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Kathleen Hall Jamieson: 2021 Franklin Founder Award

caption: Kathleen Hall JamiesonKathleen Hall Jamieson, director of the Annenberg Public Policy Center and professor of communication at the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg School for Communication, was honored with the 2021 Franklin Founder Award during a virtual celebration of Benjamin Franklin’s 315th birthday.

The celebration, usually held in Philadelphia, was conducted online on Friday, January 15, two days before Franklin’s birth date. The event was established to “bring international attention to Franklin’s ideas and accomplishments, and to highlight his relevance in the modern world,” and the award is presented to someone who has excelled in the theme highlighted each year. This year’s theme: “The Disintegration of Trust: Restoring Confidence in American Institutions.”

In introducing Dr. Jamieson, Donald Smith, chair of the Franklin Birthday Celebration, noted that last year National Academy of Sciences President Marcia McNutt said Jamieson’s “nonpartisan, evidence-based approach to science communication and political analysis is an invaluable national treasure.”

In her acceptance speech, Dr. Jamieson spoke about the resilience of democratic institutions in the face of a pandemic, a divisive presidency, ideological polarization, and disinformation. She argued that the First Amendment’s protection of free speech, press, right to petition, and peaceable assembly are similarly instrumental to protecting the nation’s democratic foundations.

Each January, the Franklin Birthday Celebration is held in Philadelphia to commemorate Franklin and to explore ideas important in his time and ours. Prior themes have included “Race Awareness,” “Criminal Justice Reform,” “Increasing Wealth and Income Inequality,” and “Exploring the World Around Us.”

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