Dr. Lough studies visual communication and solutions journalism, with an emphasis on photojournalism. He teaches graduate-level visual communication method & theory, as well as undergraduate photography and journalism ethics & diversity courses.

His research explores questions of power, access and boundaries. Within visual communication, he studies how news images are made, selected and interpreted, as well as the photographers themselves in how they define and operate within their field as they fight for legitimacy and job security. His solutions journalism work investigates how it is conceptualized/created, audience effects and the interplay of words and images. Solutions journalism, a growing field of interest within journalism studies, compels journalists to go beyond just reporting about problems in a community by also covering what people are doing about it.