For your coverage of the possible cancelation of the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, please consider the comments below from��, the David B. Falk Professor of Sport Management at Syracuse University’s Falk College.�� Burton has been quoted on this topic previously and is available for interview. Please contact��kkobland@syr.edu��to arrange.

“It is aspirational for the IOC to want to hold the Olympics next summer. It gives us hope and an opportunity for global sports fans to look forward to better days ahead��and no one can fault the IOC for that.�� However, holding the Games next summer (2021) would also fail to acknowledge the magnitude of how bad the virus could still get, particularly if the world endures a distinct flu season during the Northern Hemisphere fall. None of us needs an alarmist or pessimist out ‘howling’ about this matter. But the IOC can only be seen as acting wisely to cancel the Tokyo Summer Olympic Games rather than delay again until 2022.

We still don’t know how badly this pandemic will impact other global zones including numerous countries that always compete in the Olympics. If the pandemic spikes at different times in different zones, creating a devastating staggering, it will produce an unlevel playing field for the athletes. That could mean some Olympians would be cleared to resume regular training��activities at different points of time. That advantage would not fit the Olympic ideal.

At issue here for the IOC is not knowing how bad this pandemic may still become in the absence of a vaccine. Statistics in countries like China, Italy and the U.S. have been horrific but could pale compared to what may still lie ahead for dense urban settings where individuals cannot practice social distancing. These countries, long-time participants in the Summer Olympics, could see spikes in fatalities that are unimaginable.�� That kind of outcome, akin to the daily fatalities witnessed during the Civil War, WWI or WWII, leads to a logical decision by the IOC and Host Organizing Committee.”

“American workers are suffering during this pandemic, but the President’s Proclamation will do nothing to relieve that suffering. While workers are in desperate need of job security and replacement of lost income, as well as health care that does not disappear when their job does, the President has turned his attention to the non-issue of immigrant labor. Immigration and labor policies are deeply intertwined with one another and it is appropriate for the President to consider the impact of immigration on the nation’s workforce, particularly during a time of record unemployment. But there is no evidence at all–nor does the President offer any–that immigrants are contributing to this massive unemployment. The cause is, of course, the pandemic. The solution is not to exclude the immigrants identified in this Proclamation, but to develop a coordinated response to the crisis that will protect all of the workers in this country–both native- and foreign-born–who will rebuild the economy over the coming months.”-Jennifer Breen, Professor of Law

, assistant professor of public health at Syracuse University’s Falk College, studies the mental benefits of taking a break. While most of us can identify with the feeling of getting away from stressful situations, Hruska has studied the actual beneficial impact this has on our health.�� His initial research was published last year, and drew direct correlations between a vacation from work and positive benefits to a person’s heart health.�� Hruska says research also proves this benefit is realized even during small breaks, which he says are vital right now especially for health care workers who will likely see an increasingly difficult workload.

“Just as hospitals must ensure that adequate material resources are in place to manage patient influx, they must also ensure that systems are in place to provide healthcare workers with opportunities to manage and restore their personal psychological and emotional resources. Under normal conditions, healthcare workers are disproportionately impacted by occupational stress and emotional burnout owing to the demands and responsibilities associated with administering patient care. This may become all the more pronounced under acutely taxing conditions such as the current pandemic. One consistent finding from the research literature is that healthcare workers can effectively counter the emotional toll of the job if provided with time for recovery from the day’s tasks. This includes ensuring time for adequate sleep as well as building in sufficient downtime during which they can process the days events and “switch off” from the days demands. These practices not only protect against decrements in performance, attention, and memory, but they also promote opportunities to derive meaning from the day’s experiences which can promote resilience in the face of stressful circumstances. Attesting to this importance, recent reports from China document the need that healthcare workers express for recovery time from the job. Importantly, measures addressing this need often consisted of relatively brief, but dedicated periods of time and physical space in the hospitals allowing for rest and reflection. As these reports demonstrate, while the current pandemic places an urgency on the delivery of care to those in need of it, the best way to ensure consistent and effective care over the ensuing weeks and possibly months is to tend to the workers responsible for delivering it.�� As hospitals across the U.S. prepare for anticipated strain due to surging COVID-19 cases, it is important that they do not neglect their most important asset: the healthcare workers responsible for delivering care.”

