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Independence Day: Baylor’s Benjamin Franklin Scholars Bring Light to Complex Figure

Founding Father Benjamin Franklin was a complex man. Among his many roles, he was a businessman, entrepreneur, inventor, journalist, author, printer, editor, politician, postmaster, statesman, ambassador and signer of the Declaration of Independence. And even with a treasure trove of accomplishments, sometimes the Franklin legends are bigger than Franklin the man – and it’s taken an army of historians and scholars throughout the centuries to sort it out. As July 4 Independence Day approaches, Baylor University's two Franklin scholars share different perspectives of Franklin, his faith and his business acumen: • Thomas Kidd, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor of History and associate director of Baylor’s Institute for Studies of Religion • Blaine McCormick, Ph.D., associate professor and chair of the management department in Baylor’s Hankamer School of Business Both have penned Franklin books and both have been featured nationally for their research on the Founding Father. Kidd’s 2017 book, “Benjamin Franklin: The Religious Life of a Founding Father,” has received high marks for its analysis of Franklin’s beliefs. From his Puritan upbringing to deism, skepticism and more, the book explores the influences and evolution of faith throughout Franklin’s life. “In today’s polarized political and religious environment, some pundits seek to remake the Founding Fathers in their own image. Benjamin Franklin’s example reveals that the historical truth is often more complicated,” Kidd wrote in a column for The Wall Street Journal. McCormick, who wrote “Ben Franklin: America’s Original Entrepreneur,” discovered a passion to study the Founding Father after listening to an audiobook of Franklin’s autobiography. “Franklin could do things as a statesman, and understand things, and achieve things as a statesman, because he had achieved things in the marketplace first,” he said. “I’ve yet to find a better book for businesspeople to learn about how to run a business in the American Experiment. He wrote the autobiography to help train people in the life of business. Many of the principles are still very robust.” And the way he shared those principles (many of which have been misquoted and made into memes through the decades) is important, McCormick said. “Franklin used sentences no longer than a Tweet to train generations of colonial businesspeople,” he said. “They were short. They were memorable. They were high-impact.” Source:

‘Internet’ Presidents and the evolving art of communicating

There’s no question the first four presidents of the internet age are different, but Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Donald Trump share one thing in common: They have emphasized their personal character to win office and to fight back against critics. In his new book Presidential Communication and Character: White House News Management from Clinton and Cable to Twitter and Trump, University of Mary Washington Political Science Professor Stephen J. Farnsworth examines how presidents sell themselves and their policies in an ever-expanding and sometimes precarious media environment. “Character conversations are ideal for a modern media system that gives rise to short-attention-span politics,” said Farnsworth, a sought-after political commentator who has spent decades researching presidential communications and the media. “They also serve the politicians’ interests, as constantly distracted news consumers may not remember when politicians said one thing yesterday and a different thing today, much less punish them for inconsistency. With the various modern media cocoons that exist today, a person may never hear a president called to account for a comment that turned out to be false.” Dr. Farnsworth is professor of political science and international affairs at the University of Mary Washington. A published author and a media ‘go-to’ on presidential politics, he is available to speak with media regarding this issue. Simply click on his icon to arrange an interview. Source:

Why local governments should expect more cyberattacks like the one that just hit Atlanta

The ransomware attack that has held Atlanta’s computer systems hostage over the weekend is only one example of local governments becoming targets of cybercrime. “This problem is likely going to get worse because local governments often do not have the resources for cybersecurity,” said Dr. William Hatcher, director of Augusta University's Master in Public Administration. “Public administration experts like myself are seriously concerned with cyberattacks like the one that just hit Atlanta occurring more often.” In recent years, many local governments have reduced staff to a point where they are only providing the day-to-day services to their citizens, Hatcher said. Little is left for long-term planning like investing in cybersecurity technology and creating a cybersecurity crisis management plan. Hatcher is available to discuss: - Why are local governments not prepared to prevent and deal with cyberattacks like the ransomware that just hit Atlanta? - Why should local governments expect these cyberattacks to happen more often? - Why can local governments do to protect themselves and their citizens from cyberattacks? Click on Dr. Hatcher's profile above to schedule an interview. Source:

Baylor Professor, Public Relations Ethics Expert Shares Thoughts on Resignation of ICE Spokesman

