Hernando Rojas

Helen Firstbrook Franklin Professor of Journalism

hrojas@wisc.edu

Hernando Rojas headshot

Curriculum Vitae

Education

Ph.D. University of Wisconsin – Madison, 2005

M.A. University of Minnesota, 1994

Universidad Externado de Colombia Law, 1989

Areas of Research

Political communication, media effects, global communication

Research Impact

Hernando Rojas’ scholarship, which has resulted in over a 100 publications, focuses on political communication, examining:

  1. the deployment of new communication technologies for social mobilization in a variety of contexts;
  2. the influence of audience perceptions of media (and audience perceptions of media effects) on both public opinion and the structure of the public sphere; and
  3. the conditions under which media support democratic governance.

Rojas has served as Editor in Chief of the International Journal of Public Opinion Research and serves on multiple editorial boards. He has held leadership positions as SJMC Director, Latin American, Caribbean, and Iberian Studies Program Director, and in professional associations including ICA, WAPOR and AEJMC.

Recent Publications

Books and edited volumes

2023. El Perfil del Votante Colombiano. Centro de Estudios en Democracia y Asuntos Electorales.

Peer-reviewed academic journal articles

2025. “Regionality of messaging applications: Everyday socialization as a gateway to civic and political participation in China, Japan, South Korea, and the United States.” Social Media and Society.

2022. “Fandom Nationalism in China: Effects of Idol Adoration and Online Fan Community Engagement.” Chinese Journal of Communication.

2019. “A Call to Contextualize Public Opinion-Based Research in Political Communication.” Political Communication.

Book chapters

2024. Affective polarization in Latin America. Routledge Handbook of Political Communication in Ibero-America.

Recent Awards and Honors

2021, 2022 and 2023: Top 2% of world scientists, Stanford University and Elsevier

2022: Honored Instructor, UW–Madison Housing

2021: Worcester Award for best paper, International Journal of Public Opinion Research

  • Winning paper: 2020. “Perceived Media Bias and Political Action: A 17-country comparison.” International Journal of Public Opinion Research.

2020: Fellow, International Communication Association

2010: Best article in the field of political communication, International Communication Association

  • Winning article: 2010. “‘Corrective’ actions in the public sphere: How perceptions of media effects shape political
    behaviors.” International Journal of Public Opinion Research.

Recent Grants

Spanish National Research Agency’s Program for the Generation of Knowledge and Scientific and Technological Strengthening Research + Development Grant

National Resource Center (NRC) and Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowships grants

Courses

J201: Introduction to Mass Communication

J658: Research Methods

J822: Global Communications

J833: Technology and Society