campaign and election experts
A number of faculty experts from the
University of Georgia are available to discuss a wide
range of issues related to the presidential and congressional
elections from media coverage to internet tactics,
from polling to negative campaign advertising. Following
is a list of UGA experts available for commentary.
Negative campaign advertising
Spencer
Tinkham and Ruth Ann Lariscy
A quarter-century of research
by Tinkham and Lariscy shows that negative advertising
not only works, but also can produce many unintended outcomes
and positive results. The two are professors in UGA’s
Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication who,
rather than offering broad generalizations, can speak
to specific ads in specific races. Tinkham and Lariscy
have analyzed a broad range of political campaign practices,
including voter turnout, grassroots efforts, polling and
campaign finance reform in U.S. Congressional and state
legislative elections in all 50 states. Their documentation
of Congressional campaign activities is the longest-running
study of campaign practices conducted in the United States.
Lariscy and Tinkham are keeping a close eye on this year's
campaigns.
Contact them for publishable comment and background advice
on the 2004 campaigns.
For additional information, visit www.grady.uga.edu/expert/featured.expert.asp.
Contact: Spencer Tinkham, 706/542-4986, stinkham@uga.edu
;
Ruth Ann Lariscy, 706/542-5008,
rlariscy@uga.edu
Strategic communication,
going negative and winnowing
Audrey A. Haynes
Research by Audrey A. Haynes has demonstrated that candidates
choose to go negative for strategic reasons. For the
last six years, she has analyzed the communication strategies
of presidential candidates, covering the presidential
nomination campaigns of 1992, 1996, 2000 and now 2004.
Haynes’ work has focused exclusively on presidential
nomination campaigns. She is currently analyzing the
impact of negative communication strategies on generating
media coverage. Her preliminary findings suggest that
going negative can generate coverage for candidates,
but generally only if they are considered viable candidates.
Moreover, it seems that the news media are more likely
to focus on substance rather than the personal. Most
coverage that is generated by negative attacks focuses
on real issue differences between the candidates. Haynes
is an assistant professor in UGA's School of Public
and International Affairs. She can speak directly to
questions on a broad range of topics relating to the
presidential nomination campaign, including the impact
of candidate spending, the role of campaign organizations,
the role of the news media in setting expectations for
the candidates, basic candidate strategy as well as
specific communication strategy, the winnowing process
and the impact of the process on the general election
and political parties as a whole.
Contact: Audrey A. Haynes, 706/542-2933 or 706-548-0911,
polaah@uga.edu
Public opinion,
perceptions of voting machines
Rich Clark
Clark is a political scientist with a strong background
in public opinion and survey research. He manages the
Institute’s Survey Research and Data Services Unit, which
conducts surveys and program evaluations for local governments
and state agencies. He also conducts the Institute’s Peach
State Poll, a quarterly survey of public opinion in Georgia
on issues related to public life, government, and community.
In one Peach State Poll, Clark survey Georgia citizens
on voting machines, finding the majority expressing confidence
in the new system.
Contact: Rich Clark, 706/542-2736, clark@cviog.uga.edu
Media coverage
Conrad Fink
Veteran journalist and professor Fink is available to
discuss media coverage of the 2004 campaigns and elections.
"Media coverage of the presidential campaign is running
at a high speed that may outstrip public interest in the
subject," said Fink, a professor at the Grady College
of Journalism and Mass Communication. "Print and broadcast
coverage, particularly of the Democratic race, has reached
an early intensity but reader and viewer interest may
be lagging behind," he said.
For more information on Fink, see www.grady.uga.edu/jour/dept/faculty/Fink.asp.
Contact: Conrad Fink, 706/542-5031, cfink@uga.edu
Assessment of political debates
Ed Panetta
Panetta was recognized as the Glen R. Pelham National Intercollegiate Debate Coach of the Year in 2007 by his peers from across the country. He is a member of the faculty in the Department of Speech Communication and the Director of the nationally recognized intercollegiate debate team at UGA. In addition to his expertise in the techniques of debate, Panetta regularly teaches a class in Political Campaign Communication and has a research interest in contemporary public argument.
For additional information, visit the Georgia Debate webpage: http://www.debate.uga.edu/
Contact: Ed Panetta, 706-542-4445 (o), epanetta@uga.edu
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