Esther Thorson

Esther Thorson is professor, associate dean for Graduate Studies, and director of research for the Reynolds Journalism Institute at the School of Journalism at the University of Missouri-Columbia. Along with professors Steve Lacy and Murali Mantrala, she has developed econometric models that link newspaper budget management with revenue/profit patterns. Dr. Thorson has published extensively on the news industry, advertising, news effects and health communication. Her scholarly work has won many research and writing awards and she has advised more than 35 doctoral dissertations. She applies research, both hers and that of her colleagues, in newsrooms and advertising agencies across the US and abroad. She serves on an extensive list of journal editorial boards. Thorson has two central management goals, first to integrate theory and practice in graduate journalism and persuasion education, and second to bring scholarly research to bear on the news industry.