Skip to Main Content

Margaret T. Gordon

Margaret T. Gordon (BSJ61, MSJ62) is a member of the inaugural class of the Medill Hall of Achievement of 1997.

Gordon joined the Evans School of Public Affairs at the University of Washington as professor and dean in 1988. She stepped down as dean after 10 years to continue her research and teaching at the Evans School. She teaches news media and public policy; and race, ethnicity, and public policy. Prior to joining the Evans School, Gordon served as the director of Northwestern University’s Center for Urban Affairs and Policy Research from 1980-88. Gordon’s research has focused on the news media and the public’s declining trust in government, the news media and public policy making, and women’s fear and self-protective behaviors.

Gordon is nationally known for her research on the relationship between media, public policy, and the urban agenda. Gordon has co-authored two books, “The Female Fear: The Social Cost of Rape,” and “The Journalism of Outrage: Investigative Reporting and Agenda Building in America.”