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The election is on. In fact, it’s as if the campaign of the 2016 election has never come to a finish. U.S. President Donald Trump’s strategy of constant rallies, speeches and campaign stops has essentially meant the Republican incumbent has been on the stump for the better part of almost five years now. On the other side, at one time last year, there were more than two dozen contenders vying for the right to represent the Democrats. That field has been whittled down to about half of that, and it is expected to continue shrinking now that primaries are in play and the financial costs of keeping up will become a reality. So, if there were to be an actual starting point for the November election – this week could be it. On Monday, the Iowa Caucus kicks off what could be months of rigorous and aggressive campaigning for Democrats. The winner Monday will have a huge boost, but after that it’ll be all eyes on New Hampshire, Nevada, South Carolina and then Super Tuesday. Also, this week, the President will deliver the State of the Union. The timing of this speech could be the change of channel the President needs as the clouds of impeachment linger. As well, the speech and the huge audience it gathers could set the tone of what's to come on the campaign trail. For political junkies and journalists – it is going to be a busy nine months. And if you are a reporter covering the primaries, politics and the presidential election – then let our experts help. The team from FAU can help with a variety of topics that will inevitably be part of or influence the policies and platforms of each party and candidate. Kevin Wagner's research and teaching interests include presidential and judicial politics, political behavior and legislative behavior. He is also a research fellow of the FAU Business and Economics Polling Initiative (BEPI). Robert Rabil is an expert in political Islam, terrorism, U.S. foreign policy, and U.S.-Arab relations. Kelly Shannon specializes in the history of U.S. foreign relations, with particular attention to the Middle East and the 20th century. Colin Polsky is trained as a geographer, specializing in the human dimensions of global environmental change. He also oversees FAU's quarterly environmental poll. All of these experts from Florida Atlantic University are available to help with any of your questions or coverage – simply click on an expert’s icon to arrange an interview today.
Interested in the Ethics of EdTech Apps? Let our Experts Help with Your Coverage
There’s been a lot of talk lately about EdTech apps. There’s a long list of benefits and advantages for students looking to succeed in these modern and digital times. However, with anything app-related – user privacy and what’s being done with all of your data that’s collected always comes to the forefront of the conversation. EdTech apps are a billion-dollar industry, and recently the experts from the University of Mary Washington were asked their opinions on the industry, the apps and privacy. Jesse Stommel, senior lecturer of Digital Studies at the University of Mary Washington, said that EdTech providers had a responsibility to do more than just legally protect themselves with terms and conditions. “The onus has to be on the tech companies themselves to educate the users about data security and data monetisation…say ‘here’s why I’m collecting it, here’s what I hope to do with it, here’s why it should matter to you’,” he said. For Dr. Stommel there was also still a danger when technologies were adopted widely across campuses and every student or lecturer was required to use them. “When certain companies become universal, staff and students don’t have a way to say ‘I won’t use it because I don’t want them to have my data’,” he said. The fact that certain products had become so widely adopted, such as plagiarism tracking software Turnitin, was another reason to be cautious about data protection, he said. Turnitin, which was sold last year for $1.8 billion (£1.4 billion), has been accused of monetising students’ intellectual property, since it works by checking submitted papers against an ever-growing database of previously submitted essays and detecting any similarities. “Companies can start off small and they say ‘we will be good stewards of this data, we’re small, we talk to each other,’ but then that company achieves more and more success and it doesn’t necessarily have the standards in place to maintain that,” said Dr. Stommel, speaking generally. “Then what happens when they are bought out? What are the ethics of the company that has purchased them? What happens to the student data then?” Dr. Stommel said that the most “moral” thing to do was for companies to collect as little data as possible but admitted “no company is approaching it in that way”. January 14 - TimesHigherEducation.com Are you a journalist covering how EdTech is now becoming a regular part of modern-day higher education? Then let our experts help with your stories. Jesse Stommel is a senior lecturer of Digital Studies at the University of Mary Washington and is an expert in faculty development, digital education and modern learning. He is available to speak with media regarding EdTech apps – simply click on his icon to arrange an interview.
