This post also appears on The Huffington Post

Credit: Jim Wilson/New York Times

Steve Jobs dramatically changed the media landscape with pioneering products that will forever change the way news is consumed and distributed. As I prepare to moderate a panel next week on news and media trends at the National Press Club, I’m pondering the disruptive changes to the field, especially with Jobs’ death. I’m looking forward to delving into the topic with the journalists on the panel. In advance of that discussion, here are some thoughts from around the web on Job’s impact on journalism.

First, President Obama noting how many likely received news of Jobs’ death via an Apple product:

The world has lost a visionary. And there may be no greater tribute to Steve’s success than the fact that much of the world learned of his passing on a device he invented.

The iPod has been credited for saving the music business and Jobs believed that Apple products could give journalism a much needed shot in the arm. “I believe people are willing to pay for content. I believe in media, and in news content,” Jobs said. Read the rest of this entry »

Last night Washington Women in Public Relations (WWPR) honored me with one of three 2011 Emerging Leaders Awards (ELA) given to rising stars, ages 21-35, in the public relations and communications industry. Read the rest of this entry »

This article also appears on The Huffington Post and Politic365.com

Minorities, youth and low-income voters comprised a notable share of 2008 first-timers who overwhelming cast their ballots for President Obama. These groups have been hit especially hard by the downturn in the economy and many wonder whether they will support the president in 2012 with the same enthusiasm that ushered him into office nearly three years ago.

Joblessness in the black community combined with the oft-heard sentiment that the president has “dissed” his most loyal base has been the subject of heated public discussion, most notably the Cornel West/Al Sharpton debate on MSNBC back in April. But rather than focus on this issue, the Do It Again panel (video below) at last week’s Netroots Nation conference centered on grassroots strategies for re-engaging blacks and other first-time voters for the 2012 presidential election.

The panel was moderated by LegalSpeaks blogger Debbie Hines and included Congresswoman Donna Edwards (D-MD), Politic365.com Editor Kristal High, technology and politics blogger Jeneba Ghatt and progressive organizer Scott Roberts. As a panelist, I was happy that we focused on solutions for ensuring often marginalized groups remain part of the political process. However, with Obama-bashing at fever pitch in certain circles, some reactions to the panel demonstrate that disappointment in the president can overshadow meaningful attempts to reach out to voters. Read the rest of this entry »

Photo Published with Original Article - Why Black Women Rated Less Physically Attractive Than Other Women, But Black Men Are Rated Better Looking Than Other Men?

The twitterverse and blogosphere are buzzing over Psychology Today’s publication of a pseudo-scientific article that reports black women are “objectively” less attractive than women of other races (the article has been taken down but can be found here). Satoshi Kanazawa, an evolutionary biologist claims to have found “significant” racial differences in the ratings of female attractiveness.

But with just a cursory look at this study, it’s clear the research that Kanazawa presents is so seriously flawed that it makes sense he’d post it on a pop psychology blog titled The Scientific Fundamentalist. The title of the blog alone speaks volumes. As a “scientific fundamentalist”, Kanazawa appears to adhere to a type of science that has long been discredited. Kanazawa’s article harkens back to eugenics and the role psychology and other sciences played in advancing an ideology of black inferiority. Read the rest of this entry »

Yesterday I had the pleasure of speaking at James Madison University’s Graduate Symposium on Communication in the 21st Century: New Media, New Ideas. I presented findings from my research on the the impact of new media and political comedy on public opinion and political activism. The survey was conducted during the Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert rally held last fall in Washington, D.C. I’ll post a summary of the top-level findings in the near future.

I was honored to also serve on a closing roundtable discussion during which the panelists were asked to deliver 2-3 minute responses to a set of questions related to the theme of the conference. My response to the first question is below.

Do you think that the new communication media are stimulating people’s creativity in academia, industry, government and the public sphere, or do you think people are just reusing old ideas by repackaging them?

New Media have stimulated creativity throughout the public sphere however some segments of society have more rapidly embraced new technologies. This in turn has resulted in greater creative expression among individuals, industries and sectors that were ahead of the curve in adopting new media technologies. Late adopters (e.g. government) are playing catch-up.

