The Fairness Doctrine and Talk Radio

While talk-radio hosts certainly do attract large and loyal followings, the worry that the talkers have a huge or unfair influence on public policy is exaggerated, says DePauw Unviersity communications professor Jeffrey McCall. And he says the Fairness Doctrine would be an ineffective and perhaps unconstitutional remedy to limit the reach of such political-talk-show hosts as Sean Hannity and Laura Ingraham.

Tony Blair Looks East

Every economy in the world is being fundamentally changed by globalization and technological advances, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair told an audience at DePauw University. As a result, he said, "The center of gravity is shifting eastward."

Do Talk Show Hosts Get Too Much Credit?

Is the power of political talk-show hosts overrated? Jeffrey McCall, professor of communication at DePauw University, says a recent study showed that well over 80 percent of talk radio listeners say that their voting choices are not influenced by talk radio. "I believe that most talk radio listeners are independent thinkers who don't just want to get in line with the thinking of even their favorite talk hosts," McCall says.

DePauw Ensemble Eyed for 3 Grammy Awards

eighth blackbird, a contemporary classical music group that is DePauw University's ensemble-in-residence for this academic year, has been nominated for three Grammy Awards at Sunday's ceremony.

Superdelegates Committing Super Early

About a fifth of all delegates to the Democratic National Convention in Denver this year will be "superdelegates" - party regulars and elected officials who are free of the influence of party primaries or caucuses. More than 300 of these delegates have already announced who they will support for the presidential nomination. But DePauw University journalism professor Ken Bode says such early commitments run counter to the intentions of party officials who created the superdelegate slots.

Sundance as an Educational Eye-Opener

Charles Lee and Jessica Pesola went to the Sundance Film Festival in Utah as part of a DePauw University winter term session. While there, the students were recruited to provide insights to a major Hollywood studio that may help decide which films wind up in theaters acros the country.

FCC Serves Up Corporate Welfare to Big Media

The Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) Dec. 18 decision to "relax" media ownership rules opens the door to a new wave of consolidation that will further erode the quality of U.S. news media, says DePauw communications professor Kevin Howley. He says the ruling is corporate welfare allows big media to get even bigger, while discouraging competition, diversity and independent voices.

War During the Holidays

The American media suspended most of the bad news from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan during the holiday season. But DePauw's Ken Bode spotlights an NBC News producer who understands that war does not take a holiday.

Bhutto's Dream for Pakistan

Ten years before her assassination, former Pakistan President Benazir Bhutto visited DePauw University and told an audience there that she foresaw a new millenium "in which the gap between rich and poor states narrows, where we attack literacy and promote human rights universally... where the birth of a girl child is celebrated as much as a boy child, where every child is planned, supported and educated."

Former CNN Analyst Says Networks Need "Reality Check"

DePauw Visiting Professor Ken Bode was a long-time political analyst for CNN. After watching CNN's Democratic presidential debate last week, Bode says somebody in the network's executive suites needs a reality check on fairness. At the same time, he says, things are no better at competitor Fox News.

High Hopes for a Balloon Network

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, telephone service for an entire region was lost for days. DePauw University researchers recently tested a potential solution to such problems: a network of high-altitude balloons capable of providing uninterrupted cell phone coverage.

Hillary Clinton's Prospects

Two months away from the Iowa caucuses, some questions appear to have been answered about Hillary Clinton's race for the Democratic presdential nomination, says DePauw's Ken Bode. For example, Bill Clinton is obviously a powerful asset, rather than a liablity. But questions linger about her other potential vulnerabilities.

Entire Nation Rejects "Kid Nation"

The controversial CBS reality show "Kid Nation" is tanking. Its ratings are down about 25 percent since its debut and it currently finishes last in its time slot. DePauw communications professor Jeffrey M. McCall says it shows Americans don’t appreciate a network exploiting kids for crass financial gain.

Kennedy Blasts Administration, Media

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. accuses the Bush administration of overseeing more than 400 major environmental rollbacks "as part of a deliberate, concerted effort to eviscerate 30 years of environmental law." In a recent speech at DePauw University, Kennedy - who is senior attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council, chief prosecuting attorney for the Hudson Riverkeeper and president of Waterkeeper Alliance - also lambasted the media for giving the public more information about Anna Nicole Smith, Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan than about global warming.

Non-News-News

What kind of message does the media send with its wall-to-wall coverage of celebrity incidents like Paris Hilton's incarceration? DePauw University's Jeffrey McCall fears the message is: "This is the most important thing we have to tell you."

Remote-Control Kids

Leaders in researching television's impact on kids say the media's overwhelming influence on kids should be considered a national public health issue. DePauw University communications professor Jeffrey M. McCall says legislators are gearing up to respond to such calls, but he warns that legislative initiatives can't help kids whose parents ignore their duty.

A Ticklish Matter of "Law and Order"

NBC yanked episodes of its show "Law and Order" featuring Fred Thompson from its schedule after he officially announced his candidacy for president. Would running them violate federal equal-time regulations - even the syndicated reruns on lower rated cable channels like TNT and USA? DePauw University Communications Professor Jeffrey M. McCall says maybe not, and that anyone who presses such a claim runs the risk of looking like a whiner and giving Thompson even more attention.

Iraq Not a PR Exercise

The upcoming report from Gen. David Petraeus on the resuts of the Iraq surge has been preceded by a White House PR campaign that includes speeches to veterans groups and congressional "fact-finding tours" to heavily guarded Iraqi marketplaces. DePauw's Ken Bode says the truth should be judged by evidence, not by staged performances, and the hard facts say the military side of the surge is not working.

Truth - A Wartime Casualty?

In today's military, you don't get truth from the top, says DePauw communications professor Ken Bode. A retired general retorts that military brass may not all be pillars of virtue, but the public still trusts the military more than the media.

White House Declares Draft Idea 4-F

America - including the Romney boys and the Bush twins - is scared to death of a military draft, says DePauw's Ken Bode. That explains why the recent statement by the White House's "war czar" that it makes sense to consider a return to a draft was quickly followed by a refutation by a spokesman for President Bush's National Security Council.