Public Relations

Date: May 13, 2004

Public Relations

Date: May 13, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Austin Eagle
"My wife and I were vacationing in Biloxi when Mr. Klumb did his recent TV interview, which I was "fortunate" enough to view. The only sensible thing I heard from him was the suggestion that the best investigative reporter in Mississippi do an in-depth series on the Glamser-Stringer-Dvorak conflagration. Great idea. Who is that reporter, and has anyone followed through on Klumb's suggestion? "

I too thought that was the smartest thing Klumb said.

Riva Brown, there could be a Pulitzer in your future...

Date: May 13, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Austin Eagle
"Isn't there a USM grad who's a correspondent for one of the major networks ? His name escapes me now, but you'll know who I'm talking about."

Chuck Scarborough (USM, Class of 1969) works for NBC in New York. Natalie Allen (USM, Class of 1984) is a former CNN anchor who has been working as a regional correspondent for NBC (based in Atlanta).

Date: May 13, 2004

Thank you. It was Chuck Scarborough that I was thinking of. NBC--that's the network that has Dateline isn't it? I knew of Natalie Allen too, but had completely forgotten about her. I'd wager that some of their old profs are still around and in contact.

What about asking Jimmy Buffett to pen a tune about the quashing of free speech at USM, ala Bob Dylan? I say this only half facetiously. Anything that will bring the public spotlight on Thames reign of terror.

From what I've read on the FS board, the case against Thames and company will make itself once properly publicized. I'm really surprised that I haven't seen, at least in the HA, any sympathetic human interest stories about Glamser and Stringer, and their many contributions to the university. Or even an investigative series on the Dvorak resume controversy. Those little 3-4 paragraph HA articles are barely worthy of a jr. high school paper, and certainly not up to the standards of a real paper.

Austin Eagle

Date: May 13, 2004

Several weeks before the hearing, I contacted many major media outlets, urging them to look into the story. I also contacted many major columnists. I would guess that the total number of columnists, magazines, newspapers, websites, reporters, reporters' groups, investigative journalist outfits, etc. that I contacted easily approached a hundred, if it did not in fact exceed that number. In every case I passed along the URL of the Fire Shelby website, and I stressed that the Chronicle of Higher Education had already given the story front-page coverage.

To say that response to my e-mails was minimal is an understatement. I, too, am astonished that the situation at USM has not received more national coverage, because its implications for academics everywhere are huge. I suspect, though, that "personal contacts" of the sort you recommend will have to be used to begin to generate further interest in the story.

Meanwhile, I remain surprised that more professional organizations have not taken strong stances. Somehow I have a feeling that if the kind of things happening at USM were happening at an Ivy League university, they would have received a lot more attention by now. Ironically, Mississippi is often treated as a backwater, and SFT and his crew seem intent on keeping it a backwater.

Date: May 13, 2004

Here is the closest thing I was able to find for an email address for Chuck Scarborough. Perhaps if we start peppering him with requests, he can let others at NBC know what is going on. I would mark any messages to this address "Attn: Chuck Scarborough."

newstips@wnbc.com

Date: May 13, 2004

Where on earth have you people been? With all due respect.

Good God. Go back to many many previous pages of strings about this issue and educate yourselves.

Those supposed "eight" investigative journalists following this board never did squat. Nada.

Several vibrant stings way back in March chronicled FS people contacting the national media with no response or rumblings of "no national interest."

I believe if my memorys serves me correctly that the following organizations were contacted and told exactly the scoop

CNN
New York Times
Fox
MSNBC
CNBC

NONE and I repeat NONE were even vaguely interested.

Yes, if they did, with all the lure of sex, lies, videotapes and follow the corrupt money, they would have had a dandy. No one and I mean NO one is interested in corruption at a small southern university.

I think it would have been different at Ole Miss or Mississippi State or other "richer" more "favored" state universtites. But USM is a doormat now, made even more so by this dysfunctional IHL.

Get over it. It ain't gonna make national news, and I still cannot understand why, even as I gave some clues. It is just sooooooo juicy.

