CHARLESTON, S.C. ( Feb 20, 2007) /PRNewswire/ - The College of Charleston and its Department of Communication announced today that the College will invite presidential candidates from the two major political parties to the College of Charleston campus to discuss the importance of presidential communication with the press and public.
"The Bully Pulpit Series: Reflections on Presidential Communication" asks the individual presidential candidates to speak with students and Charleston community members on such topics as the frequency of press conferences, the candidate's relationship with journalists, and the power of the president to persuade. This non-partisan series will take place in the 12 months prior to the South Carolina presidential primaries, the first primaries to be held in the South. Allstate Insurance Company is the title sponsor for the series.
"The Bully Pulpit series is a unique forum for Presidential candidates to discuss the nature of presidential communication with our students and the greater Charleston community," said George Benson, President of the College of Charleston. "The College is looking forward to hosting this series and offering our students an opportunity to learn from some of the most prominent figures in American politics."
"Our students, faculty, and guests will learn what to expect of the president in his or her communication with the public and relationships with the press," said Brian McGee, chairman of the Department of Communication at the College of Charleston. "The series is devoted to a subject often neglected during the Presidential campaign: How a successful candidate, if elected, will use the 'bully pulpit' powers of the presidency to inform, persuade and mobilize the American people."
The first invitations were sent to presidential candidates in early February 2007. The Bully Pulpit Series at the College of Charleston is a joint effort of the College's Department of Communication and the Department of Communication Advisory Council.
The Bully Pulpit series will offer the opportunity to subscribe to podcasts, letting listeners download the relevant audio from each candidate's lecture to their computer or MP3 player. Video portions of each lecture also will be streamed via the College's Web site.
A February 2007 e-mail survey of College of Charleston communication students indicates these students are engaged in the presidential campaign, with 48% "very likely" to vote in one of the South Carolina primary elections and 85% "very likely" to vote in the general election. Some College of Charleston students come from outside South Carolina and might be voting in their home state primaries.
While relying heavily on traditional sources for political information about the presidential candidates, such as televisions new and family, more communication students will make use of Internet news (76%) than newspapers (69%) for such information. In addition, more students will seek out political information from "TV comedy news" (31%) than from radio programming (23%).
"As in the national surveys of college students following the 2004 presidential election, College of Charleston communication students are interested in learning about the candidates from both traditional and new media," said McGee. "Thanks to the Bully Pulpit series, the candidates will have a chance to demonstrate face-to-face their media savvy and communication skills before this knowledgeable audience of students.
Visit www.cofc.edu/communication for further information and updates on additional Presidential Candidates participating in The Bully Pulpit Series. This site also contains further information about the February 2007 communication student survey.
