PBS executives are promoting the second season of its imported British costume drama "Downton Abbey," doing their best not only to attract viewers to the program but also to present "Downton Abbey" as part of a new strategy to attract audiences. However, critics such as Brian Lowry of Variety have responded by saying that this is more public relations than anything resembling a deliberate plan, "misreading something after the fact, then allowing execs to conflate an unexpected windfall into a 'strategy.'" And across the Atlantic, the hype may have backfired. In the UK, where "Downton Abbey" runs on the commercial……Continue Reading ‘Downton Abbey’ hype may highlight PBS problems
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Warren Bennis 2011 Top Am. Leaders
CCLP distinguished fellow Warren Bennis served on the selection committee for the 2011 Top American Leaders. More information and a list of recipients can be found here…….Continue Reading Warren Bennis 2011 Top Am. Leaders
Cowan – freedom riders
On Wednesday Dec. 7th, Director Geoffrey Cowan joined a panel at The Broad Stage in Santa Monica for a community conversation featuring freedom riders. Cowan volunteered in Mississippi during 1964. Read more here…….Continue Reading Cowan – freedom riders
Latonero published in International Journal of Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management
CCLP Director of Research and Instruction Mark Latonero, and his co-author Irina Shklovski, recently had their article, "Emergency Management, Twitter, and Social Media Evangelism," published. Their piece focuses on how social media technologies, specifically Twitter, are used to communicate with emergency response organizations and to collect information. For more information please see the abstract here…….Continue Reading Latonero published in International Journal of Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management
PBS President says no major retooling needed for public TV, but mulls adding pay-TV service
PBS President Paula Kerger said today she disagreed with Bill Moyers' call for a national meeting to reconsider and re-define U.S. public broadcasting. Moyers called for a "constitutional convention" to spur a "rebirth" of public television and radio, in a speech this month to public TV executives. "The core problem," said Moyers, "is that we still don't have an expansive national vision of what we're about, where we want to go and what we want to become. Until we are able to say clearly and comprehensively what it is we really want to do, how much it will cost, and……Continue Reading PBS President says no major retooling needed for public TV, but mulls adding pay-TV service
Latonero leads Pacific Council dialogue on Arab Spring
Research director Mark Latonero led a lively conversation on the Arab Spring and the impact of social media in global political transformation. The program, The Revolution Will Not Be Tweeted: Internet as Helpful or Harmful, was part of the annual members weekend program for the Pacific Council on International Policy. Joining Latonero for the discussion was Golnaz Esfandiari, senior correspondent for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and Victoria Esser, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Digital Strategy. Both discussed the role of social networking and how the emergence of new media technology is changing international relations. A lively discussion addressed……Continue Reading Latonero leads Pacific Council dialogue on Arab Spring
Stacy Smith New Publication
Faculty fellow Stacy Smith released a new report titled "Gender Inequality in Popular Films." An article and link to the full report can be found here…….Continue Reading Stacy Smith New Publication
Cowan’s play on press freedom completes tour in China
Top Secret: The Battle for the Pentagon Papers, a docu-drama co-written by CCLP director Geoffrey Cowan and the late Leroy Aarons, was performed in China in November and December 2011. The L.A. Theatre Works production was performed in Shanghai, Beijing, and Guangzhou. The tour was sponsored by the U.S. Embassy and the USC Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism. Top Secret was last presented during a successful Off-Broadway run at New York Theatre Workshop in 2010. This China production of Top Secret was directed by award-winning director Stephen Sachs. The cast included well known actors from stage, screen, and television……Continue Reading Cowan’s play on press freedom completes tour in China
Report: 24 states cut funds for public broadcasting, four deleted all state support
Washington – Almost half of all U.S. states have reduced their funding for public radio and television, according to a report this week from Free Press. The analysis shows $30 million was cut from state funding for the 2012 fiscal year and cumulative state support since 2008 has dropped by over $200 million. Florida, New Hampshire, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania completely eliminated state support for public broadcasting. In New Jersey, this resulted in the longtime state network going off the air in June, as CCLP reported last summer. Since 2008, Alabama, Indiana, Kansas, South Carolina, and Virginia have reduced support……Continue Reading Report: 24 states cut funds for public broadcasting, four deleted all state support
Panel discusses narrative framing in media
In the Nov. 9 Road to the White House: Politics, Media & Technology, the Trojan debate team and the panel of Annenberg faculty addressed the issue of narrative framing in media. On the panel were faculty members Gordon Stables, Thomas Hollihan, Marc Cooper, and students Joel Lemuel, and Avi Munoz. Hollihan led the discussion by defining the role of the press in today's media. "The press don't tell us what to think but they do tell us what to think about," Hollihan said. In relation to the presidential campaign, the news narrative have also had influence in what the public……Continue Reading Panel discusses narrative framing in media