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A new program being offered by the Waters College of Health Professions at Georgia Southern University is helping soldiers with the 3rd Infantry Division (ID) rank up their readiness by offering a new Tactical Athlete Certificate (TAC) program. This program is designed to help soldiers improve their performance, avoid musculoskeletal injuries in physical training, receive college credits and points toward promotions. The program comprises three courses including a basic course, trainer course and programming course. “The Tactical Athlete Certificate is a beneficial program for both the military as a whole and the individual soldier,” said Nancy Henderson, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences. “The military gains more knowledgeable soldiers who can develop science-based and comprehensive physical training plans, and the individual soldier benefits by receiving college credits, which can help them as they advance in their military careers.” Each course is a three-week hybrid course with two weeks online and one week of face-to-face instruction and could be completed in one semester. Institutional fees are waived for active-duty military, and the admissions process does not require a minimum GPA or SAT/ACT score. If you are a journalist and are looking to cover this topic or learn more about how Georgia Southern University is working with the armed forces, the let us help with your stories. Dr. Nancy Henderson is an assistant professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences at Georgia Southern University. She is an expert in injury prevention, running form and assessing meaningful change of interventions. Nancy is available to speak with media regarding this topic – simply click on her icon to arrange an interview.
As a Black wildlife conservationist and field biologist devoted to the study of birds, Corina Newsome, a graduate student at Georgia Southern University, has long been confronted with the lack of diversity in the natural sciences. However, earlier this year, social media became a powerful interface for Newsome and a group of fellow Black scientists around the country, who discovered one another online and quickly formed a camaraderie. “We all met on Twitter,” Newsome explained. “I happened upon a tweet or post and I’m like, ‘Is that a Black person?’ Turns out they’re a Black scientist in herpetology or ornithology or whatever, so I immediately connected with them and said, ‘Hey, can we just know each other?’” Soon after, a video of a racially motivated confrontation in Central Park recorded by science editor and avid birder Christian Cooper went viral, and the network of 30 scientists banded to launch Black Birders Week on May 31. The group of virtual events, coordinated with hashtags like #BlackInNature, #AskABlackBirder and #BirdingWhileBlack, celebrated Black birders and naturalists from around the globe while pushing for inclusion and safe spaces in the outdoors. “For far too long, Black people in the United States have been shown that outdoor exploration activities, such as birding, are not for us,” Newsome stated in a video posted on social media to announce the weeklong initiative’s kickoff. “Well, we’ve decided to change that narrative. A group of Black birders, explorers and scientists got together to start the first-ever Black Birders Week. Help us to show the world, especially the next generation of young, Black birders and nature enthusiasts, that we exist, that they are welcome and that this space belongs to them, too.” The response was monumental as a multitude of Black scientists and naturalists shared their favorite birds, nature shots and professional settings online. “Black Birders Week showed us we are not actually alone,” said Newsome. “It created a community of Black people around the world. Just being on my phone and seeing a Black family outside or a Black professor somewhere teaching ornithology, people doing the thing that I do, encourages me. That makes me feel like it is possible to do well.” Newsome quickly became one of the recognizable faces of Black Birders Week and was featured in The New Yorker, Washington Post, National Geographic and NPR, among other media outlets. She also participated in a virtual roundtable discussion hosted by the National Audubon Society and included Cooper and fellow Georgia Southern student Alex Troutman. Online responses from the organization’s 1.4 million Facebook followers were largely optimistic, however there was some backlash. “We got comments from people saying we are creating division by talking about this,” Newsome said. “The division was already there. Now you know about it, and you’re uncomfortable. But we’ve been uncomfortable.” Such candor has especially captured the attention of students. “The most overwhelming, positive responses have been from young, Black people in college or pre-college who are interested in the sciences, messaging me or emailing me and saying, ‘It’s meant so much to see you doing your work,’” she said. Newsome noted that multiple wildlife and government agencies have also reached out, demonstrating that they are in the process of making structural changes within their organizations to expand diversity efforts. “Seeing these things actually materialize has been mind-blowing, and again, that’s because of the work of the group, the collective work of this movement,” she said. “I think that the one really encouraging element of that has been them choosing to use their platform to amplify our voices at the expense of losing some of their constituents.” While Newsome’s passion, “the thing that lights a fire under me constantly,” can be found at the intersection of wildlife conservation and human rights, birds continue to be her feathered muses. “They weigh sometimes a fraction of an ounce,” she said. “They are so physically fragile, yet they make some of the most physically intense migrations on the globe, from the tip of North America to the tip of South America. Birds as tiny as a hummingbird that weigh a tenth of an ounce fly over the Gulf of Mexico nonstop for over 18 hours. Just think of how much they’re accomplishing, even though they are easily one of the most fragile creatures on the planet. It feels oxymoronic, but it’s real. “Birds remind me that things that seem impossible happen.” If you are journalist and would like to know more about this particular story simply reach out to Georgia Southern Director of Communications Jennifer Wise at jwise@georgiasouthern.edu to arrange an interview today.
