Her teaching and academic research focus on the intersection of journalism and digital technology. Shanahan studies trends in online news commenting, digital discourse, social media and news engagement. She has been a journalist, online news producer and professional writer for more than 20 years. Shanahan holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism and history from the University of Connecticut, and a master’s degree in interactive communications from Quinnipiac University. Her first academic book, “Journalism, Online Comments and the Future of Public Discourse, was published by Routledge in 2017. Shanahan’s research has also been published by Columbia Journalism Review, The Poynter Institute and The Hartford Courant.