Nick Lasorsa

Associate Professor

Contact Information:
CMA A5.158B
512-471-1966
lasorsa@mail.utexas.edu
Curriculum Vita (PDF)

Nick Lasorsa holds a B.A. in journalism from St. Bonaventure University, an M.A. in journalism from the University of Texas at Austin and a doctorate in communication from Stanford University.

His research focuses mainly on political communication and media effects. Among his published works are research articles dealing with cultivation theory, agenda setting, the spiral of silence, the third-person effect, media framing, digital imaging, social change, diversity, readability and credibility.

Lasorsa teaches courses in news reporting, editing, feature writing, computer-assisted reporting, research methods, survey research, content analysis, mass communication theory, statistics, public opinion and persuasion.

Before beginning his teaching career, Lasorsa worked as a reporter and editor for the Suffolk (N.Y.) Sun, the Wichita (Kan.) Eagle-Beacon and the Austin American-Statesman. His most recent professional position before joining UT was as editor-in-chief of the Marble Falls (Texas) Highlander.

Lasorsa's research articles have appeared in the Encyclopedia of International Media and Communications, the Historical Dictionary of Political Communication in the United States, the International Journal of Public Opinion Research, the Journal of Communication, the Journal of Media Economics, the Journal of Reading, Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly, Journalism Studies, the Newspaper Research Journal, and Writer̳ Digest. He was a co-author of the three-volume National Television Violence Study. He is co-author of "How to Build Social Science Theories," published in 2004.

Recent Courses: J315 News Media Writing and Editing, J327 Feature Writing, J363 Theories of Mass Communication, J374D Advanced Feature Writing, J381.5 Advanced Journalistic Methods, J384 Mass Communication Theory, J395 Issues in Journalism, J395 Introduction to Statistics.