can be done - sometimes
The Ohio State University2013-06-24
Some open-minded people can be swayed to support government intervention on climate change – but only if they are presented with both the benefits and the costs, a new study suggests.
Researchers found that those who were open-minded didn’t change their view if they heard arguments for only one side of the issue.
People who are relatively more closed-minded did not change their mind regardless of the messages they received, or what their original views were. There was also no evidence of open-minded people becoming less supportive of government intervention, no matter if they heard both sides of the argument or only one.
“Climate change is such a polarizing issue that has received so much attention, so it is very difficult to influence people to change their opinion,” said Erik Nisbet, co-author of the study and assistant professor of communication at The Ohio State University.
“But our results suggest there are ways to approach the issue that may have some impact, at least for a segment of the public.”
Both liberals, conservatives can have science bias
The Ohio State University2015-02-09
Study finds different topics bedevil the left and right
New research suggests that liberals, as well as conservatives, can be biased against science that doesn’t align with their political views.
The study found that people from both the left and right expressed less trust in science when they were presented with facts that challenged specific politicized issues.
For conservatives, climate change and evolution were the issues that led them to lose some trust in science. For liberals, it was hydraulic fracturing (fracking) and nuclear power.
The results challenge recent books and articles that claim conservatives alone have difficulty dealing with scientific fact.
“Liberals are also capable of processing scientific information in a biased manner,” said Erik Nisbet, co-author of the study and associate professor of communication and political science at The Ohio State University.
“They aren’t inherently superior to conservatives.”
Could growing internet use inspire more democratic uprisings?
The Ohio State University2016-06-28
Not if people mostly watch cat videos, study suggests
While events like the Arab Spring brought hope that the internet could inspire the growth of democracy in authoritarian countries, a new study offers a reality check.
Researchers studying Russian and Ukrainian internet users found that their demand for democratic reforms in their countries depended on what they were doing when they connected to the web.
Those who were on the internet primarily to get news and share political opinions with others were most likely to demand more democracy in their countries.
Those who visited the web mostly for entertainment purposes – such as watching cat videos – were less likely to say they wanted more democracy in their countries and believed they had more democracy than they actually did.
While it’s not surprising that people who use the internet mostly for entertainment aren’t tuned into politics, this study shows something more than that, said Erik Nisbet, co-author of the study and associate professor of communication at The Ohio State University.
“In our study, people who used the internet for entertainment actually thought they had more democracy than they did. That means they actually showed more support for the authoritarian leaders in their country,” Nisbet said.
