ProfNet Experts Available on Religious Political Rhetoric, Nigerian Election, More Also in This Edition: Jobs for Writers, Media Industry Blog Posts
NEW YORK, Feb. 11, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Below are experts from the ProfNet network that are available to discuss timely issues in your coverage area. If you are interested in interviewing any of the experts, please contact them via the contact information at the end of the listing.
If you are in need of additional experts, you can also submit a query to the hundreds of thousands of experts in our network. You can filter your request by institution type and geographic location to get the most targeted responses. The best part? It's free! Just fill out the query form to get started: http://bit.ly/findexperts?tc=expertalerts.
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EDITOR'S NOTE
- How Do You Use Mobile in Your Reporting?
EXPERT ALERTS
- Religious Rhetoric Not Helpful to Presidents
- Jonathan, Muhammadu or Boko Haram: Who Benefits From Nigerian Election Delay?
- Don't Overlook Trade Secret Theft at Home
- No Estate Planning Detail Too Small
- Should All People With Unemployment Benefits Be Drug Tested?
MEDIA JOBS
- Culture Editor – Boston.com (MA)
- Staff Reporter – Chalkbeat Tennessee (TN)
- Freelance Writer – The Advocate (LA)
OTHER NEWS & RESOURCES
- Jill Abramson's Reinvention: The Art of Coming out on Top
- 5 Tips for Journalists Transitioning to PR
- PR Newswire's Media Moves: Feb. 9 Edition
EDITOR'S NOTE:
To better understand how members of the media use mobile devices (phones or tablets) to produce stories, PR Newswire for Journalists is asking users to participate in a quick, eight-question survey. The survey will remain open until Feb. 28: http://bit.ly/prnjmobile
EXPERT ALERTS:
Religious Rhetoric Not Helpful to Presidents
David O'Connell
Assistant Professor of Political Science
Dickinson College
"It has been proven repeatedly over the course of history that religious rhetoric is not helpful to the president. Whether it was Ford defending the Nixon pardon as an act of Christian mercy, or Reagan arguing that Scriptures were on his side during battles over defense spending, or Clinton attempting to apologize for his affair with Monica Lewinsky by claiming he had sinned, presidents have not had luck using religious arguments for political purposes. Consistently, public opinion does not respond to the president's religious pleas, the media reacts critically to his ideas and his language, and the reaction of his proposals in Congress disappoints."
O'Connell's research interests include the presidency, religion and politics, and American political development. His research on presidential campaign decision-making has been published in Presidential Studies Quarterly. His first book, "God Wills It: Presidents and the Political Use of Religion," is now available. He is based in Harrisburg, Pa.
Video: http://www.dickinson.edu/news/article/1398/god_wills_it
Website: http://www.dickinson.edu
Media Contact: Christine Baksi, [email protected]
Jonathan, Muhammadu or Boko Haram: Who Benefits From Nigerian Election Delay?
James J. Hentz
Professor of International Studies
Virginia Military Institute
"Who benefits from the postponement of the Nigerian presidential election? Goodluck Jonathan is between a rock and a hard place: Unfortunately, Boko Haram may not be. They may be adopting a whack-a-mole defense: Knock me down in Nigeria, I pop up in Niger; knock me down in Niger, I pop up in Cameroon; knock me down in Cameroon, I pop up in Chad. Maybe the only one sure to benefit from the postponement is Boko Haram -- it makes them look strong. President Jonathan, some argue, is behind the postponement, so does he benefit? If the northeast were to be pacified, the majority of people there would likely support his challenger, General Muhammadu Buhari. The current president, however, has been depicted as ineffectual against the Boko Haram insurgency, which must be diminished, if not defeated, for voting to occur. If Boko Haram is strong, Jonathan appears weak. The fact that his opponent is a retired general (and ex-head of state) does not help his case."
Based in Lexington, Va., Hentz is the editor of the scholarly journal African Security, and author of the forthcoming book, "The Nature of War in Africa." He is available to discuss the political situation in Nigeria, including dynamics of the presidential election, violence and environmental disaster in the Niger Delta, and spread of violence of Boko Haram in Nigeria and neighboring Niger and Cameroon. He recently participated in a dialogue with a Nigerian colleague, the text and video of which are downloadable here: http://www.vmi.edu/Content.aspx?id=10737431699
Website: http://www.vmi.edu
Media Contact: Sherri K. Tombarge, [email protected]
Don't Overlook Trade Secret Theft at Home
Joe Ahmad
Executive Employment Lawyer
Ahmad, Zavitsanos, Anaipakos, Alavi & Mensing P.C., Houston
Recent high-profile security breaches have made major headlines and caused other businesses to fear losing their trade secrets to a nefarious underworld of hackers. And while such attacks target far more than company trade secrets (in particular, customer credit card numbers and other tools for ID theft), too many companies ignore the potential trade secret thieves hiding in plain sight. Says Ahmad: "When it comes to trade secrets, the biggest threat isn't North Korea, but employees who have access to companies' confidential information. All an employee has to do is hold on to a confidential document or download it to her computer. She doesn't need to hack into your system to steal your trade secrets. That's why companies need to pay just as much attention to who has access to what information as they do to ensuring their cybersecurity is up to snuff."
