A new leadership gift from Richard Jay Mack, W’89, will power the expansion of the Penn Media Accountability Project (PennMAP), an interdisciplinary, nonpartisan research project dedicated to enhancing media transparency and accountability.
Inspiring Accountability
Pivotal support will elevate critical study of the media’s impact on society
Published: September 30, 2021
“Our goal at PennMAP is to detect and expose biased, misleading, and otherwise problematic content in media from across the political spectrum and spanning television, radio, social media, and the broader web,” says Duncan Watts, the Stevens University Professor and a Wharton professor of Operations, Information and Decisions who leads PennMAP. “Clearly, this is an ambitious goal that requires a substantial investment in research infrastructure as well as building collaborations with a diverse set of partners.”
Mack’s gift will strengthen PennMAP’s ability to invest in research infrastructure and build collaborations across industry, academia, and government.
“I cannot think of a more critical time to support the important work being undertaken by PennMAP,” says Mack, who serves on the Wharton Board of Advisors and previously served on Wharton’s Undergraduate Executive Board. “Wharton has always encouraged its students to drive change; leveraging evidence-based research to gain a deeper understanding of the media’s effects on our own judgments—promoting more objective and fair news coverage—will do just that. I am pleased to lend my support to the cause.”
“This gift…is testament to the shared belief of proud Wharton alumni, like Richard, in the critical nature of this timely, groundbreaking research and applied insight,” says Wharton Dean Erika James. “Richard’s commitment to the entire Wharton community is evident in his decision to reinvest back into an environment that promotes continuous learning and challenges traditional thinking.”
