Caitlin Carlson, PhD

Caitlin Ring Carlson (PDF)

Biography

Caitlin Ring Carlson, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor and Chair of the Communication and Media Department at Seattle University. She comes to academia with a professional background in Public Relations. She has a Ph.D. in Media Studies from the University of Colorado.

Her primary research interests are in media law and policy as they pertain to new media, freedom of expression and social justice. Her current work focuses on hate speech. She is also interested in women’s freedom of expression, including women’s press freedom and women’s media ownership. She is the author of the book “Hate Speech,” which was published by MIT Press in 2021. Dr. Carlson is also a member of the author team for textbook, The Law of Journalism and Mass Communication (8^th ed.), published by Sage in 2023. Her work has been published in leading academic journals such as Communication Law & Policy, theJournal of Media Law and Ethics, First Amendment Studies, and First Monday. Carlson’s research has also been featured in mainstream media publications including the Wall Street Journal, Wired, and Venture Beat.

Professor Carlson teaches Communication Law, Gender Equality and Freedom of Expression, and Media Systems. She was named Faculty of the Year by the Class of 2015 and was selected as the Teacher of the Year by the College of Arts and Sciences in 2019. Dr. Carlson founded and oversees the Communication Department’s Alumni Mentorship Program and serves as the Faculty Advisor for the Seattle University Chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America.