��For more information/schedule an interview: kkobland@syr.edu

“There is still quite a bit of volatility in the cannabis industry, but the pandemic has resulted in a sales spike.�� I would not go so far as to say that it’s necessarily a stock buying opportunity and it might be prudent to wait and see what the cannabis companies actually do with this new tailwind.�� My feeling is that it’s too early to say whether or not it will ultimately result in rising stock prices, especially since the underlying chaos in the industry still exists (federal prohibition, large black market, vape scandals, etc).”

The short-term outlook is good for cannabis because of the pandemic, but what is more important is how the industry adapts to the post COVID reality.”

April 10, 2020

��Tomorrow is the 50^th anniversary of the launch of the historic Apollo 13 space mission that was made famous for not landing on the moon and was immortalized in a 1995 movie starring Tom Hanks. Following the aborted mission and the April 17, 1970, splashdown that was watched by an estimated 40 million Americans, Jack Gould of The New York Times wrote that Apollo 13 “united the world in mutual concern more fully than another successful landing on the moon would have.”

If you’re covering the Apollo 13 anniversary, former NASA Administrator and Syracuse University professor is available for an interview. O’Keefe, a University Professor at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, served four times as a presidential appointee: at NASA; as Secretary of the Navy; as Deputy Director of the Office of Management and Budget and Deputy Assistant to the President; and as Comptroller and CFO at the Defense Department. You can read about O’Keefe’s tenure at NASA��.

For use in your stories, here’s what O’Keefe says about the 50^th anniversary of Apollo 13:

“Friday, April 17, marks the 50th anniversary of the recovery of the Apollo 13 crew after six days of space flight, crippled after the second day forcing the crew to abort their mission to the moon. The nation – indeed the world – was captivated by the courage of Captain Jim Lovell and his crew as the drama unfolded leading to their safe return.

“This anxious episode of NASA’s space exploits demonstrated the problem-solving culture of the agency in the early days of space exploration. The team on the ground expended an extraordinary effort using the rudimentary tools available during that era to bring the crew back safely.

“The story continues to inspire generations of engineers and technical teams over this half century to never give up on the effort to overcome challenges. Today it also serves as a stark reminder of how difficult space travel is even with our present-day advanced technology. We are still in the early chapters of the human quest to explore the solar system and where we reside in this vast universe.

“Technical solutions applied to today’s limitations are taking shape. But it will require that we demonstrate the same courage, determination and persistence as the team that safely recovered the crew of Apollo 13 all those years ago.”

Thank you for your consideration. For more information or to request an interview with Prof. O’Keefe, please contact:

Matt Michael
Media Relations Specialist
T��315.443.2990 ����M��315.254.9037
mmicha04@syr.edu

April 9, 2020

The only thing worse than waking up to more bad news is not falling asleep at all. For those who are having difficulty sleeping while under lockdown for the COVID-19 pandemic, insomnia expert offers eight tips to help you fall asleep and stay asleep.

Dr. Gellis is an associate teaching professor in the at Syracuse University’s College of Arts and Sciences. Dr. Gellis’ research focuses on cognitive and behavioral elements that contribute to stress, insomnia, and other sleep disorders. He is currently testing and designing techniques to treat insomnia and understand the causes and consequences of sleep problems in college students.

Dr. Gellis is available for an interview to discuss his sleeping tips. For use in your stories, here are his eight tips to help you get a good night’s sleep during this stressful time:

General Lifestyle Behaviors

1. Stay away from the bedroom when not sleeping and leave the bed when you’re unable to fall asleep and or feel frustrated about the inability to sleep.
2. Maintain a dark environment and avoid electronic devices before bedtime.
3. Limit napping and caffeine intake.
4. Avoid watching the clock.

