Don’t name mass shooters, criminologists’ study advises media
National Catholic Reporter – Jan. 9
Journalists should continue to report on mass shootings, but leave out of their coverage the names and faces of perpetrators, who are often motivated by a search for fame, according to new research by criminologists. University of Alabama criminal justice professor Adam Lankford makes the case in a recent paper he co-authored, “Don’t Name Them, Don’t Show Them, but Report Everything Else: A Pragmatic Proposal for Denying Mass Killers the Attention They Seek and Deterring Future Offenders.”
Journalist’s Resource – Jan. 8
Meet the 34-year-old founder of Spotify, who could be worth billions this year
Business Insider – Jan. 8
Depending on who you talk to, Spotify CEO Daniel Ek is either the guy who saved the music industry, or the one who killed it. Nearly a decade after the 34-year-old launched the hit streaming service, rumored to go public within the next few months, his future stands to be a valuable one … Theresa Welbourne, PhD, a professor at the University of Alabama, and lead researcher of a 2017 study on the fate of private companies that go public, says most CEOs sell at least some of their shares at the IPO, and Elk may follow suit.” Regardless,” she says, “my guess is he stands to make a lot of money.”
In Alabama, Deck misses bike trails and Crystal Bridges
Talk Business – Jan. 8
Former University of Arkansas economist Kathy Deck has had a few months to settle into her new role as director of community and economic research partnerships at the University of Alabama Culverhouse College of Commerce and Business Administration. Starting to get a feel for her new town of residence, Deck noted similarities and differences between Tuscaloosa and Northwest Arkansas in a recent interview with Talk Business & Politics-Northwest Arkansas Business Journal.
He’s Bad on Foreign Affairs but Good on the Economy
Law and Liberty – Jan. 9
I approach this task with more trepidation than I usually have when I write. I am not used to evaluating a presidency … Consider, by contrast, someone who effectively quashed radio criticism of his policies: Franklin D. Roosevelt. In 1934, as University of Alabama historian David Beito has noted, President Roosevelt’s FCC put radio stations on a short leash by reducing the license-renewal period from three years to six months.
All eyes on Gov. Kay Ivey at usually routine State of State speech as governor’s race looms
Al.com – Jan. 9
When Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey delivers her first State of the State address Tuesday in Montgomery, it will be her most high-profile speech to date … “Whether she likes it or not, Kay Ivey’s campaign for governor essentially starts on Tuesday with her State of the State speech,” said Richard Fording, a political science professor at the University of Alabama. “She needs to present herself as a strong leader with an agenda, rather than a placeholder for the next elected governor.”
UA students gather on campus for National Championship Watch Party
CBS 42 (Birmingham) – Jan. 8
Not everyone could make it to Atlanta to watch the game. Hundreds of University of Alabama students gathered on campus for a watch party. They are at the Ferguson Center. There’s a lot of intensity in this room. Everybody seems to be a little anxious and excited. All of them are hoping to win the National Championship.
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – Jan. 8
CBS 19 (Huntsville) – Jan. 8
NBC 12 (Montgomery) – Jan. 8
Fox 6 (Birmingham) – Jan. 8
WDFX-Fox (Montgomery) – Jan. 8
NBC 13 (Birmingham) – Jan. 8
Economic impact of Alabama Football
Fox 6 (Birmingham) – Jan. 8
Winning drives economic success and that has definitely been the case over the past few years, and those numbers seem to be going north for the Tide. We know college football is a big business, especially Alabama football. “The football team itself brought in $103 million in revenue. If you take out the expenses, which are in the $50-something million range, the football program itself makes $50 million.”