Professor Tom Hollihan was quoted January 14 in a San Francisco Bay Guardian article that discussed the inaugural address of San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom. "It's a politically moderate speech. It does not have a clarion call for radical reform," Hollihan commented. "If the speech has anything concrete in it, it's the notion of dialogue."

15 Professor Ed Cray's new book, Ramblin' Man: The Life and Times of Woody Guthrie , received a glowing review in the December 1 issue of Kirkus Reviews . "Cray neatly couples the singer's musical and political evolution, showing how they fed upon one another," wrote the reviewer. Kirkus described the book as "a lively, graphic portrait of the balladeer and activist who made ants-in-his-pants into an art form." Amazon book page»

14 Since the capture of Saddam Hussein, Latino support for the war in Iraq and for President Bush has increased, according to a recent poll conducted by USC Annenberg's Pew Hispanic Center . That boost mirrors opinion trends in the general public, "although Hispanics are somewhat less supportive of the war and of Bush both as president and as a reelection candidate than the population as a whole," wrote Roberto Suro (pictured) in a report on the poll results. The Pew Hispanic Center's mission is to improve understanding of the diverse Hispanic population in the United States and to chronicle Latinos' growing impact on the nation. View poll results» Miami Herald article»

11 Leading journalists and others gathered January 13 for a conference about ethics, standards and editorial decision-making. Participants in "Reporting on Celebrities: The Ethics of News Coverage" included actor Ed Asner , L.A. Times managing editor Dean Baquet , and professor Leo Braudy . "Communication is the infrastructure of our culture, but it is also that which weakens, corrodes or debases, so why do we do it?" asked professor Jay Harris , who facilitated the forum. The conference was co-sponsored by USC Annenberg and the Poynter Institute for Media Studies . 12 Writing in the Sacramento Bee , columnist Marjie Lundstrom (pictured, right) said the discussion revealed "the incredible tension within news organizations and quasi-news organizations -- and between competitors -- on how much is too much, and the blurring line between journalism and pap." Daily Trojan article» Poynter Institute» Sacramento Bee column»

9 School faculty were featured prominently in two recent TV-news stories. Associate dean Joe Saltzman commented about an adult-themed reality series for a December 23 segment on KCBS 2 Los Angeles. "There will always be discretion when it comes to commercial television," Saltzman said. "And that line is about as close as we're gonna be." Marty Kaplan , associate dean and director of the Norman Lear Center, appeared January 3 on a CBS Evening News story about American pop culture. Kaplan called 2003 "the year that the entertainment industry tanked."

6 The invasiveness of online pop-up ads prompted graduate journalism student Eugene Lee to write an op-ed, "Popping Off on Pop-Ups," which was published in the December 27 Los Angeles Times . "At home, on my computer, I should be the one playing God, choosing what I see and don't see," Lee wrote. "With pop-ups, I feel I've lost that sense of control and power." Lee originally penned the piece for Professor Bryce Nelson 's Media and Society class. Read the article»

USC Annenberg communication professor and International Communication Association fellow Peter Monge has been awarded the 2003 National Communication Association Book Award in Organizational Communication for Theories of Communication Networks (Oxford University Press, 2003), which he co-wrote with Noshir Contractor . Buy the book» Visit the NCA web site»

3 Manuel Castells (pictured, left) and Jay Harris (pictured, right) were honored in a December 2 endowed chair dedication ceremony. USC trustee and alumna Wallis Annenberg (pictured, second from left) said, "Professors Castells and Harris join a roster of leaders here at Annenberg who are truly worthy of the title 'world-class scholars.'" USC President Steven Sample (pictured, second from right) praised the passion, intelligence, and vision of Wallis Annenberg, calling her "one of the university's most ardent supporters and champions." Castells holds the Wallis Annenberg Chair in Communication Technology and Society; Harris holds the Wallis Annenberg Chair in Journalism and Communication. Watch the video» Read Dean Cowan's welcoming remarks» Read President Sample's remarks» Read Professor Harris's remarks»