How to Handle Sleep-Related Worry/Other Worry

5. Attempt to refocus pre-sleep thoughts to emotionally neutral thought processes (away from worry, problem solving, planning, rehashing).
6. Actively problem-solve during the day to deal with current stressors.
7. Avoid worrying about your sleep. Sleep is a biological need that will happen naturally when we’re in a calm state.
8. See a professional if general tips do not work and be wary of pharmacologic management of sleep problems.

Thank you for your consideration. For more information or to request an interview with Dr. Gellis, please contact:

Matt Michael
Media Relations Specialist
T��315.443.2990 ����M��315.254.9037
mmicha04@syr.edu

April 8, 2020

Syracuse, NY – Syracuse University political science ��is available to discuss the news that US Senator Bernie Sanders is dropping his bid for the 2020 Democratic nomination.

“I don’t think the public is going to have much real appetite for thinking about the election until we are toward the end of ��‘the curve.’ There will be a retrospective judgment on the Trump administration’s handling of this crisis, and I still think it’s way too early to predict what the verdict will be.

I don’t think this will come down to Biden persuasively offering an alternative vision of how he would have handled the crisis.�� If that were the case, Kerry would have defeated Bush in 2004.�� I think it will come down to how the public judges and feels about their situation and the crisis,” said Reeher. “In other words, it will be about the public’s judgment of the Trump administration itself, versus preferring an alternative vision.�� In political science terms, this will now be a retrospective election, not a prospective one.”

Professor Reeher is��the director of the����at Syracuse University and is a sought-after expert on American politics and political theory. He is the host of��creator, host, and producer of “” on WRVO Public Media. Recent interviews include:

• , USA Today (commentary)
• ��The Hill
• , Politico
• , Toronto Globe & Mail
• , Time

If reporters would like to interview Prof. Reeher, please contact Ellen James Mbuqe, director of media relations at Syracuse University at ejmbuqe@syr.edu��or 412.496.0551.

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If you are writing about Stephanie Grisham stepping down as White House press secretary, please consider the comments below from . D’Angelo is a public relations professor at Syracuse University’s Newhouse School and former director of the Public Relations Society of America. He offers a PR point-of-view regarding one of the nation’s top PR positions. If you care for an interview please contact kkobland@syr.edu.

Before signing on to a job like this the communications person should know who is actually going to be in charge of the communications function—not on the org chart, but in daily life. If you don’t have some real decision-making ability you can easily find yourself in a compromised position or be scapegoated.

I presume experienced professionals have a good sense of what they’re signing up for. They should ask themselves if they’re prepared to manage through it, and to pay the price if organizational communications aren’t credible or don’t turn out well.

Grisham was wearing three hats: director of communications for Melania Trump, and communications director and press secretary for President Trump. That signals a diminution of all three roles, not a positive signal if you’re in them. Also knowing that Hope Hicks is back in the picture and Pence’s staff is handling pandemic communications makes me ask “who’s on first?”

With any organization, this lack of clarity is a fertile environment for palace intrigue—and for dysfunctional communication that erodes trust among stakeholders. Ultimately the chief reputation officer of an organization is the CEO, and Trump is that for the federal government. All official communication will be as effective and trusted as he enables it to be. Leaders, companies and brands don’t get to decide if they’re trusted—their audiences do—so communications professionals must decide thoughtfully which ones they’ll join. That decision has material consequences for organizational and individual reputations.

April 7, 2020

��The $2 trillion coronavirus stabilization bill contains a provision that gives Education Secretary Betsy DeVos the power to waive parts of the federal special education rules while school districts are struggling to teach their students online during the COVID-19 pandemic.

, an associate professor in Syracuse University’s College of Law and the parent of a child with multiple disabilities, says this “escape hatch” out of special education is in line with the government’s long history of failing to afford equal rights to people with disabilities.

