Douglas M. McLeod is the Evjue Centennial Professor in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Before coming to the University of Wisconsin in 2000, he taught for 11 years in the Department of Communication at the University of Delaware. An alumnus of the University of Wisconsin, he majored in journalism and psychology. He later earned an M.A. and Ph.D. in mass communication and sociology from the University of Minnesota.
McLeod has published more than 100 journal articles, book chapters, law reviews, and other publications. McLeod’s book with Professor Dhavan V. Shah. News Frames and National Security: Covering Big Brother, was recently published by Cambridge University Press. The book examines how news framing of domestic surveillance conducted under the auspices of the USA Patriot Act influenced audience assessments of issues related to national security and civil liberties.
McLeod’s research develops two lines of inquiry into the antecedents and consequences of mass communication: 1) social conflicts and the mass media; and 2) media content and effects. The first program of research focuses on the role of the media in both domestic and international conflicts, including media coverage of social protest and its impact on audiences. McLeod’s second line of research studies that factors shape the content of mass media and audience outcomes in terms of knowledge, attitudes, judgments and behaviors, particularly in the area of framing effects.
McLeod teaches several courses in strategic communication for undergraduate students. J345: Principles of Strategic Communication introduces students to all facets of strategic communication campaigns, beginning with research and strategy, and moving on to the production of creative messages, media planning, and public relations. J350: Sports Marketing Communication explores the practice of strategic communication in the context of sports franchises. J445: Creative Campaign Messages focuses on the production of strategic communication messages for a variety of advertising media, giving students the opportunity to develop messages for a real-world client. J564: Media and the Consumer examines various dimensions of the impact of mediated messages on the consumer public. At the graduate level, McLeod teaches various seminars and courses on mass communication theory and research, including media framing of social movements and protests. McLeod developed the Sports Communication Certificate for the SJMC that was launched in 2019.