USC Annenberg Center on Communication Leadership and Policy

What USC Annenberg Center on Communication Leadership and Policy does

The USC Annenberg Center on Communication Leadership and Policy (CCLP) is a university research and policy institute established in 2007 within USC's Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. The center produces research, convenes dialogues, and runs educational programs across four thematic areas: Politics, Power, and the Press; The Future of News; Public Diplomacy; and Technology and Mobile Innovation. Its initiatives include the Google-supported Election Cybersecurity Initiative, the Local News and Student Journalism Initiative, the Africa–U.S. Initiative with a Global Health Communication Leadership track, the Digital Inclusion Initiative, and two recently launched youth media programs (Wildfire and Texas Hill Country) that train high school students in journalism and community storytelling.

CCLP's core "product" is not a technology platform but a convening and scholarship platform: white papers, public events, fellowship programs (Senior Fellows, Faculty Fellows, Visiting Fellows, Cowan Research Scholars), and training workshops. It has no commercial software or API offering and does not sell its outputs. The center's business model is grant- and donor-funded rather than revenue-generating: programs are provided at no cost to participants, with funding sourced from USC institutional resources, foundation grants (notably Carnegie Corporation, Google, The California Endowment), and project-based partnerships with government agencies (U.S. State Department, National Governors Association) and academic institutions worldwide.

The center is led by Director Geoffrey Cowan (former VOA director and former USC Annenberg dean), with Adam Clayton Powell III directing Washington programs and the Election Cybersecurity Initiative, supported by a small core staff. CCLP's reach is global in scope despite a Los Angeles–Washington, D.C. operational footprint, with documented engagement in all 50 U.S. states and international workshops in Australia, Greece, Cyprus, and across Africa.

Name

USC Annenberg Center on Communication Leadership and Policy

Legal name

USC Annenberg Center on Communication Leadership and Policy

Website

https://communicationleadership.usc.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The USC Annenberg Center on Communication Leadership and Policy (CCLP) is a USC research center that produces scholarship, convenings, and training programs on journalism, public diplomacy, election cybersecurity, and communication policy, serving policymakers, journalists, students, and academics globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Policy Research

NAICS

Public Relations Agencies (54182), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Affairs & Government Relations (MPAAADAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Government & Public Sector Conferences (MPAGAGAH)

Keywords

• Communication policy research
• Journalism training programs
• Election cybersecurity workshops
• Public diplomacy initiatives
• Youth media education

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The USC Annenberg Center on Communication Leadership and Policy (CCLP) is a university research and policy institute that conducts research, convenes thought leaders, and delivers educational programs on communication leadership, journalism, public diplomacy, election cybersecurity, and technology policy. Its offerings include multi-state cybersecurity training for election officials, youth journalism training programs, the Africa-U.S. Initiative on global health communication, digital inclusion research, fellowship cohorts, and research publications.

Product overview

The USC Annenberg Center on Communication Leadership and Policy (CCLP) is a university research and policy institute, not a technology product company. It offers a portfolio of research initiatives, educational programs, and convening services rather than commercial software products. Its offerings include the Election Cybersecurity Initiative (cybersecurity training workshops), the Local News and Student Journalism Initiative (exploring student journalism's role in addressing news deserts), the Wildfire Youth Media Initiative and Texas Hill Country Youth Media Initiative (youth media training programs), the Africa-U.S. Initiative with Global Health Communication Leadership, the Digital Inclusion Initiative (broadband accessibility research), research publications, public events/forums, and fellowship programs. These are policy research initiatives and educational programs, not technology products or software platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Local News and Student Journalism Initiative (LNSJI): Initiative addressing the decline in local news by supporting student journalism in high schools and colleges
• Wildfire Youth Media Initiative
• Africa-U.S. Initiative (AFUSI)
• Digital Inclusion Initiative
• Election Cybersecurity Initiative (ECI)

Products and services

• Election Cybersecurity Initiative Cybersecurity training program led by Adam Clayton Powell III that has conducted workshops in all 50 U.S. states and internationally to help election officials, campaign managers, and civic leaders defend against cyber attacks.
• Local News and Student Journalism Initiative (LNSJI) Initiative exploring how high school and college journalists can help address the loss of local news coverage, including a white paper on student journalism's role in filling news deserts.
• Wildfire Youth Media Initiative A high school summer program that trains students to collect and document community stories related to the January 2025 Los Angeles wildfires and their aftermath, producing podcasts and short-form content.
• Texas Hill Country Youth Media Initiative A two-week overnight summer camp at Schreiner University for Texas high school students impacted by July 2025 floods, focusing on community storytelling and journalism skills.
• Africa-U.S. Initiative (AFUSI) A joint endeavor between CCLP and universities across America and Africa featuring monthly Africa-U.S. dialogue sessions and the Global Health Communication Leadership Initiative.
• Digital Inclusion Initiative An initiative promoting U.S. broadband accessibility through original research and convening diverse stakeholders from academia and policy.
• Research Publications Academic publications and reports on topics including public diplomacy, technology and human trafficking, local news sustainability, women and communication leadership, and election security.
• Events and Forums Public events, forums, and conferences on politics, journalism, public diplomacy, and communication leadership featuring experts and policymakers.
• Fellowship Programs Senior Fellows, Faculty Fellows, Visiting Fellows, and Cowan Research Scholars programs connecting leaders in journalism, academia, and policy with CCLP's work.

