At Sanford, we research pressing public policy issues and prepare students for lives of leadership, civic engagement, and public service - and media and democracy are cornerstones of this work. Our faculty are building knowledge about policy, democracy, and journalism and teaching key skills for future leaders, public servants, journalists, and engaged citizens.
Academic Overview
Our faculty have produced thousands of research findings that contribute to the knowledge base for evidence-driven policy. They have created new fact-checking standards for journalists, trained people how to run for political office, served in all levels of government including Congress and advised presidential candidates and the White House. Bill Adair founded the Pulitzer Prize-winning website PolitiFact.
Related Programs & Courses
The Public Policy Studies major is a perennial top major at Duke University.
Master of Public Policy (MPP)
PhD in Public Policy
Sample Stories & Research
Student Spotlight
Chloe Decker won the most prestigious undergraduate award at the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University: the Terry Sanford Leadership Award. Chloe was Chair and Student Voting Director of Duke Votes, Duke’s largest nonpartisan political club, for the national 2024 General Election. Under her leadership, Duke Votes registered more than 3,000 students to vote and recorded the highest-ever turnout at Duke’s on-campus early voting site at the Karsh Alumni Center.
Research Initiative
John Hillen served as US Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs in the Bush administration among many other roles. He is now a faculty member in Sanford's Master of National Security Policy program. John is part of a new bipartisan commission trying to revitalize the teaching of American civics and history.
Understanding Our Media Diet
In an age awash with digital content and 24/7 news cycles, how well does the information we consume actually equip us for democratic life? This critical question lies at the heart of the research conducted by Andrew Trexler PhD'25. As a Doctoral Fellow at Sanford's DeWitt Wallace Center for Media & Democracy, Trexler has dedicated his studies to understanding the complex interplay between political communication, the news media, public opinion, and the health of democratic norms in the United States.
Student Voting Rights Lab
Started by Professor Gunther Peck, the lab provides opportunities for students to participate in research projects investigating barriers to youth voting as well as solutions to those challenges. “My participation in the lab has truly made my Sanford experience,” Sofia Dib-Gomez (pictured above with Gunther Peck) says. “Without the lab, I would still have my passion for registering voters and making voting more accessible on campus, but I wouldn’t have found an outlet to explore this passion academically and professionally. ...This lab is a crucial entity that is committed to protecting student voting rights in a climate that doesn't always prioritize them.”
What can you do with a focus on media & democracy?
Emily Feng MPP '15
Alumni Story
Emily Feng is a foreign correspondent. Working for the Financial Times, she uncovered key information surrounding the Chinese oppression of Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang, China. Her coverage won several awards. Emily is an international correspondent for NPR covering China, Taiwan and beyond. Her reporting from Taiwan was part of a citation from the Overseas Press Club Awards in 2025.
Listen to Emily on the Policy 360 podcast | Read more alumni stories
Alumni Story
U.S. Senator Angela Alsobrooks made history in 2024 by becoming Maryland’s first Black senator and only the third Black woman ever elected to the United States Senate. “We are in such a pivotal time for our nation,” she says. “Our news is overwhelmed by chaos, disasters, and hateful rhetoric. It is really easy to give up, tune out, choose a different path. But I want to urge all students who hear the calling to public service to keep at it. Keep working to make this country better, more just.”
Angela Alsobrooks PPS'93
Key Partnerships
AGS
The Duke Program in American Grand Strategy is dedicated to helping students better understanding US foreign policy and national security – past, present, and future.
9th Street Journal
The 9th Street Journal is an online news source with news and feature articles about Durham, NC. Student journalists cover important issues facing urban America and democratic systems.
Independent Thinkers
The Independent Thinkers Series features public figures who defy reductive political labels. The project is part of a Duke initiative championing dialogue as a remedy for polarization.
DeWitt Wallace Center
The DeWitt Wallace Center for Media & Democracy is Duke's journalism and media studies hub.
Hart Leadership Program
The Hart Leadership Program challenges students to practice the art of leadership in public life.
Polis
Polis: The Center for Politics is committed to increasing our understanding of politics locally, nationally, and globally.
Let's Connect!
Interested in pursuing a degree with a focus on media & democracy? Great! The admissions page for each program has detailed guidelines, including our contact info. Please reach out!
- Read recent stories related to media & democracy
- Browse faculty opinion pieces
- Sanford podcasts often feature stories about media & democracy
- What's it like to focus on media and democracy at Duke? We collected opportunities and reflections from a single month.