Experts in the media: Two Mary Washington Professors study selfies and self-objectification
Psychological Science Professors Miriam Liss and Mindy Erchull’s research on selfie behaviors, self-objectification and depressive behaviors in women was recently published in the psychology journal, Sex Roles. Women are given the message that they are valued for their physical attractiveness above other qualities, and the study examines how self-objectification interplays with online behaviors. A study recently published in the journal Sex Roles sheds new light on the relationship between selfie behaviors, self-objectification, and depressive symptoms in women. Since women often receive the message that they are valued primarily for their physical attractiveness, the researchers were interested in exploring how self-objectification was related to online behaviors. “I have been collaborating with Mindy Erchull on issues related to objectification theory for several years. I had also begun to be interested in the effects of social media on people’s experiences and had recently taught a senior seminar on the topic,” explained the study’s lead author, Miriam Liss, a professor of psychological science at University of Mary Washington. “Mindy and I became interested in how objectification relates to experiences with social media — particularly Instagram, which is a platform that is based on posting visual images. Other studies on the topic had largely looked at how feelings of self-objectification can be a consequence of social media. We wanted to look at how self-objectification can change how one behaves when taking and posting selfies.” For their study, the researchers surveyed 164 female students from a public liberal arts university in the Southeastern United States. The survey assessed photo manipulation, average number of selfies, body surveillance, perceived social media deception, and depressive symptoms. Most of the participants reported taking 2-5 selfies before posting one to Instagram, while approximately 5 percent reported taking more than 20 on average. The researchers found that women who took a larger number of selfies before choosing one to post to Instagram tended to have higher levels of body surveillance and more symptoms of depression. PsyPost, January 12 The article and details of the study are below. If you are a journalist looking to learn more about this topic or if you are interested in speaking with Professor Miriam Liss or Professor Mindy Erchull – simply click on either expert’s icon to arrange an interview today.
With Brexit looming, more is unknown than known with British economy, trade agreements
Although it has been in the works since June 2016, the transition phase of Great Britain’s decision to leave the European Union (EU) — more commonly known as “Brexit” — is set to take place on Jan. 31. It is a date that will most likely leave a ripple of economic uncertainty in the United Kingdom in its wake as the British prepare for total independence at the end of the year. “Brexit has created so many new unknown variables. It can be profoundly disruptive to England as we know it today,” says Ralf “Don” Keysser, D.B.A., an associate professor in the MBA program at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota. Keysser predicts a negative short-term impact to the British economy, whereas the long-term perspective is still hard to predict until new free trade agreements with Europe and the rest of the world are established. Keysser does not see a clear-cut benefit to the U.S. establishing a free trade agreement with the U.K., simply based on the lack of British imports in the American market, other than maintaining political closeness. “It’s going to be a shock to the system. England will not be the England that it has been. There’s a lot of speculation, because we’ve never had a country pull out of the EU before, so it’s kind of an unknown. And it’s so highly politicized that it’s hard to get an objective analysis of what it’s going to look like.” Keysser points to a Toyota plant in South Derbyshire that supplies most of its output to countries in the EU through a tariff-free treatment. With Brexit going into effect, the factory may have to vastly reduce its output. Still, the workers in that community overwhelmingly voted to leave the EU. “This is a good example of how people will vote against their economic self-interests for ideological reasons,” Keysser says. “There’s a lot of ideology behind the Brexit vote: anti-immigrant, anti-Europe, pro-nationalist views that very much echoed President Trump’s appeal.” There are a few reasonably good projections, Keysser says, to make about the impact on inflation, unemployment, and economic trends — and none of them look good for Britain. One just has to look at the British pound, which has steadily been losing value to the dollar and euro over the years. In addition, several banks decided to either move from London or expand into other markets within the EU as soon as the Brexit results were announced, which could cost the British capital its status as of the world’s premier financial centers. “I see a gradual diminution of the financial business that’s been a mainstay of London,” Dr. Keysser says. On top of that, there is a real fear of Scotland and Northern Ireland wanting to leave the U.K. in favor of establishing their own independence and returning to the EU. The last time Scotland voted to leave the U.K. in 2004 it only passed 55% to 45%. “That could be the beginning of the end of the United Kingdom as we have known it,” Keysser says. The news might not be entirely bad out of Brexit. For international tourists, especially those from the U.S may be able to take advantage of the dollar’s exchange rate with the declining pound. Do you want to know more about the possible economic ramifications of Brexit? Are you a journalist covering this topic and interested in an interview? That's where we can help. Ralf Keysser, D.B.A., has been an active investment banker and business finance consultant for 35 years. He also serves an associate professor for the MBA program at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota. To book an interview with him, simply click on his icon above to access his contact information.
