Ashley, an Associate Professor at the University of Kansas in the Department of Communication Studies, earned her Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin. Focused on political media effects, she has a particular interest in the nuances of digital news and the challenges of political incivility.

In her research, Ashley investigates how journalists and news users perceive and engage with online political incivility, the factors that influence news story choices in digital environments, how journalists can intervene in comment sections to make them less uncivil, and how clickbait headlines set expectations for news users. Ashley's most recent studies encompass topics such as the media's role during the COVID-19 pandemic, the complexities of online relational technology, and the dissemination of health misinformation. Ashley teaches both graduate and undergraduate courses in subjects such as political communication, new media and politics, and research methods. Additionally, she explores and develops new methods for large-scale text analysis.

At THE NEW INSTITUTE, Ashley was involved in the program Depolarizing Public Debates. She will join us in May 2024.