Professor Voices » Media

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Jenny Mackintosh — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 16:56:12 +0000

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Is Google+ the next Facebook?

Kira Jastive — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 15:22:15 +0000

Google+ has been gaining popularity as a new social network, but will it dethrone Facebook? According to Mina Tsay, assistant professor of communication at Boston University, the potential is there.

Tsay’s research focuses on the psychological and social effects of mass media, and the psychology of new and social media. Contact her at 617-353-3482; minatsay@bu.edu.

Experts available for comment on 10th anniversary of September 11th

Kira Jastive — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 16:48:23 +0000

With the 10th anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon approaching, the following Boston University experts are available to offer comment, insight and analysis on various angles:

Andrew Bacevich, professor of international relations and history, and a retired Army colonel, can offer comment on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as the state of American power post-9/11. He is the author of Washington Rules: America’s Path to Permanet War (2010). He can be reached at 617-358-0194; bacevich@bu.edu.

Stephen Prothero, professor of religion, can discuss the role religion has played in the 10 years since 9/11, including the state of Islam in the U.S. today. He can be reached at 617-353-4426; prothero@bu.edu; Twitter: @sprothero.

Kecia Ali, assistant professor of religion, can discuss the evolving state of Muslim/non-Muslim relations. Contact Ali at 617-353-4465; ka@bu.edu.

Robert Zelnick, professor of journalism and former ABC News correspondent, can discuss media coverage of the attacks and the subsequent War on Terror. He can be reached at 617-353-5007; bzelnick@bu.edu.

Nick Mills, associate professor of journalism and author of Karzai: The Failing American Intervention and Struggle for Afghanistan, can offer analysis on how U.S./Afghan relations have evolved since 9/11. Contact Mills at 617-353-3492; nmills@bu.edu.

Christopher Daly, associate professor of journalism and author of Covering America, can discuss media coverage of 9/11 and the wars it spawned. He can be reached at 617-353-4295; cdaly@bu.edu; blog: Journalismprofessor.com.

Neta Crawford, professor of political science, can discuss the “Costs of War” study which she co-directed. Contact Crawford at 617-353-4040 or crawfor@bu.edu.

Thomas Whalen, associate professor of social science and an expert on American politics and the American presidency, can offer comment on post-9/11 U.S. politics. He is a regular contributor to PoliticoArena. He can be reached at 978-888-3131; tjw64@comcast.net.

Tracey Maclin, professor of law and an expert on Constitutional law, can discuss post-9/11 legal battles over rendition, wiretapping and torture. He can be reached at 617-353-4688; tmaclin@bu.edu.

David Barlow, professor of psychology and psychiatry and founder of the BU Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders, can discuss post-9/11 terrorism-triggered anxiety and panic attacks. He can be reached at 617-353-9610; dhbarlow@bu.edu.

Thomas Cottle, professor of education and a sociologist and licensed clinical psychologist, can discuss child and adolescent psychology and the effects of growing up in a post-9/11 world. Contact Cottle at 617-353-6294; tcottle@bu.edu.

James Post talks to Bloomberg Television on what’s next for Rupert Murdoch & leadership at News Corp.

Jo Breiner — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 15:10:09 +0000

Contact James Post at 617-353-4162, jepost@bu.edu

The reputation of Rupert Murdoch

Jo Breiner — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 19:08:06 +0000

Peter Morrissey is an associate professor of public relations at Boston University’s College of Communication. He is also an expert in reputation management and offers the following comments on what steps Rupert Murdoch should take in regard to his PR and reputation.

“Rupert Murdoch is trying to stay above water, but I’m sure the News of the World has offended and tarred many powerful people in the past. Now it is time to pay the piper.

“Murdoch has some good PR counsel, but the facts are not with him on this one, so there may have to be a lot of public blood-letting. His apologies were good, but forced at best and a little late. Once you are caught, public apologies often ring hollow.

“He needs an independent person or panel to get to the heart of the matter and make some hard hitting reforms to Murdoch’s organization. Otherwise, he may be the king to lose his head on this one.

“Murdoch’s reputation has never been lily white. He is a hard competitor and surely is synonymous with sensational journalism, his Wall Street Journal ownership aside. He made his fortune on selling tabloids to the masses.

“But being an Aussie is not a good place for a Brit sometimes. Reputation redemption may be a long road back. For now, they just need to get at the bottom of the controversy, before they can think about any long-term recovery or offense.”

