Bridging the Gap: How a Manship Professor Brought International Experts Together to Study Mass Communication Trends

A routine dentist checkup unexpectedly led to a major mass communications study led by LSU Manship School of Mass Communication professor Len Apcar. During his appointment, Apcar noticed through discussions with his hygienist that they felt completely disengaged from local news, raising a fundamental question: Why has this disconnect between everyday citizens and local news occurred, and when? That moment of curiosity launched a months-long research initiative involving extensive collaboration with scholars across the continent to determine the cause. 

To investigate this issue, Apcar partnered with NORC at the University of Chicago to create a large-scale survey with a carefully selected panel. By evaluating public trust, media consumption habits and broader social perceptions of local journalism, the research team identified five distinct audience typologies explaining why people might exhibit this disconnect from mainstream media outlets. 

A project of this scale requires deep collaboration, which came during a summer 2025 study abroad trip to Salzburg that Apcar led. There, Apcar connected with Michigan State University professor Manuel Chavez and Ibero-American University professor Manuel Guerrero. Intrigued by the initial survey results, both professors offered their insights and expertise to help shape the next phase of the research. Guerrero’s contribution was his extensive background in polling and public opinion which helped Apcar figure out the remaining steps to the second phase of his research. Chavez helped provide additional resources and guided the structural design of phase two regarding the focus groups to provide more accurate data. 

“They were the ones who said, ‘Don’t call people randomly, you got to do focus groups,’” said Apcar. “It was really rewarding to do this, I’m lucky to have this help.” 

Currently in phase two of the study, the team is working closely with the LSU Reilly Center's Public Policy Research Lab to call prior survey respondents who opted into follow-ups under IRB-approved procedures. They are navigating several key operational tasks together: recruiting enough participants and ensuring each group has proper representation to accurately provide a conclusion on Apcar’s original question. The group continues to meet weekly on a conference call, still closely collaborating even after the trip in Salzburg concluded. 

As data collection continues over the next few months, the project has already earned national recognition, with citations in The New York Times, Scientific American and the book “The New Journalism.” “It will be a benchmark study,” said Apcar. 

This research initiative demonstrates the importance of communication research by translating an everyday observation into a rigorous, multi-institutional study. The strong collaboration between NORC, LSU Manship School of Mass Communication, Michigan State University and Ibero-American University demonstrates how pooling local and international expertise can create accessible benchmark data that future scholars and journalists can build upon for generations to come.