It's on - Are Biden and Harris a dream ticket for voters?
For some it is a dream come true. For Donald Trump – there appears to be a nightmare on the horizon. When Joe Biden chose Senator Kamala Harris as his running mate, it seemed like the ultimate trump card was played on the president himself. The announcement dominated newscasts across the globe. Harris is a strong candidate with a political resume that few can rival. Her young age off-sets that of Biden and the fact that she is a woman of color – and the chance for America to make history once again – makes the path to the White House seem unstoppable. However – no campaign is perfect, nor easy in America these days. And voters should expect lots of political punches and mudslinging in the party conventions and debates, all the way up to Election Day. What can Americans expect as the campaigns kick off? Will Harris’s past policies and record as Attorney General dull her shine? She clashed last summer with Biden over issues of race – has all been forgiven and forgotten? And is America finally ready to elect a woman of color into the highest halls of government? It is going to be a long and winding road until the November election – and if you are a journalist covering this topic, the University of Mary Washington has one of the foremost political experts in the country who can help with your stories. Dr. Stephen Farnsworth is a sought-after political commentator on presidential politics. He has been widely featured in national media, including The Washington Post, Reuters, The Chicago Tribune, and MSNBC.
A record number of female candidates are running in 2020
It’s been a full century since the 19th Amendment was passed in the United States, giving women the right to vote. This year, women are not only casting their ballots - they're appearing on them in record numbers. A record number of women are running for Congress this year, boosted in part by a surge of Republican women seeking office in a party struggling to regain lost ground with female voters. The influx adds to the advances female candidates — mostly Democrats — made in the 2018 midterm election that helped reshape the makeup of Congress. It also has echoes in the presidential race, based on voting patterns from two years ago and Democrat Joe Biden’s lead in polls over President Donald Trump among female voters. Biden has vowed to pick a woman as running mate. As of July 1, 574 women had filed to run in primaries for U.S. House seats, topping the record 476 from two years ago, according to data compiled by the center. Another 58 women filed to run for the Senate, compared with 53 in 2018. In all, that’s a 20% increase in women making congressional bids. July 13 – Providence Journal It is an impressive number and one every American should be proud of. But there are a few questions that still need to be asked. With close to 220 GOP women vying for a seat in Congress – has the party that traditionally does not have the support of women voters finally changed its course? Are female candidates motivated by the need to change when it comes to key issues like health care, the environment, and the economy? If you are a journalist looking to cover the increased number of females running for elected office this November – then let our experts help. Dr. Rosalyn Cooperman, associate professor of political science at the University of Mary Washington and member of Gender Watch 2018, is an expert on women in politics. She is available to speak with media regarding this topic – simply click on her icon to arrange an interview.
What does Kamala Harris' candidacy for vice president mean for women of color in America?