Contact Peter Morrissey at 617-353-1020, pmorriss@bu.edu

Tom Fiedler on News of the World scandal

Jo Breiner — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 13:57:35 +0000

Tom Fiedler, Dean of Boston University’s College of Communication, talks to WBZ-TV about the scandal facing Rupert Murdoch’s empire and what it means for American journalism.

Contact Tom at 617-353-3488, tfielder@bu.edu, Twitter: @BUCOMDEAN.

Oprah Winfrey Network dismisses head of network

Jo Breiner — Fri, 06 May 2011 18:07:26 +0000

OWN, the Oprah Winfrey Network, has dismissed Christina Norman, the head of the network. The move comes as OWN continues to show disappointing ratings. The following Boston University professors from the College of Communication are available to offer expert commentary and analysis:

Tobe Berkovitz is an associate professor of advertising. He is an expert in media strategy and time buying. Contact info: 617-353-7724, tobetv@bu.edu

Cathy Perron is an associate professor in Film & Television. She is a former programming consultant for national cable networks and for public television. Contact info: 617-353-4976, cperron@bu.edu

And the Oscar goes to…

Kira Jastive — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 18:29:14 +0000

Paul Schneider, Chairman of the Department of Film & Television at the College of Communication and a member of the Directors Guild of America, makes his predictions for who’s going to take what at Sunday’s 83rd Annual Academy Awards:

Best Actor: Colin Firth (The King’s Speech)
“It’s a buzz thing right now. There’s a momentum and the Screen Actors Guild also said that.”

Best Actress: Natalie Portman (Black Swan)
“For reasons I don’t quite understand, she’s the front-runner. There’s a long history of the Academy picking very flashy performances and God knows Natalie Portman in Black Swan with all the hysteria is a flashy part.”

Best Supporting Actor: Christian Bale (The Fighter)
“Christian Bale is so stunning in The Fighter. I would be shocked if he didn’t win because that is also a showy part. But, I do think he’s brilliant.”

Best Supporting Actress: Melissa Leo (The Fighter)
“I think she’s going to win for two reasons. One, because she’s terrific and two, because everyone knows that Amy Adams is going to get an Academy Award at some point. But, for Melissa Leo, this might be her last and only chance. And, she’s great.”

Best Director: Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech)
“I think Tom Hooper for The King’s Speech which is unusual because he’s not well-known. He’s not considered one of the world’s great directors which some of the others are. But, he won the Directors Guild Award and I think if he won the DGA award, I think he has a good chance.”

Best Picture: The King’s Speech
“The momentum is so heavy for The King’s Speech right now that the only one that could sneak in there and get it instead is The Social Network. But, I think it will be The King’s Speech because the Guilds have backed that picture so heavily.”

Contact Schneider at 617-353-6651 or paulsch@bu.edu.

Experts available to discuss AOL/Huffington Post deal

Jo Breiner — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 17:05:26 +0000

AOL announced it will acquire The Huffington Post for $315 million. Boston University professors are available to discuss what the deal means for the future of news and its impact on their brands and reputations.

Tom Fiedler, Dean of the College of Communication; Former executive editor of the Miami Herald

Contact 617-353-3488, tfiedler@bu.edu

T. Barton Carter, Chair of the Department of Mass Communication, Advertising & Public Relations

Contact 617-353-3482, comlaw@bu.edu

Susan Fournier, Associate professor of Marketing the School of Management; Expert in brands and brand strategies

Contact fournism@bu.edu, 617-353-2773

The Joseph Vacher Trial: Forensic Science’s First OJ Case!

Tom Testa — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 20:14:18 +0000

It might not be the drama of the OJ Simpson case that drew us in for weeks on end as we waited to see if the gloves fit. But if televisions were around in the 1890s, viewers might have tuned into watch the 1898 trial of serial killer Joseph Vacher, who had confessed to nearly a dozen murders across the French countryside, but claimed to be insane at the time. Besides the fact that it was a media circus, not unlike the OJ trial, what most don’t know about this famous 19th-century trial is that it gave birth to forensic science.

In the video below, Douglas Starr, co-director of the graduate Program in Science and Medical Journalism at the College of Communication, vividly recounts the birth of science-meets-detective work in his new book, The Killer of Little Shepherds.

Watch this video on YouTube