Experience

Our Experience & Viewpoint Founded by Janet Harris, an award-winning media relations specialist, Upstream Analysis looks at the media landscape from the perspective of the communications professional. This viewpoint is combined with methodologically rigorous research and content analysis techniques to provide meaningful insights.

Janet Harris, Founder Ms. Harris combines academic training in research and statistical analysis with more than two decades of practical experience in communications. She has served as media spokesperson for major political and corporate organizations, directed significant communications programs and provided analysis services to political candidates, non-profit organizations and corporations. Ms. Harris has conducted successful media relations on behalf of her clients with The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, CNN, ABC News, NPR and numerous other influential media. She holds a Master’s degree in Public Affairs from the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas, and is a winner of the Golden World Award for Public Affairs by the International Public Relations Association.

Upstream in the News Public Relations Society of America, Women Benefit From Self-Promotion, September 2024 The List, The Truth About Redheads, August 7, 2023 The Heinz Endowments, Endowments-funded study finds local media coverage of African Americans focuses on crime and sports, April 2, 2020 The Heinz Endowments, Portrayal and Perception II: Content Analysis of Pittsburgh Media Coverage of African Americans, March 2020 US News & World Report, The Self-Promotion Gap Is Holding Women Back at Work — Here’s What to Do, November 27, 2019 Bustle, 6 Ways To Feel More Comfortable Celebrating Your Accomplishments, July 12, 2019 New York Post, Science shows redheads have genetic superpowers, December 7, 2017 HuffPost, The Lesson Rubio (Almost) Learned From the GOP Debate, March 1, 2017 The Atlantic, Redheads Are More Common in Commercials Than in Real Life, August 11, 2014 Today.com, What’s up with all the redheads in TV ads?, August 10, 2014 The Hollywood Reporter, Primetime TV Ads Feature an Unusually High Number of Redheads, August 8, 2014 HuffPost, Redheads Want to Sell You Stuff, August 7, 2014 HuffPost, The Arithmetic of Convention Speeches: How Last Night’s Speech Added Up, September 7, 2012 HuffPost, From Reagan to Romney: How Last Night’s Speech Measured Up, August 31, 2012 Critical Mention White Paper, The First 24 Hours: Crisis Response in a Web 2.0 World, May 14, 2012 USA TODAY’s The Oval, Obama stresses ‘insurance reform’ at ‘health care’ events, July 24, 2009 White Paper, The First 24 Hours: Crisis Response in a Web 2.0 World, May 2009 USA TODAY’s On Politics, “From the debate: A ‘look’ at the candidates’ words,” October 8, 2008 USA TODAY’s On Politics, “What words will they use tonight? Look here for clues,” September 26, 2008 USA TODAY, “A change in tone and words,” April 14, 2008 PRWeek, “Super Bowl game day: what did they say?” February 6, 2008 PR Tactics and The Strategist, “Real-time analysis of sound bites, catch phrases and clichés from Super Bowl XLII,” February 5, 2008 USA TODAY’s On Politics, “Debate math: By word count, Obama led; but were Clinton & Edwards more focused?” November 16, 2007 USA TODAY’s On Politics, “Bush’s words: ‘Anbar’ over ‘Baghdad;’ ‘free’ over ‘democracy,‘” September 14, 2007 Media Magazine, “Presidential forecast: Mostly cloudy,” June 2007 PR Tactics and The Strategist, “If content is king, why am I always the court jester?,” May 25, 2007 USA TODAY’s On Politics, “The words that mattered to the GOP candidates,” May 4, 2007 Pollster.com, “Tag Clouds for the Republican Debate,” May 4, 2007 USA TODAY’s On Politics, “‘See the words the candidates used most,” April 27, 2007 Pollster.com, “Tag Clouds for the Democratic Debate,” April 27, 2007 B to B Magazine, “Little Things Mean a Lot: ‘Boutique’ marketing metrics fill in gaps, pinpoint needs,” February 12, 2007