The New Arab World Requires New Public Diplomacy

This article was written by CCLP Faculty Fellow Phil Seib. DOHA — My conversation with two North African friends ranged widely, from the role of satellite television in the Arab world to the prospects for electoral reform in the region. Then we came to how other nations would deal with the new dynamics of Arab politics. One of my friends said, "In the past, diplomacy has been with the leaders, but now it must be with the people." In other words, public diplomacy will now be of unprecedented importance for governments, such as that of the United States, that want……

Suro in FAIR – immigration

"If having a baby was a significant driving factor in illegal immigration," said Faculty Fellow Roberto Suro, "you would expect to see a higher percentage of women of child-bearing age in the U.S. illegally compared to men of the same age." "In fact, just the opposite is the case." Suro is an outspoken defender of immigration to the US, and was quoted in Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR)…….

Reeves in HuffPo – NPR

"The news we need to keep our freedoms," wrote Senior Fellow Richard Reeves is now a phrase being used to describe the work of NPR. Currently, the publicly funded broadcast entity is facing a decision by the Congress which may remove congressional support for its member stations around the country. Bill Moyers and Michael Winship cited Reeves in an article exploring this defunding on the Huffington Post…….

Bennis in HuffPo – Matter of Mindset

The Huffington Post cited Distinguished Fellow Warren Bennis in an article on unleashing critical thinking in business. "Innovation – any new idea – by definition will not be accepted at first," says Bennis. "It takes repeated attempts, endless demonstrations, monotonous rehearsals before innovation can be accepted and internalized by an organization. This requires courageous patience."……

The Revenge of God

NEW YORK–It was in the spring of 1966 that Time magazine shocked a lot of readers with a black cover with the white question: "Is God Dead?" The article, much debated, defined a new and more secular world. Wrong! It turned out he was only resting. And not for long. In the 1970s came "La Revanche de Dieu"–"The Revenge of God"–the title of a book by a French political scientist, Gilles Kepel. Kepel, whose work was published in 1991 and translated into English three years later, began by chronicling the events of the 1970s, a decade many of us remember……

CCLP researchers examine viability of online community news sites; Report profiles challenges facing Long Beach Post

As local print, radio and television news divisions struggle to stay afloat, online community news sites are increasingly filling the gaps left by traditional news outlets. But, do these hyper-local, online startups offer a sustainable business model different from their traditional counterparts? The USC Annenberg Center on Communication Leadership & Policy (CCLP) seeks to answer that question with the publication of a new case study on the challenges facing the Long Beach Post, an online news website launched in 2006. The report, "Online Community News: A Case Study in Long Beach, California — What It Takes to Survive and Thrive"……

Journalism entrepreneurship on the hyperlocal level – a case study in community news

“There is a profound crisis taking place in American journalism.” That is the introductory line to the case study being published today by the USC Annenberg Center on Communication Leadership & Policy. My coauthor, María Vázquez, and I hope that this case, which focuses on the real life trials and tribulations of a four year old community news web site in a suburb of Los Angeles, will add to the admittedly parse academic literature on what some people call “hyper-local news”. Existing news magazines and newspapers face serious threats to their continued profitability and viability. The future outlook for local……

There Are No Easy Choices in Libya

LOS ANGELES — Adam Zyglis, the editorial cartoonist of The Buffalo News, did a portrait of President Obama sitting on an oil drum in the classic chin-on-hand pose of Auguste Rodin's "The Thinker." Behind him, war raged in the Middle East and "Freedom" was under a tank and rubble. Zyglis' caption was "The Overthinker." Well, although Obama may be a touch too thoughtful to be a president in the decisive mold of a Harry Truman, he does have a lot to think about. I count at least 11 options in Libya, all of them risky…….