Quantifiable outcome

• Election Cybersecurity Initiative led workshops in all 50 U.S. states and continues to instruct officials around the world
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

22 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Schreiner UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Schreiner University in Kerrville, TX to host the Texas Hill Country Youth Media Initiative, a two-week overnight summer camp for high school students impacted by July 2025 floods.
• Texas Public RadiocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner in the Texas Hill Country Youth Media Initiative, providing media expertise and resources for the youth journalism program.
• Kerrville Community Arts ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner for the Texas Hill Country Youth Media Initiative, supporting arts and cultural programming.
• Heart of the Hills Heritage CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHeritage center partner for the Texas Hill Country Youth Media Initiative, contributing local historical and cultural resources.
• National Governors AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with NGA for six in-state cybersecurity workshops to prepare for the 2020 elections, bringing together election officials and campaign managers.
• Venice ArtscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity-community partnership to create the Institute for Photographic Empowerment, supporting participant-produced documentary projects in photography, film and digital media.
• Los Angeles TimescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with LA Times and USC Ahmanson Lab's Annenberg Lab to develop augmented reality app for immersive journalism experiences.
• USC Institute on Inequalities in Global Health (IIGH)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint initiative on Global Health Communication Leadership, bringing together senior fellows from Africa with policymakers, academic experts, journalists, and global health practitioners.
• Common Sense MediaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on Children's Media and the Impact of News on American Youth, examining how children's issues are covered by media.
• Harvard Kennedy School's Shorenstein CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-hosted roundtable on nonprofit journalism with leaders from news organizations, foundations, nonprofits, publishers and universities.
• George Washington University Elliott School of International AffairscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost venue for the 'Africa–U.S. Forum on Global Health, Public Diplomacy, and International Collaboration' in Washington, DC.
• Howard University Center for African StudiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Africa-U.S. Global Health Communication Leadership initiative, hosting networking events and engaging with faculty and students.
• Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEngagement with CSIS Global Health Policy Center for discussions on integrating African perspectives into U.S. global health strategies.
• RMIT UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational partnership to host the Election Cybersecurity Initiative workshop on fair elections in the age of AI in Melbourne, Australia.
• University of PiraeuscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-hosted international conference on cybersecuring democracy in Athens, Greece with USC Cybersecurity Initiative.
• CYENS Centre of ExcellenceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in conference 'Cybersecuring Democracy in the Age of Artificial Intelligence' held in Cyprus.
• KIOS Research and Innovation Centre of ExcellenceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Cyprus conference on election cybersecurity and AI.
• University of CyprusminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner for Cyprus conference on cybersecuring democracy.
• Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution for Africa-U.S. Global Health Communication Leadership Initiative through Dr. Yewande Alimi's fellowship.
• Bhekisisa Centre for Health JournalismcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution for Global Health Communication Leadership Initiative through Mia Malan's fellowship.
• U.S. State DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner with CCLP and Annenberg Retreat at Sunnylands on Combating Violent Extremism initiative.
• USC Sol Price School of Public PolicyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on Civic Tech USC initiative exploring technology, citizenship, and government intersection.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Pew Research Center: Major nonprofit research organization producing nonpartisan studies on journalism, media, and civic engagement. Operates at a much larger scale than CCLP but shares the public-interest research mission on the future of news and civic discourse.
• Brookings Institution: Large public-policy research institution covering communications policy, election administration, and digital governance. Significantly larger and broader than CCLP but overlapping on policy research and convening authority.
• MIT Media Lab: University research lab exploring communication technology, mobile innovation, and digital media — overlaps with CCLP's Technology and Mobile Innovation area, though broader in scope and tech-centric rather than policy-centric.
• Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS): Bipartisan think tank covering international affairs and public diplomacy. CCLP engages CSIS's Global Health Policy Center for Africa-U.S. Initiative programming, demonstrating overlapping mandate on public diplomacy and global health communication.

Direct peers

• Annenberg Public Policy Center (University of Pennsylvania): Research center at Penn's Annenberg School studying communication policy, political communication, and media effects — directly comparable in mission, university setting, and Annenberg affiliation to CCLP.
• Harvard Kennedy School Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy: University-based research and convening center focused on media, politics, and journalism policy. Co-hosted a CCLP roundtable on nonprofit journalism, signaling direct peer overlap on Future of News and election-media research.
• Tow Center for Digital Journalism (Columbia Journalism School): Columbia-affiliated research initiative studying digital journalism and the future of news industry. Closely aligned with CCLP's Local News and Student Journalism Initiative and Future of News focus area.
• New America: Think tank with programs on digital inclusion, public interest technology, and the future of journalism — overlapping directly with CCLP's Digital Inclusion Initiative and Local News and Student Journalism Initiative.
• Stanford Center on Communication: Stanford-based academic center studying communication, journalism, and media. Comparable university-hosted research center with similar focus on communication leadership and policy, though more academic in orientation than CCLP's convening focus.

Regional players

• Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism: Oxford-based research center producing global studies on journalism and news industry trends. Comparable Future of News research agenda to CCLP, though primarily UK/Europe-focused rather than U.S.-policy-centric.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UChVY9nuB4rotRLGdudonwfA
• Facebookfacebook.com/USCAnnenbergCenter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/2884489/admin/dashboard
• Instagraminstagram.com/usc_cclp
• Xx.com/usc_cclp

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about USC Annenberg Center on Communication Leadership and Policy