New media technologies appealed largely to consumers, and thus comparatively, I would argue there is greater creativity in consumer use of new media than what we have seen thus far by industry and government. Remix culture exemplifies this phenomenon. While it can be argued this is repackaging of old or existing ideas and works—there is value that can be derived from the creative repackaging of the old. Further, the opportunity to challenge traditional means of knowledge production and distribution appeals more to those outside of the structures of authority (e.g., academy, government). New media allow the masses to redefine what is creative and what is deemed valuable, and therefore worthy of continued circulation, discussion, and distribution. This of course, is not without its pitfalls–offensive, racist or sexist material may be “voted” up and legitimated through the “wisdom of the crowd”. Read the rest of this entry »

My Black History Month post for PBS.org is now up. Here’s an excerpt:

Congresswoman Michele Bachmann (R-MN) sas U.S. was always a resting place for people of all colors

It was two years ago at a Black History Month celebration that Attorney General Eric Holder observed that we live in a “nation of cowards” unwilling to have an honest conversation about race. Holder’s remarks sparked a firestorm of criticism from conservatives who felt his comments painted America in a negative light. But was Holder right?

In recent months, we have been reminded that American history is all too often the subject of revisionist interpretations that whitewash the nation’s past to score political points. These insults on our historical consciousness are far too easy to cite.

Take for instance a January speech by Congresswoman Michele Bachmann (R-MN) to Iowans for Tax Relief, during which she declared that America was always a resting place for people of all colors. “It didn’t matter the color of their skin, it didn’t matter their language, it didn’t matter their economic status,” she said. Ignoring the plight of black slaves who first arrived in 1619 — more than 100 years prior to the founding of America — and the enduring fight for racial justice, Bachmann went on to say that the nation’s founding fathers were ardent abolitionists.

Read full article on PBS.org

So often in our public discourse the plight of the poor is subsumed within the needs of the middle class (i.e., “a rising tide lifts all boats”) or all together ignored. While this familiar narrative unfolded during Tavis Smiley’s America’s Next Chapter forum (I’ll return to this point later), it was refreshing to hear the conversation begin with a focus on America’s forgotten class.

Related side note from New York Times Columnist Charles Blow: “President Obama made history on Tuesday. It was only the second time since Harry S. Truman’s State of the Union address in 1948 that such a speech by a Democratic president did not include a single mention of poverty or the plight of the poor.” from Hard-Knock (Hardly Acknowledged) Life, Jan 28

As one of eight “official” bloggers for the forum that aired on CSPAN and PBS a few weeks ago, I served as a moderator of the online discussion during the live CSPAN broadcast. Cornel West, PhD launched the discussion by calling attention to America’s poor and working class. In response to Tavis’ question about America returning to its greatness, Dr. West stated that “greatness has to do with how are your poor and working people doing.” West observed that America’s poor are not doing well in an era of downward mobility, excessive military spending and Wall Street greed. “With the military budget being 50% of the U.S. budget—which means there is no wiggle room to even deal with the situation of working and poor people often times in our the debate about the budget,” West said.

Read the rest of this entry »

cross-posted on Huffington Post

During his State of the Union address President Obama placed special emphasis on technology as an underlying force driving change in our economy. Early in his speech the president juxtaposed the ‘good old days’ of “when finding a job meant showing up at a nearby factory or a business downtown” against a global, technological juggernaut that has opened up markets while increasing competition for jobs.

“In a single generation, revolutions in technology have transformed the way we live, work and do business,” he said. Before laying out his vision of a new era of American innovation, Obama noted that “thirty years ago, we couldn’t know that something called the Internet would lead to an economic revolution.”

Speaking about the economic benefits of technology and innovation, Obama noted that “today, just about any company can set up shop, hire workers, and sell their products wherever there’s an internet connection.”

Obama’s overall message was that “the world has changed.” In this new world, Americans must embrace technology or risk being left behind in an age of new demands and global competition. Read the rest of this entry »

Why aren’t national media covering the story of missing 17-year old Phylicia Barnes? Barnes, a  straight-A student from Monroe, North Carolina, disappeared while visiting relatives in Baltimore in late December. Local authorities suspect foul play. They also suspect that the lack of media coverage of Barnes’ disappearance is largely due to race. Racial disparities in media coverage of missing persons has been an ongoing conversation for years, but thanks to social media, the disparate treatment of white and nonwhite missing girls by mainstream media outlets seems to be getting more attention. Read the rest of this entry »

Last week I posted an interview with PBS’ Tavis Smiley about his America’s Next Chapter forum airing live on CSPAN right now. I am one of a handful of “official” America’s Next Chapter bloggers who are helping to moderate the online discussion of the event on Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites. The panel features Cornel West, Arianna Huffington, Maria Bartiromo, David Frum, Dana Milbank, David Brody, Maria Teresa Kumar, John Chen and other prominent thinkers. My fellow bloggers include: @bmorefab @BeverlyMacy @GWIntersection @garlin @legalspeaks @tgmason. Follow these bloggers and join the the conversation now at http://www.americasnextchapter.com/watchlive.html.