Associate Professor
About
ON SABBITICAL UNTIL FALL 2026
Research Interests:
Political communication
Emotion
Digital media and sports betting
Brian Weeks is an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication and Media and a Faculty Associate in the Center for Political Studies at the University of Michigan. He studies political information, news, and digital media, as well as online sports betting
Weeks is the author of the book (2024), Angry and Wrong: The Emotional Dynamics of Partisan Media and Political Misperceptions (Cambridge University Press). He has published nearly 50 articles in leading journals in the field of communication including the Journal of Communication, the Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, Human Communication Research, Communication Research, New Media & Society, and elsewhere. He previously served as an Associate Editor for the journal Public Opinion Quarterly.
Weeks earned a B.A. in journalism and mass communication and political science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a M.A. in mass communication from the University of Minnesota, and a Ph.D. in communication from the Ohio State University. Prior to joining the University of Michigan he was a faculty member at the University of Vienna in Austria.
**Notes for prospective Ph.D Students**
1. I am seeking applications from prospective Ph.D. students in the 2026-27 admissions cycle who are interested in studying digital technologies, media, and sports betting.
2. For students who are interested in working with me, please note that due to the number of requests and out of fairness to all applicants, I am not able to read or comment on application materials, or have online meetings prior to the application deadline. Thank you for your understanding.
**Notes for UM Undergraduates interested in research opportunities**
I am currently looking for 3-4 UM undergraduates to join my research lab during the 2026-27 academic year. The project this year will focus on the topic of media and online sports betting. If you are interested in joining the lab and the project, please send email me your resume and a brief statement of interest (no more than 500 words). Students must commit to meeting for 1 hour, approximately once a week, for the entire academic year. Course credit (1-3 per term) through COMM 322 may be available.
