Julia Bitz Christensen

Hi there! 

I’m a PhD candidate in Political Science at the University of California, Berkeley. I study the intersection between news media and political institutions. My research draws primarily on theory from political communications but also intersects with many other areas of research including executive politics, state and local politics, Congress, and interest groups. 

In my work, I argue that the media functions as a connective institution--an information hub that links different parts of the political system. Crucially, it does so unevenly: by subsidizing access to some kinds of information while neglecting others, the media shapes the strategic environments in which political actors operate. 

Currently, I am working on a series of papers about the U.S. government’s extensive and institutionalized efforts to collect, curate, and disseminate news coverage. As part of these efforts, news coverage gets distilled into daily briefings—or “clipbooks”—of relevant stories. Using Freedom of Information Requests and public archives, I have constructed a dataset with thousands of these daily news briefings. Please reach out if you are interested in these data. 

I am also working on a project about media gatekeeping in local news coverage of pedestrian and cycling fatalities. While deaths often prompt cities to consider pedestrian improvements, responses vary widely and depend on whether politicians feel pressure from their constituents. To put pressure on elected officials, citizens need to know that a problem exists. Thus, we need to understand when and why the news chooses to feature a policy failure.

In addition to research, I have taught various undergrad courses on American politics as well as a graduate course on computational tools and methods (PS239T). 

Prior to graduate school, I worked in litigation consulting. Outside of work, I enjoy cooking, reading, gardening, fortifying gardens against squirrels, and swimming.   

I can be contacted at jbchristensen@berkeley.edu.