No other person on the planet earth could have done all this and still be in power, heck, maybe even gaining power.

I heard today that SFT might now get a contract extension for 4 more years after the next two are up.

USM is dead in the water AustinEagle. This is not Texas. Texans would never let one of their "own" be destroyed this way.

Date: May 13, 2004

BTW Austin Eagle

Date: May 13, 2004

RE: Public Relations

Date: May 13, 2004

Perhaps someone else can write to Chuck Scarborough and give him the AAUP website address; if he visits the main FS page, he may assume that everything is completely shut down.

FS, is there any way to remove the huge announcement that the website is closed and replace it with a smaller one announcing that the website currently is not being updated but that the message board is still quite active? I think the current announcement gives a misleading impression. Thanks!

Date: May 13, 2004

to USM Sympathizer

Date: May 13, 2004

RE: Public Relations

Date: May 13, 2004

"USM is dead in the water AustinEagle. This is not Texas. Texans would never let one of their "own" be destroyed this way."

Media,

You're correct, Texans wouldn't stand for it, and I assure you that every aspiring journalist in the state would be all over a smelly situation like this. I guess I've been away from Mississippi too long to fully grasp the culture gap, and believe me, I don't offer that comment disparagingly, but sadly.

Even so, it's not uncommon for national media outlets to pick up a story that they didn't initiate, if they believe it has sufficient traction and wide scale implications. Are there no talented young journalists toiling away in Jackson, or Gulfport, or the Burg, who'd take the initiative with this story? Evidently not, and that too surprises me. As USM Sympathizer said earlier, I'm very surprised that you've received no support or guidance from the AUUP, or ACLU. They certainly know how to get a story out. And, I continue to believe there's an old school muckraker like Mike Wallace out there somewhere, who'd take this story on if it ever crossed his field of vision. That's the kicker--getting it in front of the right person.

But, as I said at the outset, I'm a scientist, not a journalist, and I'm waaaay out of my depth here. So, back to the drawing board, eh?

Austin Eagle

Date: May 13, 2004

Worth a Try!!! Is any big media person OUT THERE?? USM sure could use some help down here in the deep south Piney Woods of Mississippi. We need national exposure to help rout a corrupt Univerisity President. If you need scentillating asides to keep TV audience attention - we can supply you with that also. Waiting for Godot at the Cross Roads of the Leaf and Bouie Rivers - unless we can generate some National PR to help get the University of Southern Mississippi back on track and stop the "bleeding".

Date: May 13, 2004

Speaking of "National PR" -- I also contacted, way back when, all the news shows affiliated with National Public Radio. You would think that THEY would be interested, since most of the stations broadcasting their programs are affiliated with colleges and universities. Again, though, no response. Perhaps what we need is a coordinated, persistent letter-writing campaign rather than a single letter here and there. If media outlets were flooded every day with lots of info about the situation from lots of people, maybe they would start to pay attention, if only to make us go away.

Date: May 13, 2004

I recall a couple of weeks ago on another thread that a young "journalist" in the area admitted this was a great story, but "who would pay for all the research time?" So it seems that there is little initative among the local aspiring journalism crowd.

Date: May 13, 2004

Does anyone know the current status of involvement by The Fire.org? They had expressed an interest a week or so ago, and Robert Campbell seemed to think they could help make a difference if they got involved.

Date: May 13, 2004

"I heard today that SFT might now get a contract extension for 4 more years after the next two are up."

ARE YOU SH*TTING ME ??? He must have something on a majority of the IHL members. If true, this is nothing short of mind-boggling.

How did Ole Miss and MSU end up with first rate presidents? Did they employ a different selection process than USM?

New idea: Provoke conflict between Thames and Hudson, and let them kill one another off.

Austin Eagle

Date: May 13, 2004

Yes, back to the drawing board.

It is over at USM. They will be a bottom tier school in the next five years, that is for certain.

SFT's supporters do not realize this and even if they did, they do NOT care. Most of them 99%, are some right wing, sort of throwback to Jim Crow. I don't know why this attitude abounds in this part of the state, where growth and income and living standards are the highest in the state.