It wasn’t necessarily a surprise to insiders, but Joe Biden’s announcement that Sen. Kamala Harris will be his running mate in the 2020 presidential election took America by storm. News outlets, pundits and posters to social media all took to different mediums to discuss the historical significance of a female woman of color being on the ballot and what this means for America. Harris has obviously broken through the glass ceiling that still existed for those seeking the office of the vice president in Washington, but she is refreshingly just one of several strong females from minority communities who are starting to make a difference and have an impact on the makeup of modern American politics. In many recent elections, black women voters have voted overwhelmingly for Democrats, and had the highest turnout rate among all racial, ethnic and gender groups between 2008 and 2012, according to The New York Times. Women of color are an emerging force in politics, but is America ready to elect a woman of color to vice presidency? It will be an interesting campaign. With Biden and Harris in fact facing President Donald Trump and amid a global pandemic, this will be one of the most hotly followed and unconventional quests for the White House in history. If you are a journalist covering this topic – then let an expert from Augusta University help with your story. Dr. Mary-Kate Lizotte is an expert in political behavior and the implications of gender differences in public opinion, including society’s views of female candidates of color. She is available to talk about the upcoming election and all aspects surrounding each campaign. Click on her name to schedule an interview.
Digital Media Consumption in Canada is Being Dramatically Impacted by the Coronavirus Crisis
A Canadian perspective on Comscore’s ongoing special investigation into how the COVID-19 pandemic is leading to significant audience and consumer behaviour changes across digital platforms. Insights from our Analysis: News, news and more news: Canadians are consuming news at a record pace Social media and messaging: Canadians are staying ultra-connected with their communities Entertainment, music, and spirituality content: increased consumption seen as behaviours change Government: information from government websites are becoming top-of-mind Finance: increased focus on investments and payments Analysis of News & Information Category We have seen an explosion on engagement with news and information sites. In looking at the news categories and its subcategories, the week of Mar 9-15, 2020 saw big increases in engagement over the benchmark week of Dec 30, 2019 - Jan 5, 2020. As a trend, news consumption in general is also on the rise in Canada in terms of aggregate daily unique visitors and visits over time. Analysis of Social Media and Messaging Category As Canadians respond to the Coronavirus reality, we are seeing that their engagement with digital communication channels has increased significantly. When comparing daily engagement with email, instant messengers and social networking sites between the week of March 9-15, 2020 and the benchmark week of Dec 30, 2019 -Jan 5, 2020 as it relates to the % change in usage, we saw large increase in activity. The raw increase in numbers in social media provides greater detailsof the growth in usage: Analysis of Entertainment, Misc and Religious / Spiritual Category Content is Queen, King, Prince, and Princess – between the weeks of Dec 30– January 5 and March 9-15, greater amounts of time at home and the associated increased screen time drove incremental usage of the Entertainment category and the Religious/Spiritual subcategory. Driving the growth is the explosion of Entertainment – Music, which saw an increase of 32% in aggregate daily UV, a 33% increase in visits, and a 31% increase in minutes during this time. Analysis of Government Category Another category that has seen an explosion of visitation and engagement is government sites. Overall there has been huge audience and time spent with government-related content. Here is the build of visits and aggregate Daily UV over the past 10 weeks: We reviewed the Government category between week of Dec 30, 2019 – January 5, 2020 to March 9 – March 15, 2020 and looked at the % change in usage, which really showed a large increase in activity by Canadians. Based on this trend and growing global cases of Coronavirus, it is expected that Canadian audiences will continue to flock to the content from the government in these uncertain times. Analysis of Finance Category There is a saying that we hear in society – “Follow the Money”. The digital behavior of Canadians has been analogous in recent weeks as we have seen increased measures taken relating to the Coronavirus. Overall the Business/Finance category has seen some increased usage over the time period reviewed. Banking, Payments, Investments, and especially Taxes have seen high visitation. Between the week of Dec 30, 2019 – January 5, 2020 to March 9 – March 15, 2020 we saw an increase of +19% and +59%, respectively, in visits in the Investments and Payments subcategories. Additional insights from Comscore’s initial COVID-19 insights for Canada show that: Overall Digital Consumption across the Total Internet has increased. During the time period of this review visits have increased by 10% and time spent has increased by 14% In a time of crisis, people turn to News/Information Websites There have been significant increases in activity by Canadians on Social Media, Email, and Messaging pointing to the need for communication. Social distancing is safe on the internet. Interest soars for government information sources – where we see an explosion of usage. Increases in certain content Categories like Entertainment, Games, Music, Dating, and Religion/Spirituality have spiked Spikes in traffic are occurring for the e-commerce giants as social distancing and local restrictions impact in-store retail – with specific focus on Food and Supermarket Global movement restrictions lead to tumultuous traffic for travel sites
Canadian's Digital Behavioral Shifts in Relation to the The Coronavirus Pandemic
This article is part of a series of insights that reveal a Canadian perspective on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on consumer behavior and significant audience shifts across digital platforms. Things are moving fast. Following our last update regarding digital media consumption during the Coronavirus pandemic, this article will highlight some of the major category changes reflected as of the week March 16 - 22, 2020. Key Insights from Our Analysis Digital consumption continues to grow: the visits and minutes curve is not flattening Key content categories such as news, social media, and government are being driven by higher engagement: metrics include visits and duration More engagement with news sites: sites categorized as local, business/finance, and general news are main drivers Categories that focus on entertaining, kids, food, financial advice, and children’s education are also seeing growth: growth comes from increases in aggregate unique visitors, visits and minutes Automotive manufacturers, real estate, sports and travel entities have seen decreases: however, they are poised for major increases and a bounce back. Mobile platforms are driving growth: some differences between desktop and mobile engagement Canadian's total digital consumption continues to grow When we analyzed Canadian total digital media consumption to compare the percentage change between the week of March 16, 2020 and the first weeks of January 2020, February 2020, and March 2020, we found that overall digital engagement is not flattening. Even comparing the beginning of March against mid-March, we can see visitation, visits, and engagement continuing to grow. Looking at the total digital consumption trend over time, we can see growth in total minutes spent online while total visits have remained relatively flat. Media Consumption Growth by Category There are several content categories that we are seeing major growth in each of the time periods: These digital categories of news/information, social media, entertainment, government and games are showing continuous growth. The need for ongoing news and information updates, government information, flocking to social media to bring community together and message, and the need to be entertained with visitation and engagement on Entertainment and Games Entities. News and Information Category Insights To look at the news/information category a bit closer – it is amazing to see the category growth over the past few weeks of Canadians going to news entities to get updates. The hockey stick growth from the start of March 2020 is very evident. The news and information growth is being driven by local news, general news, and business/finance news. That being said – technology, politics, and weather are also seeing growth. Through these time periods, we are also seeing some other categories that are showing significant growth. Many of the categories are a result of many Canadians being home bound and isolated, and with families with kids having the kids at home. Platform Variance for Media Consumption One of the areas that we have been asked most about is whether we find any variances between desktop and mobile platforms. When reviewing the data, there is greater engagement with mobile platforms in the week of March 16 compared to other weeks. Amidst the global COVID-19 pandemic, we are seeing a significant increase in digital consumption amongst Canadian consumers. The data trends show Canadians are flocking online with significant growth in news entities, instant messaging, social media, government resources, entertainment, music destinations, video, and financial websites. What this means for marketers and advertisers is a significant opportunity to reach Canadians who are highly engaged and are looking for relevant and timely content. It comes down to delivering the right message, at the right time, in front of the right audience, in brand safe environments.
