Dear Colleagues, I am pleased to be chairing the Awards Committee of the ICA Communication and Technology (CAT) Division and would like to draw your attention to the call for nominations for two awards: (1) the Frederick Williams Prize for Contribution to the Study of Communication and Technology and the (2) Herbert S. Dordick Dissertation … Continue reading Call for Nominations for ICT Communication & Technology Awards
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Causality Journalism: Can Academics Help?
As a social scientist, I spend much of my working life sorting out spurious claims about cause and effect. In any social science, particularly when it is impossible to adequately control many variables such as through an experimental design, the analysis and attribution of causality is inherently problematic. Too often, that is not the case … Continue reading Causality Journalism: Can Academics Help?
Bad Prince Putin
Niccolo Machiavelli was not only one of the ancestorial-fathers of political science, but also remains incredibly relevant and insightful on so many topics of politics and power. In his discourses, advising the prince, he talks about a ‘bad prince’ in his reflections on republics, or popular governments, versus those governed by princes, who are hereditary … Continue reading Bad Prince Putin
The Attraction of Working from Home
William H. Dutton and Patricia Esteve-Gonzalez Global Cybersecurity Capacity Centre, University of Oxford A growing number of studies are documenting the shift to working from home (WFH) in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. McKinsey & Company’s American Opportunity Survey supports the importance of this shift and claims that “Americans are embracing flexible work”.[1] Our … Continue reading The Attraction of Working from Home
An ICA Tribute to Elihu Katz
Unparalleled Contributions of Elihu Katz to Studies of Communication Inspired members of the International Communication Association (ICA) are organizing a preconference on the ‘legacies’ of the American-Israeli sociologist, Elihu Katz. This promises to be a fitting and most deserved tribute to his contributions to multiple academic fields, and certainly to the field of communication. My … Continue reading An ICA Tribute to Elihu Katz
Debbie Dunkle: The Loss of a Mentor and Friend
Amid the remembrances of 9/11 in the US and the death of Elizabeth II in the UK, I’ve received news about the death of a wonderful friend and colleague, Debbie Dunkle. At seventy-seven years of age, Debbie had a wonderful life in Southern California and a fantastic career, but I was no less deeply saddened … Continue reading Debbie Dunkle: The Loss of a Mentor and Friend
Changing the Denominator: Spinning Election Results
It is amazing how commentators spin the results of an election. You would think that a candidate wins or losses, but no, it can be (and most often is) spun to make a win sound like a loss or vice versa. The recent example I have in mind is Liz Truss winning the Conservative Party … Continue reading Changing the Denominator: Spinning Election Results
Lessons from the UK Leadership Selection Marathon
On 7 July 2022, Prime Minister Boris Johnson resigned as leader of the Conservative Party, kicking off a selection process that the winner, Liz Truss, minutes after her selection, would describe as one of the “longest job interviews in history”. Liz Truss, the UK’s Foreign Minister, won by a vote of 57 percent of Conservative … Continue reading Lessons from the UK Leadership Selection Marathon
The Attack on Salman Rushdie and Freedom of Expression
I can’t imagine what more could be said about the horrible attack 12 August 2022 on Salman Rushdie. So many brilliant writers and public intellectuals have spoken of the author’s bravery and support of freedom of expression. This was the topic Rushdie planned to speak about at the Chautauqua event. So, may I thank you, … Continue reading The Attack on Salman Rushdie and Freedom of Expression
Text of PM Boris Johnson’s Resignation Speech
It was not easy to get the full text of Boris Johnson's resignation speech and in posts with the text, I most often found them filled with advertisements and plugs for their other news stories. Here is the full text he delivered outside Number 10 Downing Street on Thursday, 7 July 2022: "It is clearly … Continue reading Text of PM Boris Johnson’s Resignation Speech