Media Contact: Amy Hunt, [email protected]
No Estate Planning Detail Too Small
Robert McGuire
Estate Planning Attorney
Godwin Lewis PC in Dallas
Entertainment icon Robin Williams tried hard to anticipate everyone's needs in his estate plan, which included a trust with his three children as the beneficiaries, and a separate trust leaving his current wife with their home and financial support. However, despite his best intentions, the document was not detailed enough to avoid a battle between his loved ones. Says McGuire: "When a high-net-worth individual dies, financial disputes are almost expected. But it appears Williams had tried to avoid that, going so far as to specify that his children receive assets including 'jewelry' and 'memorabilia.' But what does 'memorabilia' actually mean, especially when the items are at the house left to his widow? On the face of it, it was a good plan, but the devil is in the details when dealing with sentiment because it doesn't really matter if a watch is worth $50,000 or $5 when it is the one that Dad wore every day. The last, best gift you can give your family is to provide specifics explaining what you want each person to receive."
Media Contact: Rhonda Reddick, [email protected]
Should All People With Unemployment Benefits Be Drug Tested?
Kyle Simon
Director of Policy and Advocacy
Center for Lawful Access and Abuse Deterrence
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker formally proposed drug testing for people who want unemployment benefits, but there's just one problem: President Barack Obama won't allow it. Says Simon: "Walker's proposal to drug test people who apply for public benefits at least deserves discussion, given that 120 people die every day in the U.S. from overdoses. Drug abuse costs the United States economy hundreds of billions of dollars in increased health care costs, crime, and lost productivity each year. To the extent that the government can help people with substance use disorders get treatment, it should do so. Walker's proposal included referrals to treatment and social services. The problem with most drug testing programs to date is that they are punitive in nature. Drug courts, which help non-violent offenders get treatment rather than sending them to jail, have proven that therapeutic programs reduce costs and recidivism more than punitive approaches to substance use. It is essential that modern technology be used in drug testing. In 2010, a Pennsylvania woman had her newborn seized by the government because inaccurate drug testing technology tested positive after she ate a poppy seed bagel."
Simon is the director of policy and advocacy at the Center for Lawful Access and Abuse Deterrence (CLAAD). In his role, Simon manages policy and advocacy initiatives, provides policy analysis and drafting, directs rapid response efforts, and oversees a coalition of allied organizations focused on advancing common goals. His background includes several years of health care policy, advocacy, and political experience. He has worked with policy makers on Medicare, Medicaid, and regulatory issues, served members of Congress, managed a statewide political organization representing the president of the United States, and held leadership roles in multiple political campaigns.
Media Contact: Mark Goldman, [email protected]
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MEDIA JOBS:
Following are links to job listings for staff and freelance writers, editors and producers. You can view these and more job listings on our Job Board: https://prnmedia.prnewswire.com/community/
- Culture Editor – Boston.com (MA)
- Staff Reporter – Chalkbeat Tennessee (TN)
- Freelance Writer – The Advocate (LA)
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OTHER NEWS & RESOURCES:
Following are links to other news and resources we think you might find useful. If you have an item you think other reporters would be interested in and would like us to include in a future alert, please drop us a line.
- JILL ABRAMSON'S REINVENTION: THE ART OF COMING OUT ON TOP. New York Women in Communications hosted a one-on-one interview last week with Jill Abramson and NBC News' Erica Hill. The interview covered Abramson's departure from the New York Times, how she reinvented herself after her very-public dismissal, her journalism startup with Steven Brill, and her advice for women on how to get what they deserve: http://prn.to/1Dtod3s
- TIPS FOR JOURNALISTS TRANSITIONING TO PR: A journalism background can be a huge asset when starting a PR career – but, like any job change, PR has a learning curve. Here are five tips for journalists planning to make the move in 2015: http://prn.to/1CvccxH
- PR NEWSWIRE'S MEDIA MOVES: FEB. 9 EDITION. PR Newswire's weekly audience research newsletter, PR Newswire's Media Moves, is chock-full of media news and job changes. In this week's issue, you'll read updates on Money, Silicon Valley Business Journal, NPR, Star Tribune, Bon Appetit, People, Washington Post, New York Times and more: http://prn.to/1BPvitl
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