Insights and Analysis of Canadian Digital Media Consumption During the Coronavirus Pandemic
In the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, millions of Canadians are staying home and turning to their computers, smartphones, and tablets as a core source of news, information, education, and entertainment. This article is part of a series of insights that reveal a Canadian perspective on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on consumer behavior and significant audience shifts across digital platforms. This week we will highlight some of the major category changes reflected as of the week March 23 - 29, 2020. Key Insights from Our Analysis: Digital consumption continues to grow, although at a slower pace Canadians are still consuming news at a record pace, but growth is slowing Sports and Real Estate declines are slowing Retail overall is stable but key categories like Toys, Apparel, and Books are increasing in consumption Canadian usage in Dating, Pets, Food, and Family & Youth Education on the rise Canada's Total Digital Population An analysis of Canadian Total Digital Media consumption looking at the percent change from week of March 23, 2020 to March 29, 2020 from the previous week of March 16, 2020 to March 22, 2020 showed continued increase of Unique Visitors (UVs), Visits, and Minutes, but does reveal that some increases are at a slower rate than previous weeks. Unique Visitors grew by +1%, Visits by +2%, and Minutes by +5%. At a top line that is still substantial growth, but throughout this release we will give insights into what is driving these increases, and in some cases highlight categories that are starting to show recovery. Analysis from the News and Information Category This category has been a huge focus over the past few releases given the amazing growth of Unique Visitors, Visits, and Minutes as COVID-19 became more prevalent in Canada. Canadians flocked to News/Information websites in record numbers driven by General News, Local News, Weather, and Politics. With that being said, during our latest week of data (week of March 23, 2020 to March 29, 2020) we have seen a lower percentage increase for the category. There is still growth, but the growth is at a slower rate. The category is still a huge area of focus and visitation and engagement are near record high levels. Analysis from the Retail Category The Retail category has also been a particular focus as bricks and mortar shopping has significantly changed, and in some places closed where they are deemed non-essential. Overall, the Retail category has seen a pretty flat line of growth in Unique Visitors, Visits, and Minutes. That being said, we have seen some sub-categories show growth that is greatly over-indexing. This growth in the Retail category is being driven by these subcategories: Toys, Books, Apparel, Sports/Outdoor, Department Stores/Malls. Toys is leading the charge with a 27% week-over-week growth in Unique Visitors. Analysis from Sports and Real Estate Categories The Sports and Real Estate categories have been two of several categories hit by major decreases in visitation and engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada. With live sports on hold for most of the major sports leagues in North America – there has been a decline across the board. That being said, during the week of March 23, 2020 to March 29, 2020 for the first time since our COVID-19 analysis began we have seen a decrease in the rate of decline in Visitation, and an in fact an increase in week-over-week Minutes. In terms of the Real Estate category, we have seen small week-over-week decreases with -3% in Unique Visitors, -7% in Visits, and -6% in Minutes – compared to the double-digit declines in the past few weeks. Insights from Other Categories of Interest There were a few other categories that hit our radar this week when looking at the data. These categories have seen week-over-week increases – that show Canadians are increasing Visitation and Engagement with this content. Many of these categories reflect the reality that people are isolated at home – with either kids (whom they must entertain and educate) or without kids or a partner – and they are looking to meet new people (Dating). The Pets category showed big increases, and Lifestyle – Food showed increases in activity. Canadians are apparently focused on love, kids, pets, and their tummies!
It was a news story that shook America and shattered the lives of many in Boston. Tamerlan Tsarnaev and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev set off two bombs at the Boston Marathon finish line. The ensuing manhunt and standoff had America on edge for days. Augusta University’s Dr. Craig Albert was front and center on national news during that time, helping journalists and audiences understand the motivation behind these horrible acts. His interview with Fox's Megyn Kelly is available below: Dr. Craig Albert is director of the Master of Arts in Intelligence and Security Studies at Augusta University. He is a leading expert on war, terrorism and American politics, and he testified before U.S. Congress regarding the threat from Chechnya following the deadly bombing. With this story now back in the headlines after a federal appeals court overturned the death sentence for Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, Albert is available to speak with media – simply click on his name to arrange an interview today.
It has been the talk of the political town for months now – just who will Joe Biden pick to be his running mate and potentially the vice president of America after this November’s election? Biden’s victory over President Donald Trump is far from guaranteed, and odds are Democrats are a little wiser from 2016, when the polls showed Hillary Clinton had the race all but sewed up in October only to be shocked once all the votes were counted. But the polls are favorable for Biden and who he chooses to join him on the ballot could help drive his victory a lot closer to home. Biden has signaled his running mate will be female, which narrows the fields, but there are other factors to consider. Here are just a few: Race: Black voters represent almost one of four members of the Democratic base and getting those voters to show up like they did for former President Barack Obama will be essential. Appeal: Biden did well with older voters in the primaries but had dismal support of younger voters. Age: At 77, Biden will be the oldest candidate in history. He may need a substantially younger partner to balance the ticket. A lot of names are being thrown around and time is ticking. If you are a journalist covering the election, that is where our media-ready experts can help. Dr. Mary-Kate Lizotte is an expert in political behavior and the implications of gender differences in public opinion, including society’s views of female candidates of color. She is available to talk about the upcoming election and all aspects surrounding each campaign. Click on her name to schedule an interview.