Jennifer Midberry, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of Journalism and Communication at Lehigh University.
Her research explores how journalism can be improved in ways that yield more ethical reporting on marginalized groups and that more effectively evoke audience empathy and engagement with important social issues. Within that theme, one branch of her scholarship examines how framing in photojournalism of vulnerable populations can perpetuate dangerous stereotypes. In a second branch, she investigates how reporting on gun violence can be practiced in a way that is less extractive and harmful.
As a former photojournalist and photo editor, she aims to produce projects that have practical insights for journalists in addition to advancing journalism theory. Previous to her career in academia, she worked for The Philadelphia Daily News, the Associated Press, AOL News, and ABC News.
At Lehigh, she teaches Visual Communication, Media Ethics, Media & Society, Picturing Racism: How Visuals Fuel or Fight Hate (Special Topics), and Representing Others: Ethical Coverage of Vulnerable Populations (Senior Seminar). Empowering her students to think critically about media representations and the role of journalism in addressing social problems is the goal that drives her teaching.