I think somehow a thuggish element has gotten here, in which good people remain silent, like the 1960s.

I have never seen anything anywhere on the earth, worldwide, where citizens HATE professors like they do in South Mississippi. I read some posters comparison to the Delta schools, where Ole Miss and MSU profs are not daily attacked as "all needing to be fired" as some misguided citizen named C.E. Guice said today in the paper. He is only one of scores that have chimed in the entire professorate at USM is a worthless bunch of lazy, incompetent, overpaid, whiney, worthless, liberal-pinko, childish, spoiled rotten, bunch of cry babies.

And the papers just print this as news, with no commentary at all. Can every bad person on earth only be at that school? How and when did this all start? These prof haters have no alterantive as to who will teach the kids.........I suppose we can just mosey on up to the bastions of excellence at Ole Miss and State. I never hear a peep about those school, and a job at land grant MSU gives profs lots and lots of time to deer and turkey hunt. Not at USM.

They cannot ever do enough work for a day's pay. They can never be allowed to email without snooping.

These prof haters amaze me. What on earth do they want? Nazi Germany? Submit, don't think, obey, and shut up? Where did these South Mississippians come from and do the people want their society structured this way?

It is really too bad that the national media is not interestred and the good people of Hattiesburg and S. Miss are just complacent in this injustice.

Where are all the Christians? Where is the spirit of Mississippi?

Date: May 13, 2004

Media, your question -- "Where are all the Christians? -- is one that has puzzled me as well. I think this controversy is one that can very easily be framed in moral and even religious terms, but I am not sure we have done a good job of framing it that way. Perhaps if the question were framed as an ethical and even religious one, we would get more support from people within MS. They may not care too much about academic freedom and shared governance, but they should care about abuses rooted in pride, abuse of powerless people, abuse of office (through cronyism, nepotism, etc.). SFT is clearly a man who lacks humility, charity, forgiveness, honesty. etc. Perhaps the issue should be framed more often in these moral terms.

Date: May 13, 2004

A very good, mostly overlooked book from the early 1990s explains a lot of this:

News and the Culture of Lying, by Paul Weaver

"Pulitzerian journalism," as he calls it, depends on advertising revenue, which in turn depends on maximizing circulation. A pretend-objective style that avoids annoying the politically influential becomes necessary.

Add to this a couple of facts:

The media in general do not understand universities very well.

Genuine investigative reporting is a rare commodity, in virtually all media outlets. Even at the New York Times, a very small percentage of the articles are products of true investigative reporting.

The quality of the reporting and the writing in most of the local media articles on USM has been weak. But they have been appearing. If this crisis were going on in South Carolina, the only hope would be getting an out of state newspaper to cover it. The huge scandal when James Holderman was president of the University of South Carolina--so huge that it led to a 2-year takeover of USC by the State Law Enforcement Divison after Holderman was fired--had to be broken in the Charlotte Observer.

Keep Thames and his crew talking to the media and answering questions. They will do plenty of harm to their case all by themselves.

Robert Campbell

PS. The Faculty Senate should consider resolutions of no confidence against persons other than the President. I would like to nominate Lisa Mader. It's time that a faculty body at a university publicly repudiated the person in charge of the university's public relations apparatus. And such a move will draw the attention of the media.

Date: May 13, 2004

As Mike West, favorite of Thirsty Hippo patrons everywhere says in his song New South: "the new South, like the old South - speak your mind, but shut your mouth! You're livin' in the new South"

Don't underestimate the conformist instinct of many (not all!) Mississippians - stems from several causes: a fundamentalist "We're right and they're wrong" attitude, an inheritance from slavery/Jim Crow days when you told those doing the work to shut up and get back to work or else, a belief that the whole "outside" world is out to get Mississippians and ridicule them, and a belief that "free-loading" persons take advantage of all the rest of us when they should just go along and get a damn job! Note: these are emphatically not my views, but we all know dozens of people who feel this way here and react instinctually out of these feelings.

