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Journalist Kazi Mehedi Hasan Earns PhD in US
Bangladeshi journalist Kazi Mehedi Hasan has earned a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in Mass Communication and Media Arts from Southern Illinois University (SIU) in the United States.
The degree was formally conferred during the university's 150th commencement ceremony held on May 9, where SIU Chancellor Dr. Austin Lane presented him with the doctoral certificate.
Dr. Hasan's research examined the role of the evolving media landscape in the United States in shaping political polarization between 2012 and 2024. His dissertation, titled “Personalized Politics in the Digital Age: How Media Exposure and Social Media Microtargeting Impact Public Agenda Diversity and Widen Partisan Polarization in the U.S. Presidential Election (2012–24),” explored how media exposure and targeted political messaging on social media have influenced public opinion, agenda-setting, and partisan divisions during recent U.S. presidential elections.
The study focused on the growing influence of personalized political communication in the digital era, highlighting how social media microtargeting and changing patterns of media consumption affect public agenda diversity and contribute to increasing political polarization.
The research was conducted under the supervision of Professor Dr. Kavita Karan. Members of his dissertation committee included Dr. Lisa Brutten, Dr. Patrick Meyrick, Dr. Walter Metz, Dr. Dong Han, and Dr. Yoshua Ryu.
Prior to pursuing his doctoral studies, Dr. Hasan earned a master's degree in journalism from the University of Mississippi in the United States. He also completed both his Bachelor of Social Science (BSS) and Master of Social Science (MSS) degrees in Mass Communication and Journalism from the University of Dhaka.
Before moving to the United States, he was widely known in Bangladesh's media industry as Sujon Mehedi. During his journalism career, he worked with several leading television networks, including Independent Television, Channel One, and NTV.
His academic achievement is being viewed as a significant accomplishment for Bangladesh's journalism and media community, reflecting the growing presence of Bangladeshi scholars in international research and higher education.