James Schwab, spokesman for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in San Francisco, recently resigned his position -- alleging that Trump administration officials, including U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, made false public statements after the agency’s recent Northern California sweep to arrest undocumented immigrants. Marlene Neill, Ph.D, APR, an expert on public relations ethics and coauthor of the new book "Public Relations Ethics: Senior PR Pros Tell Us How to Speak Up and Keep Your Job," said it's incredibly challenging for PR professionals when they feel their integrity is at stake or when they are at odds with their supervisors. If Schwab's accusations are founded, Dr. Neill said she feels he made the best decision. "I applaud James Schwab for his moral courage and willingness to stand firm in his values despite a high personal cost. From news accounts, it appears he tried to persuade other executives to be more forthright and truthful in their communication, but was unsuccessful in his efforts. That left him no choice but to resign. In our new book, we discuss different persuasive approaches senior executives can use to advocate for ethical communication. However, when those efforts fail, it leaves communication executives with few options to maintain their integrity. That is why it is so important to have a personal crisis plan." Dr. Neill, Ph.D., APR, is an assistant professor at Baylor University. She teaches courses in public relations and advertising. She also serves as the faculty adviser for the Baylor PRSSA chapter. Her research interests include public relations management and ethics. She has published research in the following journals: Journal of Mass Media Ethics, Public Relations Review, Journal of Communication Management and Journal of Advertising Education. Neill is an accredited member of the Central Texas Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America. She served as the chair for the Southwest District of PRSA in 2011. At the national level, Neill served a three-year term on the Universal Accreditation Board, which administers the examination for Accreditation in Public Relations; the Nominating Committee, which selects national board officers in 2012; and was appointed to the Board of Ethics & Professionals Standards in January of 2013. Dr. Neill is available to comment. Source:

Is there any room left in the crowded home assistant market?

The tech world is abuzz with rumours that Spotify is potentially wading into the ‘home assistant’ marketplace. It’s a billion dollar business and could be the future for consumers wanting ‘smarter’ houses – but it is already a crowded market. The rumours are based on speculation as job postings for a project manager and analyst for a new hardware project to be developed and released. For Spotify to enter this space – it makes sense. However, is Spotify just a little too late to the party? As well, when you are last on the field and your opponents are Amazon, Google and Apple – the task ahead is daunting if not dangerous for the hundreds of millions of dollars in development and marketing that will be required. Is this just speculation for attention or will Spotify jump in and try to stand out? It’s not easy to decipher or decide. But that’s where the experts from IDC Canada can help. Jean Philippe (JP) Bouchard is Vice-President, Mobility and Consumer Research and is an expert in the areas of modeling and market forecasting, mobile device and platforms, go to market strategies, strategic marketing and product management. Simply click on JP’s icon to arrange an interview. Source:

A whole lot of problems facing Whole Foods?

In August, Amazon went on a binge and acquired high-end grocer Whole Foods for 13.6 billion dollars. Many wondered what changes would come and how the high-tech and modernized Amazon approach to retail would impact the grocery chain. A few months late, a look inside some stores shows the results aren't good. Shelves that once showed off fresh fruit and vegetables at a premium price are bare. And customers aren't happy. A new food ordering system called Order-to-shelf, or OTS may be the leading culprit. OTS is a tightly controlled system designed to streamline and track product. It allows outlets to carry items that move almost literally from daily delivery trucks to store shelves. Its goal is to reduce storage costs, waste and provide a cheaper and more efficient system of managing products. But is this effort for an almost militaristic efficiency costing Whole Foods customers, demoralizing employees and hurting the store's brand? Is this a matter of a learning curve that will sort itself out? Or did Amazon make a mistake implementing OTS? And will these empty shelves leave a lasting and negative impression on customers? There are a lot of scenarios and questions - that's where the experts from can help. Ryan Hamilton is a is a consumer psychologist and an expert in marketing, branding and consumer decision making. Ryan is available to speak with media regarding Whole Foods and the OTS system. Simply click on his icon to arrange an interview. Source:

Professor Available to Comment on Cryptocurrency-Backed Securities

Professor Prabhudev Konana is available to discuss cryptocurrency-backed securities and coin offerings. Konana is a professor in the Information, Risk, and Operations Management department at the McCombs School of Business. Contact: Samantha Harris, Samantha.Harris@mccombs.utexas.edu or 512-471-6746 Related experts: Professor Andrew Whinston (Bitcoin and Cyber Security), Associate Professor Cesare Fracassi (FinTech). Source:

An honor or a Herculean-sized task to host the Olympic Games?

In less than a month – the world will be watching as South Korea plays host, once again to the Olympic Games. With the Games come international attention, media scrutiny and bragging rights. What also comes with is serious price-tag and left-over infrastructure. The Olympics, which begin Feb. 9, will cost the host country approximately 14 trillion won ($12.9 billion) – almost double the original estimates of the 8 to 9 trillion won ($7 to 8 billion) South Korea stated when Pyeongchang won the bid in 2011. That’s a lot of money. And is it worth it? Do the Olympics carry the lustre they once did? Has any country actually been able to make money or put to good use all the facilities that are requires hosting events like luge, bobsledding, biathlons and all those extra arenas? Is it time for a single destination for the world to converge on each year? As costs go up – the urge to host internationally seems to go down. There are a lot of questions about hosting the Games and if the task is worth the price tag -that’s where the experts from Cedarville can help. Andrew Wonders is an Assistant Professor of Sport Business Management and was on planning committees for the Sydney and Salt Lake City Olympic games. He can give a behind-the-scenes look at what is taking place now leading up to the Olympics. Andrew is available to speak with media – simply click on his icon to arrange an interview. Source: