Author Archives: Kirt H. Wilson

Thank you and Happy Holidays

Posted on December 16, 2011 by Kirt H. Wilson

One final post before all is said and done. I want to thank each member of the class for her or his participation over the Fall 2011 semester. I’ve enjoyed teaching this class, getting to know each of you just … Continue reading →

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President Obama and Jay Leno

Posted on October 27, 2011 by Kirt H. Wilson

This past Tuesday, the President appeared on the Tonight Show. It isn’t the first time that he has appeared there, and it may not be the last. On the Tonight Show, Obama gets softball questions and a huge Americans. This … Continue reading →

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In Obama’s Words

Posted on October 20, 2011 by Kirt H. Wilson

The Washington Post has put up an interesting web project that tracks the most frequently used words in Obama’s speeches. You can look at his frequency counts by subject area or you can track how often, over the past three … Continue reading →

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Coach Obama says, “Let’s win this one.”

Posted on September 9, 2011 by Kirt H. Wilson

Watching the President’s speech on the economy last night, there was one image that I couldn’t get out of my head–the stern high school coach standing in the locker room after the first half of a difficult football game. His … Continue reading →

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and the bad news for the President keeps on coming.

Posted on September 6, 2011 by Kirt H. Wilson

The tag line for this course blog, in case you haven’t noticed, is “Communication changes some things but not others.” The President must surely have felt the impact of that proverb over the Labor-Day weekend. On Friday the Labor Department … Continue reading →

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Get your Infographic Here!!

Posted on September 2, 2011 by Kirt H. Wilson

You know what an infographic is, right? Made popular by USA Today, these cute charts combine statistics, text, bold fonts, and images to explain complex issues in “simple” terms. The White House is interested infographics. It just created the one … Continue reading →

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Evolution of a Presidential Speech

Posted on August 30, 2011 by Kirt H. Wilson

On August 31, tomorrow, our class will be talking about speechwriters and their impact on presidential rhetoric. While everyone knows that modern (and even nineteenth-century) presidents use speech writers, we don’t often understand how these individuals operate. Of course, each … Continue reading →

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The impending natural disaster

Posted on August 26, 2011 by Kirt H. Wilson

One of the more recent expectations that we have of sitting presidents is that they will respond quickly and appropriately to natural disasters. Precisely what “appropriately” means, of course, is sometimes difficult to articulate. Most certainly, the president is expected … Continue reading →

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Will technology alter the relationship between the White House and the Media?

Posted on August 25, 2011 by Kirt H. Wilson

The White House and the national media always have had a symbiotic relationship. The White House relies on journalists to get its messages to the American public; simultaneously, the media and press use the White House to fill air time … Continue reading →

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Explaining Wall Street Reform

Posted on August 23, 2011 by Kirt H. Wilson

Last year, the White House produced this little video, about 3 minutes long, explaining the need for Wall Street reform. Watch it below, and then consider: How effective is this video in explaining the financial crisis of of 2008? What … Continue reading →

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