True-Frost specializes in international law and constitutional and human rights law. Her primary research interests include the development of international norms, with a focus on the role of international organizations and the United Nations Security Council in these processes.

True-Frost recently wrote a commentary for Newsday called that expresses her concerns that people with disabilities will be last in line for ventilators during the pandemic.

True-Frost is available for an interview to discuss the impact of the provision regarding special education rules. For use in your stories, here’s what True Frost says about this decision:

“Even as the government leverages a $2 trillion stimulus package for businesses and non-disabled individuals, it is entirely unacceptable to cut necessary supports for our most vulnerable members of society, especially children with disabilities. The ‘escape hatch’ out of special education obligations in the stimulus bill is all too familiar for people with disabilities, who are most often considered last in policymaking.

“Times like these challenge our society’s true commitment to equality. Children with or without disabilities have equal rights to access the curriculum during this trying time.��Children with disabilities require the accommodations provided in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and Americans with Disabilities Act in order to be educated.��If texts are provided, they need to be accessible to all – blind and sighted students. If online chats with teachers are provided, they need to be accessible to children with communication disabilities, not only their non-disabled classmates.

“While the actual education provided to all students may necessarily be diminished somewhat by the urgency of the COVID-19 situation, it is axiomatic that education cannot be provided to non-disabled students while being denied to disabled students.

“Unfortunately, both legislators and government agencies have a long history of failing to afford people with disabilities equal rights, hence the need for the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Permitting cuts to vital services and supports for our most vulnerable society members — children with disabilities – in order to ensure the edge of the non-disabled students or the comfort of the administration, is not acceptable.

“Even as our society changes and struggles, we must remain committed to the idea that we provide equal opportunity for all.”

Thank you for your consideration. To request an interview with Prof. True-Frost or for more information, please contact:

Matt Michael
Media Relations Specialist
T��315.443.2990 ����M��315.254.9037
mmicha04@syr.edu

Dr. Larsen’s essay “” was published Tuesday on , an open archive of the social sciences. He is available for an interview to discuss how face masks are as important as social distancing to help reduce the transmission of the coronavirus.

Dr. Larsen is an associate professor in the at Syracuse University’s . Dr. Larsen specializes in global health, infectious disease epidemiology and malaria, child survival and mobile health. He has been interviewed about COVID-19 by several media outlets, including in Washington, D.C., Central New York, and Public Media.

For use in your stories, here’s what Dr. Larsen says about the need for people to sew their own face masks and use them:

“The entire country should be wearing face masks in public to help reduce transmission of coronavirus. The CDC and WHO claim there is a lack of evidence around mass face masks in public, but there is as much evidence for face masks as there is for social distancing.

“We are rightfully closing our schools, shuttering our businesses, and disrupting our social lives. We need to bring anything that can work to the fight, and face masks may help. There are no randomized studies to rely on to guide our interventions. But evidence from historical studies, filtration experiments, and observational studies all suggest that when the entire community wears a face mask in public the transmission of respiratory infections will decrease.”

“Yet the hospitals also face shortages of face masks and N95 respirators. So we need to challenge the public to both sew one billion cloth face masks and use these face masks when going out. Free templates are available online, and these cloth masks are effective at preventing infectious disease transmission. Wearing these face masks in public at all times can help further flatten the curve beyond what social distancing can achieve alone.”

Thank you for your consideration. To request an interview with Dr. Larsen or for more information, please contact:

Matt Michael
Media Relations Specialist
Division of Marketing and Communications

T��315.443.2990 ����M��315.254.9037
mmicha04@syr.edu

March 30, 2020

Social distancing measures can have a negative impact on mental health, experts say, and Americans are now facing at least one more month of isolation.

As we get more anxious about our health and finances, mindfulness-based intervention expert says mindfulness can help us reduce stress and avoid getting on each other’s nerves. “There are numerous practices and activities for families that can be done together to beat stress, boost our brains, and move our bodies,” Dr. Razza said.