Date: May 13, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Robert Campbell
"A very good, mostly overlooked book from the early 1990s explains a lot of this: News and the Culture of Lying, by Paul Weaver "Pulitzerian journalism," as he calls it, depends on advertising revenue, which in turn depends on maximizing circulation. A pretend-objective style that avoids annoying the politically influential becomes necessary. Add to this a couple of facts: The media in general do not understand universities very well. Genuine investigative reporting is a rare commodity, in virtually all media outlets. Even at the New York Times, a very small percentage of the articles are products of true investigative reporting. The quality of the reporting and the writing in most of the local media articles on USM has been weak. But they have been appearing. If this crisis were going on in South Carolina, the only hope would be getting an out of state newspaper to cover it. The huge scandal when James Holderman was president of the University of South Carolina--so huge that it led to a 2-year takeover of USC by the State Law Enforcement Divison after Holderman was fired--had to be broken in the Charlotte Observer. Keep Thames and his crew talking to the media and answering questions. They will do plenty of harm to their case all by themselves. Robert Campbell PS. The Faculty Senate should consider resolutions of no confidence against persons other than the President. I would like to nominate Lisa Mader. It's time that a faculty body at a university publicly repudiated the person in charge of the university's public relations apparatus. And such a move will draw the attention of the media."

As usual, RC makes excellent points. It is true that if this crisis were happening at many other "smaller" universities, it would not be receiving much attention. You are lucky, in Hattiesburg, that USM is probably the largest local "industry." The HA gives you much more coverage than would be true in many places.

I also agree with Robert about further no confidence votes. This is one way to "keep up the pressure" during the summer: every time the Faculty Senate meets, a new member of the administration should be considered for a no confidence vote.

Date: May 13, 2004

I have noticed that with the end of the semester upon us most of the Letters to the Editor or pro Thames. He has become very active in preparing his defense for the board meeting. His PUC efforts shows he is "reaching out" to communicate. He even sent a letter to Myron Henry asking for the FacSen's mission and goals for next year. IIRC he asked how FacSen will contribute to his and the Boards mission of helping funding and recruitment etc. Excellent PR since FacSEn isn't in that business. I can't help remembering the advice he got from Klumb "not to blink" and to weather out the storm. HE IS NOT LEAVING!. It will be a long hot summer.

Date: May 13, 2004

OK, so I demonstrated my ignorance of the history of this conflict, the herculean efforts to publicize it thus far, but I'd reiterate these points:

1. The ongoing battle, the only one seen by the public, is the PR battle, and Thames et al are usually out front. This must somehow be turned upside down, and put/keep SFT in the news, and on the defensive.

2. I don't know for sure, but I'm assuming that USM offers programs in marketing and in journalism. Ergo, there must be trained media professionals, the professors, there in-house, who could devise and help implement a counter-Thames PR plan. Political candidates, Bush and Kerry for example, have rapid response teams who immediately refute or rebut claims and allegations. The faculty needs a similar team.

3. The journalism profs at USM must have former students, working journalists, with whom they've maintained contact. If it's going to take an insider contact to trigger this story outside Mississippi, this network would seem to be a logical avenue to pursue.

Again, I'm out of my depth, and apologize in advance if this sounds puerile or simplistic.

Date: May 13, 2004

RE: to USM Sympathizer

Date: May 13, 2004

RE: Public Relations

Date: May 13, 2004

Chess--A cryptic, and hopeful comment to be sure, although I have no clue what you're talking about.

Media--What was the detour last week, to which you refer?

Thanx,
Austin Eagle

Date: May 13, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Austin Eagle
"Again, I'm out of my depth, and apologize in advance if this sounds puerile or simplistic."

Well, I'm out of my depth, too. But "the administration" controls the PR budget & it's arguable that most of the PR dept's work spins around the prez in one way or another.

For that matter, in this particular situation "the faculty" don't have a single authority calling shots & controlling purse strings. The Faculty Senate resolution to IHL is about as organized as it can possibly get.

"Organizing the faculty" sounds a lot like "herding cats."