The Power to Tell Your Story

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Sexual harassment training does not invite lawsuits, according to a study by Caren M. Goldberg, a management professor at American University's Kogod School of Business.

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Grandiose displays of fireworks, parades and concerts are hallmarks of celebrating the Fourth of July. According to James Heintze, American University librarian emeritus and author of the newly published "The Fourth of July Encyclopedia," not much has changed since 1776 in terms of how we celebrate America's birthday.

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American University's Center for Democracy and Election Management received a State Dept grant to conduct training and education on elections and democracy in the Middle East. After the grant agreement was signed a team traveled to the area to discuss ways in which the training could best meet the region's needs.

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Just before a July 18 forum held by the FTC, 11 of the largest food companies in the United States announced they established and will adhere to new standards for marketing high fat, high sugar foods to children. American University's Kathryn Montgomery, an expert on children and media, testified at the forum and said more change is needed.

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To celebrate its 25th anniversary, USA TODAY, the nation's largest circulation newspaper, is partnering with American University's School of Communication on a series of events to be held Sept. 10 through Sept. 14.

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First, Al Gore won an Academy Award, now he has received the Nobel Peace Prize for bringing global warming to the forefront of public discussion with his film, AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH. Despite Gore's success, more needs to be done to unite public opinion on the issue according to Matthew C. Nisbet, an expert on the intersection of policy, science and media at American University's School of Communication.

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As baby boomers approach retirement age, many of their sons and daughters know little of the true impact the generation has had on American culture. American University professor Leonard Steinhorn is working to bridge that knowledge gap with a course titled, Talking About My Parents' Generation: Understanding Baby Boomers and How They've Shaped Us.

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For today's children and teens, technology fits seamlessly into everyday life. Using the Internet, playing video games, downloading music onto an iPod or text messaging with a cell phone is as easy as flipping a light switch. Although members of this "digital generation" have found ways to use technology to have a more powerful voice, digital marketing has made them more vulnerable to the influence of Madison Avenue.

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What do college students really think about the 2008 election? An American University student project conducted in collaboration with washingtonpost.com looked into it and found that most students interviewed said they intend to vote, are rooting for Barack Obama, and that the most important issues are Iraq, the war, the environment, privacy and healthcare.

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For most people, the Writers' Guild of America strike has been a source of disappointment as reruns of popular shows have aired in place of new episodes. But for students enrolled in "The Business of Television," a new course offered by American University's School of Communication, the strike is an ideally scripted educational opportunity.

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Most people think American journalism's best-known editorial, the New York Sun's "Is There A Santa Claus?", was an immediate hit when published in 1897 and that the Sun enthusiastically reprinted it every year at Christmastime until the newspaper folded in 1950. Not true, according to W. Joseph Campbell, a professor of journalism at American University.

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Graphic novels, comic books' grown up counterpart, have gained popular appeal in the last five years thanks to blockbuster Hollywood movies based on graphic novels like 300, Sin City, Ghost Rider and V for Vendetta. Now they have a place in academia. American University literature professor Michael Wenthe has brought the medium to the Department of Literature with a course titled, "The Graphic Novel."

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Anyone familiar with MySpace, Facebook and YouTube knows that the Internet has literally plugged young people into and connected them with the world around them. What many people may not realize, says Kathryn C. Montgomery, a professor at American University, is that the five policy issues central to the future of the Internet as a digitally democratic environment also stand to significantly change "“ for better or worse "“ this renewed youth engagement.

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Diet and weight-loss books have become a multi-million dollar a year business, with millions of Americans searching for the latest way to shed those extra pounds. As 2007 wraps up and Americans get ready for another round of weight-loss New Year's resolutions, a study by American University nutrition expert Stacey Snelling analyses the year's best-selling weight-loss books to find those that provide a healthy way to lose the weight and those that are all hype.

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From Saturday, Jan. 5 through Wednesday, Jan. 9, approximately 30 American University students will rub elbows with the presidential candidates, their campaign staffs and the news media in Manchester, N.H., for the 2008 New Hampshire Presidential Primary.

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A new, first-of-its-kind study conducted by American University Professors Pat Aufderheide and Peter Jaszi finds that many online videos creatively use copyrighted materials in ways that are eligible for fair use consideration under copyright law; In short, they potentially are using copyrighted material legally.

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Based on a random sample of registered voters in Indiana, Mississippi and Maryland, a new study by American University's Center for Democracy and Election Management (CDEM) finds, surprisingly, that only 1.2 percent of registered voters lack a government-issued photo ID, and more than two-thirds of all registered voters in the three states feel that the electoral system would be trusted more if people had to show an ID to vote.

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Marketing may influence how often parents feed their children fast food, according to a study by Sonya A. Grier, an associate professor of marketing at American University's Kogod School of Business.

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Inaugural activities to celebrate the installation of Cornelius M. Kerwin as the 14th president of American University will be held Feb. 4 "“ 8 with a number of events planned throughout the week in conjunction with this symbolic and celebratory occasion.

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Voter turnout on Super Tuesday, and in earlier primaries, is on pace to break the record turnout seen during the 1972 presidential primaries. With 27 percent of eligible citizens voting in primaries so far, this year's primary turnout will eclipse the 25.9 percent average recorded in 1972, according to a preliminary Presidential primary report issued today by American University's Center for the Study of the American Electorate (CSAE).

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Last year, the widely-distributed AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. This year, Michael Moore's SICKO, another documentary that enjoyed mainstream success, is among the nominations for the same category. Patricia Aufderheide, an expert on documentary film at American University's School of Communication, says this is a sign that the documentary has come into its own.

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Two prominent American University experts are available immediately to comment on the resignation of Fidel Castro and the future of Cuba and U.S.-Cuban relations: William LeoGrande and Phillip Brenner.

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Sixty-seven percent of young voters ages 18 to 29 in the four battleground states of Ohio, Florida, Colorado and Virginia say the economy is the most important issue in the upcoming election, according to an online survey of 128 young voters conducted by American University students.

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Despite talk of the U.S. economy heading for recession, the job outlook for college students graduating this spring is expected to be good. However, that doesn't mean landing the first job will be easy"”even entry-level positions often call for professional experience.

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Tax experts are available to comment on the IRS and federal income taxes. Donald Williamson can comment on a variety of tax issues, including the income tax returns of former U.S. presidents. Robert Carroll, the former Treasury Department's deputy assistant secretary for tax analysis, can comment on tax policies including the extension of the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts.

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While many pundits are looking to Ohio for answers on how Pennsylvania will vote next week, giving Sen. Hillary Clinton a clear edge, Brian Schaffner, research fellow in American University's Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies (CCPS), believes that cultural indicators show that Pennsylvania voters most closely relate to voters in Wisconsin, a state Sen. Barack Obama won by 17 points.

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American University will honor two dedicated public servants, one of the founding editors of USA TODAY and a pioneering environmental research scientist when it confers honorary doctoral degrees at its 122nd commencement scheduled for Sunday, May 11 and Sunday, May 18.

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Following a national search, American University President Neil Kerwin has named Scott A. Bass as the university's new provost. Bass is currently vice president for research and dean of the graduate school at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). He will start July 1.

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Robert L. Losey, a leading horse-industry economist and consultant, is available to speak to the media about the economic and financial aspects of thoroughbred horse racing during the period leading up to the Preakness (Saturday, May 17) and the Belmont Stakes (Saturday, June 7).

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Despite record high turnout in a majority of states holding 2008 presidential primaries, the percentage of eligible citizens casting ballots will fall just short of setting a national record, according to a report released today by American University's Center for the Study of the American Electorate (CSAE).

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Instant messaging. Blogs. Wikis. Social networking sites. Cell phones. All of these allow us to communicate with each other"”wherever, whenever. Many people speculate that online and mobile technologies have widely impacted written language, especially that of teenagers and young adults. Naomi Baron, a professor of linguistics at American University, says that surprisingly, this probably isn't so.

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The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at American University has received a $1 million endowment gift from the Bernard Osher Foundation. The gift will build an endowment to support and expand OLLI programming and outreach for the university-affiliated, peer-taught, classroom learning sessions for adults and senior learners.

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Grandiose displays of fireworks, parades, and concerts are hallmarks of celebrating the Fourth of July. According to James Heintze, American University librarian emeritus and author of The Fourth of July Encyclopedia (McFarland, 2007), little has changed since 1776 in terms of how we celebrate America's birthday.

