Biography

Jason Peifer, Ph.D. (The Ohio State University), is an assistant professor of journalism in the Media School at Indiana University. With professional experience in public radio, Peifer teaches on topics related to media ethics, political humor/entertainment, public opinion, broadcast journalism, and media literacy. His research interests center on political perceptions, examining how facets of the contemporary media environment can influence different interpretations (i.e., perceptions) about news media and political figures. His work also considers the consequences of such perceptions in terms of affective, cognitive, behavioral processes. Some of Peifer’s most recent work includes examining public perceptions of the news media’s importance and news parody’s influence on elements of media trust. His scholarship has been published in a variety of outlets, including the Journal of Communication, Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, Media Psychology, Journalism, Communication Methods & Measures, and the International Journal of Communication. Peifer is affiliated with IU’s Center for International Media Law and Policy Studies and in 2019 was awarded an Emerging Scholars grant by the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC).

Selected Publications

• Peifer, J.T.  & Landreville, K.D. (2020). Spoofing presidential hopefuls: The roles of affective disposition and positive emotions in prompting the social transmission of debate parody. International Journal of Communication, 12, 200-220.
• Peifer, J.T.  & Myrick, J. (2019). Risky satire?: Examining how a traditional news outlet’s use of satirical news can affect media perceptions and engagement with a news source. Journalism. doi:10.1177/1464884919833259
• Peifer, J.T. (2018). Perceived News Media Importance: Developing and validating a measure for personal valuations of normative journalistic functions. Communication Methods & Measures. doi:10.1080/19312458.2017.1416342
• Peifer, J.T. (2018). Liking the (funny) messenger: The influence of news parody exposure, mirth, and predispositions on media trust. Media Psychology. doi: 10.1080/15213269.2017.1421470
• Peifer, J.T. (2018). Imitation as flattery: How TV news parody’s media criticism can influence perceived news media importance and media trust. Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, 95, 734-756. doi:10.1177/1077699017713002
• Peifer, J.T. (2016). Parody humor’s process of influence: The roles of sympathy and enjoyment in shaping political perceptions. Mass Communication and Society, 19, 173-196. doi: 10.1080/15205436.2015.1072723
• Peifer, J.T., & Holbert, R.L. (2016). Appreciation of pro-attitudinal versus counter-attitudinal political humor: A cognitive consistency approach to the study of political entertainment. Communication Quarterly, 64, 16-35. doi: 10.1080/01463373.2015.1078828
• Carlson, M., & Peifer, J.T. (2013). The impudence of being earnest: Jon Stewart, the journalistic community, and boundary traversal. Journal of Communication, 63, 333-350. doi: 10.1111/jcom.12019
• Peifer, J.T.  (2012). Can we be funny?: The social responsibility of political humor. Journal of Mass Media Ethics, 27, 263-276.  doi: 10.1080/08900523.2012.746110