GLENN LESHNER‘s research interests focus on social and psychological processing of news media, health and political communication. His teaching interests include media effects, mass communication theory and quantitative research methods. Leshner’s research attention has focused on the relationship between health public service announcements and cognitive and affective outcomes. One study examined how antismoking public service announcements impact cognitive, emotional and behavioral responses of both smokers and non-smokers. Leshner also actively examines the cognitive processing of television news.

Leshner is a co-director of the Psychological Research on Information and Media Effects (PRIME) Lab. The PRIME Lab is an experimental research lab dedicated to the study of cognitive and emotional processing of media. In 2005 the lab received a $56,700 grant from the National Cancer Institute, Center for Excellence in Cancer Communication Research, to study cognitive/emotional responses to breast cancer survivor narratives.

Leshner received a second-place award for a faculty paper submitted to the Minorities and Communication division of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication in 2005.

Leshner is active in professional organizations. For AEJMC he has served as head, vice head, program chair and teaching chair of the Communication Theory and Methodology division. Leshner has been a member of the International Communication Association since 1991.

Leshner earned his doctorate degree at Stanford, a master’s in journalism from the University of South Carolina and a bachelor’s degree from Rutgers. He has worked in radio and television in North and South Carolina as a photographer, field producer and reporter.

Leshner has been at the Missouri School of Journalism since 1994. He also has a courtesy appointment in the Department of Communication.

Recent Publications

Articles

• Thorson, E., Wicks, R., & Leshner, G. (in press). Experimental methodology in journalism and mass communication research. Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly.
• Moore, J., Thorson, E., & Leshner, G. (in press). Terror Management Theory and anti-tobacco advertising: An experimental examination of influence of death explicit anti-tobacco messages on young adults. Journal of Health & Mass Communication.
• Leshner, G., Bolls, P.D., & Wise, K. (2011). Motivated processing of fear appeal and disgust images in televisedanti-tobacco ads. Journal of Media Psychology, 23(2), 77-89.
• Leshner, G., & Gardner, L. (2011). Health communication. Oxford Bibliographies Online. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press.
• Leshner, G., Vultee, F., Bolls, P.D., & Moore, J. (2010). When a fear appeal isn’t just a fear appeal: The effects of graphic anti-tobacco messages. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 54(3), 1-23.
• Leshner, G., Bolls, P., Thomas, E. (2009). Scare ‘em or disgust ‘em: The effects of graphic health promotion messages. Health Communication, 24, 447-458.
• Leshner, G., & Cheng, I.H. (2009). The effects of frame, appeal, and outcome extremity of antismoking messages on cognitive processing. Health Communication, 24, 219-227.
• Choi, Y., Leshner, G., & Choi, J. (2008). Third-person effects of idealized body image in magazine advertisements. American Behavioral Scientist, 52(2), 147-164.
• Benoit, W., Leshner, G., & Chattopadhyay, S. (2007). A meta-analysis of political advertising. Human Communication, 10(4), 507 – 522.
• Miller, A., & Leshner, G. (2007). How viewers process live, breaking, and emotional TV news. Media Psychology, 10(1), 23-40.
• Leshner, G., Benoit, W., & Hansen, G. (2007). Effects of general presidential campaigns on voters, 1980-2000. Human Communication, 10(1), 45-60.
• Leshner, G., Cheng, I., Song, H., Choi, Y., & Frisby, C. (2006). The role of spiritual health locus of control in breast cancer information processing between African American and Caucasian women. Integrative Medicine Insights, 2, 35-44.
• Yoon, T.I. Shim, J.C., & Leshner, G. (2003). Third-person effects of anti-sites: The influences of knowledge about others’ reactions and agreement level on behavioral intentions. Korean Society for Journalism & Communication Studies, 47(2), 31-55. (Korean)
• Len-Rios, M., & Leshner, G. (2002). The effects of exposure to web site subscription rates on intention to pay for future web site content. Business Research Yearbook: Global Business Perspectives, 9, 85-89.
• Leshner, G. (2001). Critiquing the image: Testing image adwatches as journalistic reform. Communication Research, 28(2), 181-207.
• Leshner, G. & Coyle, J. (2001). Memory for television news: Match and mismatch between processing and testing.  Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 44(4), 599-613.
• Leshner, G., & Thorson, E.  (2000). Over-reporting voting activity: Campaign media, public mood, and the vote. Political Communication, 17(3), 263-278.
• Mayo, J. & Leshner, G. (2000).  Analytical journalism: Credibility of computer-assisted reporting.Newspaper Research Journal, 21(4), 68-82.
• Leshner, G., Reeves, B., & Nass, C. (1998).  Switching channels: The effects of television channels on the mental representations of television news.  Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media,42(1), 21-33.
• Colista, C., & Leshner, G.  (1998).  Traveling music:  Following the path of music through the global market.  Critical Studies in Mass Communication, 15, 181-194.
• Leshner, G., & McKean, M.  (1997).  Using TV news for political information during an off-year election:  Effects on political knowledge and cynicism.  Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, 74(1), 69-83.
• Nass, C., Reeves, B., & Leshner, G. (1996).  Technology and roles: A tale of two TVs.  Journal of Communication, 46(2), 121-128.
• Chaffee, S., Zhao, X., & Leshner, G. (1994).  Political knowledge and the election campaign of 1992.  Communication Research, 21(3), 305-324.

Chapter

• Leshner, G. (2006). The effects of dehumanizing depictions of race in television news stories. In A. Reynolds & B. Barnett (Eds.), Communication and Law: Multidisciplinary Approaches to Research (pp. 229-252). Mahwah, NJ: LEA.