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Attributes of employers' Web sites, such as design and content, influence prospective employees' job search intentions"”especially African American job seekers"”finds a recent study by Caren B. Goldberg, a management professor at American University's Kogod School of Business.

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Three entrepreneurial news ideas"”a public storytelling project, a networking site for Puget Sound's military community, and a news site for and by Latinas"”won $10,000 in a competition that forecast the kinds of fresh and intriguing ideas women have for the future of news.

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J-Lab: The Institute for Interactive Journalism has moved to American University's School of Communication, where it will expand its operations with the help of a $2.4 million grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation to American University.

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Four bold Web site projects are finalists for the $10,000 Grand Prize in the 2008 Knight-Batten Awards for Innovations in Journalism. The awards, administered by J-Lab: The Institute for Interactive Journalism at American University's School of Communication, honor creative uses of new technologies to engage citizens in public issues and to showcase compelling models for the future of news.

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Nick Clooney, veteran journalist and television host, joins the faculty at American University this fall as American University School of Communication and Newseum Distinguished Journalist in Residence. Clooney's appointment is part of a long-term partnership between the School of Communication and the Newseum, the interactive museum of news in Washington, D.C.

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More than 20 American University experts are available to provide analysis of John McCain's and Barack Obama's plans for the economy, the environment, and the Iraq War as well as topics such as presidential history, voting behavior, polling, survey research, and public opinion.

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Targeted marketing of high-calorie foods and beverages exposes African Americans"”compared to Caucasians or the general population"”to more unhealthy messages about eating and limits their access to healthy foods finds a new study by Sonya Grier, an associate professor of marketing at American University's Kogod School of Business.

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Akbar Ahmed, renowned anthropologist and Ibn Khaldun Chair of Islamic Studies in American University's School of International Service, is taking a one-year research sabbatical to study Muslims in America and the attitudes and perceptions of Americans regarding their Muslim neighbors. The cross-country ethnographic study will take Ahmed and his team of five young Americans to more than 30 American towns and cities between September 2008 and summer 2009.

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Wired.com's WikiScanner coverage, which helped readers investigate and expose ego-editing and corporate whitewashing of Wikipedia entries, is this year's $10,000 Grand Prize winner in the Knight-Batten Awards for Innovations in Journalism, administered by J-Lab: The Institute for Interactive Journalism at American University's School of Communication. The awards honor creative uses of new technologies to engage citizens in public issues and showcase compelling models for the future of news.

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Following a national search, American University president Neil Kerwin has named Thomas J. Minar as the university's new vice president of development and alumni relations. He was most recently special assistant to the president at Roosevelt University in Chicago.

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American University experts are available to provide analysis of the financial crisis, the rescue plan, the impact of both on the economy, small businesses, and U.S. taxpayers.

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He's been a pro basketball player, and a coach and most recently a philanthropist, but for five days, starting today, former NBA star and American University alumnus Kermit Washington, will forgo food and sleep in a tent on the AU campus for a cause that has inspired him to make a difference"“hunger relief in Africa.

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Average voter turnout in the 2008 presidential primaries rose to its second-highest level ever, falling just a half percentage point short of its apex in 1972. Average voter turnout in the statewide primaries that did not occur on the same day as presidential primaries"”primaries for governor and U.S. senator"”fell to a record low, according to a report released today by American University's Center for the Study of the American Electorate (CSAE).

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Tina Fey's humorous impersonations of vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin on Saturday Night Live (SNL) may be no laughing matter for Palin's running mate, Senator John McCain, says Lauren Feldman, an expert on the political effects of late-night comedy.

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Young voters prefer Barack Obama to John McCain by a 20-point margin and are most concerned about the economy, job creation for young people, and improving access to affordable health care according to the AU Polling Analysis of Young Voters in the 2008 Election, a joint project by students in American University's School of Communication, USA Today, and Gallup.

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Several American University experts are available to provide analysis as the race for the White House comes to an end on election night, Tuesday, Nov. 4.

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All manner of content and media is now available online, but fear and misinformation have kept teachers and students from using this valuable material, including portions of films, TV coverage, photos, songs, articles, and audio, in the classroom. Now, thanks to a coordinated effort by the media literacy community, supported by experts at American University and Temple University, teachers and students have a guide that simplifies the legalities of using copyrighted materials in an academic setting: The Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Media Literacy Education.