Dr. Razza is an associate professor in the Human Development and Family Science Department at Syracuse University’s . A certified mindfulness facilitator by Mindful Leader, Razza specializes in mindfulness-based intervention; development and benefits of self-regulation; and social and cognitive development in at-risk children and youth. Her most recent research examines mindfulness-based practice as a potential intervention strategy to enhance self-regulation and reduce the negative impact of trauma among children, youth and adults.

Dr. Razza is available for an interview to discuss mindfulness-based interventions and how they can help families while they are social distancing. For use in your stories, here’s what Dr. Razza says about mindfulness-based interventions:

“Being a parent is stressful enough without having to socially isolate. Currently, many of our stress management strategies, such as group exercise class or social activities with neighbors, are off limits. Fortunately, one strategy that is very effective for reducing stress and anxiety and can be done quite easily in isolation is mindfulness-based practice. Mindfulness involves paying attention to the present moment experience with openness and acceptance.

“A basic practice that we can do anytime involves breath awareness, where we simply stop what we are doing for a few minutes and bring our attention to the breath, noting its quality and where we feel it in our body. If you are new to the practice, there are numerous free online resources to help you get started, with expanded services given the pandemic. These include video/audio-guided practices through organizations such as the Greater Good Science Center and Mindful.org, or apps such as Healthy Minds or Sanvello. While parents may benefit from taking a few minutes a day to practice mindfulness alone, there are also numerous practices and activities for families that can be done together to beat stress, boost our brains, and move our bodies.”

Thank you for your consideration. To request an interview with Dr. Razza or for more information, please contact:

Matt Michael
Media Relations Specialist
T��315.443.2990 ����M��315.254.9037
mmicha04@syr.edu

March 25, 2020

If you’re looking for an expert source to provide insight and perspective on how parents should talk to their children and act around them while sheltering at home, Syracuse University psychology professor is available for an interview.

Dr. Felver’s research focuses on interventions to promote self-regulation, with an emphasis on mindfulness interventions. He is interested in how mindfulness��interventions can be implemented in public school settings with students and teachers to support academic functioning and classroom behavior, and in��families to improve parent-child communication and parent emotional regulation. Visit the to learn more about Dr. Felver’s current research projects.

For use in your stories, here’s what Dr. Felver says about how parents should act around their children during this crisis:

“During times of crisis, such as our world’s current COVID-19 pandemic, one of the burdens that parents face is how to talk to their children about these current events. There are two important things that parents should consider in this dialogue. The first is what to talk about. It’s important that children have basic information communicated at a level that they can understand. Children don’t need to know about ‘flattening the curve’ or defense appropriations; that is beyond their understanding and not useful information. They need to know basic facts that they can comprehend: the coronavirus is a cold; we wash out hands and stay inside to keep ourselves from getting sick; people wear masks to keep safe.

“They also need to be given space to ask questions; parents cannot read their children’s minds and without checking-in and giving space for child’s questions, kids may be harboring very worried thoughts (e.g., that they might die) that parents can quickly address and provide reassurance for.

“But these what questions are only half of what parents can do to help their children. The other half is to carefully consider how to talk about these events. Children are looking to their parents for information about how to make sense of the world, and if parents are highly stressed, anxious, scared, and on the edge of panic, no matter what they are saying, children are going to implicitly get the message that something is wrong and there is something to be stressed, anxious, and worried about, thus putting children at risk for becoming stressed, anxious, and worried.

“With this in mind, one of the most important things parents can do is to model that everything is going to be alright. It’s very important for parents to practice selfcare, to exercise, to use all their coping strategies to embody calmness so that children will see that everything is ok, and thus be reassured that they are safe. This is no different than the rationale for why if you are on an airplane and the oxygen masks deploy adults are instructed take care of themselves first before their children. Caring for one’s own mental health and stress during times of crisis is a critical – and too frequently overlooked – aspect of how we can best care for our children. By embodying calmness, telling children basic information, and giving children the space to ask their questions, parents can provide reassurance to their kids that will create a less tense and worried household in the weeks ahead.”