Feeling the Bern in Iowa – Just how crucial is the first primary for DNC frontrunners?
They’ve been polling for months in advance in Iowa – and with less than a week to go before Iowans gather to caucus and choose their preferred person to lead the DNC this November, the most recent polling has Bernie Sanders surging and Joe Biden fading in major races and across the country. Polling in Iowa is still tight and shows a four-candidate race between Sanders, former Vice President Joe Biden, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg, making it clear the first-in-the-nation caucus battle remains anyone’s game. Yet it is also clear that Sanders has a strong chance of coming out on top in Iowa, as well as in New Hampshire, which will vote just a week later. Such a result would make him the clear front-runner and would likely unnerve parts of the Democratic Party uneasy about the progressive independent being their standard-bearer in the fall. Sanders separated himself from the pack in a New York Times-Siena Research poll of Iowa released over the weekend, one of the first to find a clear-cut leader in the Hawkeye State. And a WBUR survey of New Hampshire released this week found Sanders opening up a 12-point advantage over the next closest contender. Sanders surpassed Biden in CNN’s latest national poll, marking the first time Biden has not held the top spot in that poll this cycle. Jan 26 – The Hill There’s still a long way to go, and if you are a journalist covering the primaries – then let our experts help with your questions and coverage. How does the Iowa caucus different from other states? Are there alliances forming and can any of the leading candidates count on support from the other contenders when the drop out. What will the Bloomberg factor be? And who has the money and staying power to hold on if there’s bad news in February? Mark Caleb Smith is the Director of the Center for Political Studies at Cedarville University. Mark is available to speak with media regarding the DNC Primary and the upcoming election. Simply click on his icon to arrange an interview.
This Sunday, close to 100 million people will be tuning in to watch the Kansas City Chiefs take on the San Francisco 49ers in the biggest game of the year. The Super Bowl is the biggest, loudest and most expensive sporting event in America. But before the players take the field and kick-off at 6:30 PM on game day - there’s a week worth of events and parties to host and control, tens of thousands of fans, celebrities and curious on-lookers to contend with and ensuring the week is entertaining, enjoyable and ultimately safe is also the top priority. And all of it takes months of planning in advance. And most importantly, handling all of these logistics, in the background and relatively unseen might be the biggest play of the week. If you are a journalist covering the Superbowl this week – then let our experts help. Jim Riordan initiated the MBA Sport Management program at Florida Atlantic University in 2000. Jim is an expert in the areas of event operations, crowd management and sports administration. He has also worked several major sporting events including Super Bowl XXXII and XXXIV. Jim can help with your stories, share his experience and lend his expert perspective on what it takes to pull off an event of this size - to arrange an interview, simply click on his icon to book a time.
Curious about who’s cashing in on Superbowl Sunday? Let our experts help!
The big day is almost here! Fans around the world are getting squares ready, chili cooked, and prop-bets placed. Superbowl Sunday is America’s biggest day for television and sports. This year, it will be all eyes on the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers as they land in Miami to prep and promote for Sunday’s kickoff. There’s big money to be made this week, and a lot of it is going around, according to CNBC – last year was a windfall and most expect this year to be even bigger. Super Bowl ad spots are the most expensive on commercial TV in the U.S. by far, with a 30-second slot costing $5.25 million. That works out at roughly $175,000 per second. Last year, the winners of the Super Bowl made an estimated $112,000 each, while their opponents made $56,000 each. Referees, meanwhile, make between $4,000 and $10,000 a game, according to an estimate by CBS, and their annual salary is about $201,000. Stores are set to make $14.8 billion in sales around the game, with most of that money spent on food and drink to consume while watching, according to a survey carried out by Prosper Insights & Analytics for the National Retail Federation last week. That equates to $81.30 per person, up from last year’s $81.17. Are you a journalist covering this Sunday’s big game? If you have questions about the marketing or economics of the Superbowl, the let our experts help with your stories and coverage. Professor Andrew Wonders joined the faculty of the School of Business Administration at Cedarville University in 2013 following a 13-year career in the sport industry. He is an expert in the areas of major sporting events and the business of sports. If you are looking to arrange an interview with Professor Wonders – simply click on his icon to arrange a time.
