McCarthy Center hosts Kathleen Hall Jamieson as scholar-in-residence

Kathleen Hall Jamieson, Elizabeth Ware Packard Professor of Communication at the Annenberg School for Communication and Walter and Leonore Annenberg Director of the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania, is the fourth annual scholar-in-residence at the Eugene J. McCarthy Center for Public Policy and Civic Engagement at Saint John's University. Jamieson is a nationally-recognized authority on political communication and political campaigns.

Jamieson will be a part of two public events, which are free and open to the public, during her residency from March 28-30.

Jamieson will give a public lecture titled "How the New Media are Affecting us and Our Politics" at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 29, in room 204A, Gorecki Dining and Conference Center, College of Saint Benedict. The "New Media" shaping our political life include the Internet, social networking, talk radio and cable television.

She will also moderate a student debate titled "Resolved: The Internet is Essential for Democracy" at 7:30 p.m. Monday, March 28, in room 264, Quadrangle Building, SJU. Coaches for the two debate teams will be Christi Siver, assistant professor of political science and coordinator of the newly formed debate team at CSB and SJU, and Terry Check, associate professor of communication at CSB and SJU.

While at CSB and SJU, Jamieson will also speak to several classes, visit with faculty and staff, do an interview with Minnesota Public Radio, deliver a "Lunch and Learn" talk for the Benedictine Institute of Saint John's and give a seminar on the role of gender, race and age in the 2008 election.

Jamieson is a 1964 graduate of St. Benedict's High School in St. Joseph, Minn. She gave the 2003 commencement address at CSB and received an honorary doctorate. Jamieson received a bachelor's degree from Marquette University and holds a master's degree and a doctorate from the University of Wisconsin.

Jamieson helped create FactCheck.org, which examines the factual truth or falsity of claims made in political campaigns, and continues to serve on its staff. She worked on Sen. McCarthy's 1968 presidential campaign, and interviewed him for her book Packaging the Presidency. Jamieson is the author or co-author of 16 books and has won teaching awards and political science or communication awards for four of her books. Her book The Obama Victory: How Media, Money, and Messages Shaped the 2008 Election, co-authored with Kate Kenski and Bruce Hardy, recently won the 2010 PROSE Award for Government and Politics from the Association of American Publishers. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Philosophical Society, the American Academy of Political and Social Science, and the International Communication Association.

Jamieson is the fourth person to serve a McCarthy residency, which showcases the work and skills of someone who has a distinguished career in public service, policy or politics through a week-long on-campus residency. The primary purpose of the residency is to give students at CSB and SJU extended access to someone with real knowledge and wisdom about policy, civic engagement and public life.

Previous residents have included Al Eisele '58, editor-at-large of The Hill and former press secretary to Vice President Walter Mondale; former U.S. Sen. Dave Durenberger '55; and Sean Kershaw, executive director of the Citizens League.