Russell Program for Media, Technology, and Society

Presbyterian College's Russell Program for Media, Technology, and Society provides a critical exploration of two major influences on modern society: the mass media and rapidly advancing technology.

By inviting leading experts, critics, and participants to campus as lecturers, students explore rare glimpses into the nature and design of modern media and technology and the people who shape them. The Russell Program also offers students media study classes and internships.

This year, the Russell Program is ...

Politics and the Media: Causes and Consequences of Incivility

Bob Inglis - Sept. 26 - "Solutions or Scapegoats: Which Do We Want?"

Former Republican U.S. Representative from South Carolina, Bob Inglis, will kick off the series on September 26th addressing the topic, "Solutions or Scapegoats: Which Do We Want?" Mr. Inglis first served from 1993 through 1998, honoring a pledge to seek no more than three terms. He successfully regained his former House seat in the 2004 election, serving until he was defeated in the 2010 primary election by Ted Gowdy, a Republican supported by the local Tea Party.

Dr. John G. Geer and Dr. Matthew Baum - Nov. 7

Two scholars will share the stage on November 7th. Dr. John G. Geer, Professor of Political Science and Co-Director of Vanderbilt's Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions, which has as one area of concentration, Media and Democratic Systems of Governance. Dr. Geer has published a book, In Defense of Negativity: Attack Ads in Presidential Campaigns, and recently wrote a white paper entitled, "Fanning the Flames: the News Media's Role in the Rise of Negativity in Presidential Campaigns." Joining Dr. Geer will be Dr. Matthew Baum, Professor of Global Communication and Professor of Public Policy, John. F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. Of particular interest to us, he has co-written the following articles: "New Media and the Polarization of American Political Discourse," "In the Eye of the Beholder: How Information Shortcuts Shape Individual Perceptions of Bias in the Media," and "The Oprah Effect: How Soft News Helps Inattentive Citizens Vote Consistently."

The Russell Committee focuses on the role that the media plays in contemporary society. Each year, the Russell Program offers two symposiums: the annual Lanier Symposium on Technology and the Arnold Symposium on the Media.