By early afternoon Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had confirmed a second case of the new coronavirus on American soil. With cases now being detected in Europe and across Asia, the world is watching and worrying about the potential spread of this dangerous virus. There are 63 cases being monitored in the U.S. that stretch across 22 states, including the first patient in Washington state and the new case in Illinois, said Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. Officials said the new patient, a woman in her 60s, is doing well and is in stable condition. She remains isolated in a hospital as a precaution, U.S. health officials said on a conference call with reporters. The Illinois patient traveled to China in late December and began experiencing symptoms when she returned to the U.S. last week, officials said. She did not have symptoms while flying, they said. “She was not symptomatic when flying. And based on what we know now about this virus, our concern for transmission before symptoms develop is low, so that is reassuring,” Dr. Allison Arwady, Chicago’s public health commissioner, said on the call. January 24 – CNBC As this story progresses – there are a lot of questions journalists are asking. How is this virus spread? How worried do Americans need to be about the coronavirus? Are there warning signs or methods to prevent the spread? And how far away are we from a vaccination? If you are a journalist covering this developing issue – let our experts help. Dr. Jian Zhang has worked with the Chinese Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the World Health Organization prior to moving to the United States. He obtained a Doctorate in Public Health from the Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina before he joined the faculty of Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health at Georgia Southern University. He is available to speak with journalists regarding the coronavirus and its origins and its potential to spread across America – simply click on his icon to arrange an interview.
Hacking billionaires and the link between Bezos, Iran and what’s next for America
It’s becoming the ultimate he said/she said between the ultra-rich and world elite. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos is claiming Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman hacked his phone via WhatsApp. The motive seems routed to the murdering of the Washington Post’s journalist Jamal Khashoggi. However, as the billionaires debate and deflect what actually happened, the event should be a warning sign of what could be on the horizon. America is still on guard and expecting retaliation in one form or another from the assassination of General Qasem Soleimani, and online attacks and targeting cellphones could be the preferred method from America’s enemies abroad. “We should expect attacks from Iranian hackers or those sympathetic to their cause who appear to be civilians without nation state sponsorship will hit low level targets on the basis of ideological/national pride,” says Michigan State University’s Thomas J. Holt. “There will likely be nation-state sponsored attacks though it is unclear how quickly they will launch or how effective they may be.” This is an area that is familiar with American military and intelligence circles, Holt further explains. “Historically the U.S. has been involved in cyber-attacks that are able to severely affect Iranian capabilities, such as Stuxnet. Their counterattacks have been less public and seemingly less effective. However, they’ve already begun as with that web defacement against a US government website reported last week that appears to have Iranian ties or origination.” And as America waits and watches... What are the obvious and perhaps not so obvious approaches to breaching American cyber-security that we can expect? Will it be app based? Will the general public be a target or is it in the best interests to hit higher- and more visible properties? And if Jeff Bezos and all of his resources are vulnerable – is there any true way to ensure anyone is safe online? There is a lot to be explored as this story progresses and if you are a journalist covering this topic – then let our experts help. Thomas J. Holt is a professor in the School of Criminal Justice at Michigan State University whose research focuses on computer hacking, malware, and the role of the Internet in facilitating all manner of crime and deviance. Professor Holt is available to speak with media about these issues – simply click on his icon to arrange an interview today.
Georgia Southern associate dean named to National Advisory Mental Health Council
Joseph Telfair, DrPH, associate dean of public health practice and research in Georgia Southern University’s Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health, has been appointed to the National Mental Health Advisory Committee (NAMHC). The NAMHC advises U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar and the directors of the National Institutes of Health and the National Institute of Mental Health on all policies and activities relating to the conduct and support of mental health research, research training and other programs of the institutes. “I am greatly honored to have been given this opportunity to serve our profession and represent our college and University on this important national advisory committee,” said Telfair. “The prospect to contribute to decisions over the next several years that will make a difference for multidisciplinary researchers is very much appreciated.” Telfair’s advisory role will pertain to public health research and practice, community-based research, and issues of health inequities and translational research — all areas in which his national and global expertise has been recognized. His appointment runs through September 2023. Mental health is one of the leading issues impacting families, workplaces and almost all aspects of society and American life. If you are a journalist looking to learn more about mental health and the research taking place across the country – then let Georgia Southern University help. Joseph Telfair, associate dean of public health practice and research in Georgia Southern University’s Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health, is available to speak with media regarding this important topic – simply click on his icon to arrange an interview.