Baker Briefing

Hosted by former U.S. Ambassador David Satterfield, “Baker Briefing” makes news make sense by bringing together experts from Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy and beyond to break down the most important foreign and domestic policy issues of the day. New episodes weekly.

  1. 4: Politics and Propaganda in the Digital Media Age

    10/06/2025

    4: Politics and Propaganda in the Digital Media Age

    China Studies Program experts Steven Lewis and Brandon Zheng join guest host Michael Emerson to explore how governments and organizations around the world are leveraging digital platforms in increasingly savvy ways — from TikTok videos to anime mascots — to spread political messaging and shape public opinion. They draw on their recent research examining urban propaganda in China and the use of “cuteness” as a communication tool to illustrate how the global political landscape has transformed in the age of digital media. This conversation was recorded on Sept. 26, 2025.  Featured: Steven Lewis, Ph.D., https://www.bakerinstitute.org/expert/steven-w-lewis  Brandon Zheng, https://www.bakerinstitute.org/expert/steven-w-lewis Michael Emerson, Ph.D., https://www.bakerinstitute.org/expert/michael-o-emerson  Mentioned in this episode: Brandon Zheng, “The Conquest of Cute: Political Communication, Public Diplomacy, and Anime,” Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, September 4, 2025. Brandon Zheng and Steven W. Lewis, “Central Versus Local Propaganda Under Xi Jinping: An Introduction to Images in the China Urban Outdoor Propaganda Image Archive, 1998 to 2019,” Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, June 3, 2025. Thomas Frank, The Conquest of Cool: Business Culture, Counterculture, and the Rise of Hip Consumerism (The University of Chicago Press, 1997). You can follow @BakerInstitute on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Learn more about our data-driven, nonpartisan policy research and analysis at bakerinstitute.org.

    25 min
  2. 3: Is Artificial Intelligence Reshaping Higher Education?

    09/30/2025

    3: Is Artificial Intelligence Reshaping Higher Education?

    What does the acceleration of artificial intelligence mean for higher education, from the admissions process to students’ academic and intellectual development? How can students learn to engage responsibly with AI, and what does it mean for the early graduate labor market? Baker Institute fellow and guest host Michael Emerson sat down with Rice University Provost Amy Dittmar, University of Houston Associate Provost Jeff Morgan, and Burke Nixon, a core lecturer in Rice’s writing and communication program, to discuss the advent of AI and its implications for colleges and universities. This conversation was recorded in front of a live studio audience on September 17, 2025.  Featured: Michael Emerson, Ph.D., https://www.bakerinstitute.org/expert/michael-o-emerson  Amy Dittmar, Ph.D., https://profiles.rice.edu/faculty/amy-dittmar  Jeffrey Morgan, Ph.D., https://www.uh.edu/provost/about/office-of-the-provost-leadership/jeff-morgan/index.php  Burke Nixon, https://pwc.rice.edu/about-us/lecturers/burke-nixon  Mentioned in this episode: “Opinion: No, AI chatbots haven't killed the college essay. Here's why,” www.houstonchronicle.com/opinion/outlook/article/ChatGPT-AI-technology-writing-obsolete-college-17680035.php Learn about future live recordings of the “Baker Briefing” podcast by subscribing to our “Events Digest” newsletter at https://www.bakerinstitute.org/newsletter. You can follow @BakerInstitute on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Learn more about our data-driven, nonpartisan policy research and analysis at bakerinstitute.org.

    26 min
5
out of 5
23 Ratings

About

Hosted by former U.S. Ambassador David Satterfield, “Baker Briefing” makes news make sense by bringing together experts from Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy and beyond to break down the most important foreign and domestic policy issues of the day. New episodes weekly.

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