The Something We Can Do

I had no plans to be a public scholar. I became one, nonetheless, in September 2002. That month my promotion to Associate Professor with tenure at the University of Washington became official. The same month the UW’s alumni magazine published a story about my research on US news coverage that followed the September 11 terrorist attacks of one year earlier. A couple of graduate students and I had found that the American press uncritically waved the flag and supported the federal government’s military response, beginning in Afghanistan. In our research, we offered modest critiques of what we called an overly deferential, “patriotic press”. This analysis was propelled by a belief that undergirds my interest in political communication—that independent journalism is crucial for democracy. For some alumni, however, this work smacked of anti-Americanism. Several fired off angry emails expressing a wish that the university sever its ties with me. I was taken aback, and I considered it ironic because two of my co-authors were active-duty officers in the US military attending graduate school on scholarships. Soon criticisms of my work made their way into the stonethrowing world of talk radio and Internet blogs, and I was pulled into the public arena whether I wanted to be or not. It was a shock—and a jolt of energy. Years earlier I had been a journalist, feeding off the adrenaline of news reporting. This feeling returned with the dustup over my research. I was back in the public conversation, writing, talking, defending ideas . . . engaging. It felt good. Even better, it felt right. What commenced was a transformation of my mindset. I now regularly write op-ed essays for newspapers as well as for internet forums, and receive plenty of emails when I do (the public, whether angry or delighted, always writes!). I deliver talks and engage in conversations in settings that range from lecture halls to union halls, from household living rooms to outdoor fairs and festivals to religious sanctuaries. I lead day-long public workshops on political communication with grassroots activists, curious citizens, and political leaders. And I have worked for