Thank you for your consideration. To request an interview with Dr. Felver or for more information, please contact:

Matt Michael
Media Relations Specialist
T��315.443.2990 ����M��315.254.9037
mmicha04@syr.edu

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March 24, 2020

For your continuing coverage of the postponement of the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Olympic sports marketing and sponsorship expert and sports law expert are available for interviews.

is the David B. Falk Endowed Professor of Sport Management in Syracuse University’s . Burton served as the chief marketing officer for the U.S. Olympic Committee at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, where he directed the USOC’s partnerships for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and USOC sponsorship activation.

For use in your stories, here’s what Burton says about why it won’t be easy moving the Summer Olympics to 2021:

“Moving the Summer Games into 2021 will disrupt the sport federations who long ago planned and booked venues for major competitions in their respective disciplines in 2021. So it’s not as easy as just having the IOC tell the Tokyo Organizing Committee that we are postponing the Games from 2020 into another year. The Summer Olympics can feature more than 30 sport disciplines, and there are 33 sport Federations in the ASOIF (Association of Summer Olympic International Federations).

“My prediction is that eventually, the IOC will announce either to cancel the Games or move the Summer Games into 2022. They have previously said ‘there is no Plan B.’ But I think Plan B will eventually come out and feature a move to 2022. That being said, there will also be compelling reasons for complete cancellation.”

Attorney is a professor of sports law at Syracuse University’s Falk College who specializes in sport law, sport doping, antitrust and labor law, and rights of athletes. For use in your stories, here’s what he says about the legal ramifications of postponing the Olympics for the athletes, organizers and Japan:

“The postponement raises several legal issues.��First, what about all the facilities?��The Tokyo Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games was scheduled to release control over the facilities.��The athletes’ housing was scheduled to be turned into private housing. If the Games are postponed a year, the Organizing Committee will be forced to pay for the upkeep on the facilities for another year.

“The TOPS (Target Olympic Podium Scheme) Olympic Sponsorship agreements also tend to be for a four-year period. If the Games are postponed, will sponsors get to use the Olympic logos for another year free of charge?��Will they have to pay extra?�� What happens to those who bought in for the period after the Tokyo Games, can they now use the Olympic logos during the Tokyo Games?

“As for the athletes, the questions raised are just as serious. Do the athletes who have already qualified for the 2020 Games automatically qualify for the 2021 Games?��Whatever the answer, is that fair? What about sponsorship agreements athletes may have – are they now void? What about those athletes who were going professional after the Games?�� Do they wait around another year?

“While pushing back the Games until 2021 is clearly the right decision, Japan and the government of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe have already spend billions on the Games preparation, and it looks like��Japan will be forced to spend millions more and wait another 15 months before they can host the Olympic world.”

Thank you for your consideration. To request an interview with Prof. Burton or Prof. Wolohan, please contact:

Matt Michael
Media Relations Specialist
T��315.443.2990 ����M��315.254.9037
mmicha04@syr.edu

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March 20, 2020

If you’re looking for an independent source to provide insight and perspective on the impact of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act on food security in the United States, child and family policy expert is available for an interview.

Heflin is a professor of public administration and international affairs at Syracuse University’s and senior research associate in its . Heflin is the author of a new study published in November by researchers from Syracuse University and the University of Kentucky that showed participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) reduces the risk of premature mortality among U.S. adults.

The study, called “,” was published in the November 2019 issue of��“Health Affairs.” Using data from the University of Kentucky Center for Poverty Research’s National Welfare Database and the Economic Research Service’s SNAP Policy Database, this study is the first to demonstrate a specific link between participation in SNAP and a reduction in risk of death among adults aged 40–64.

For use in your stories, here’s what Heflin says about the importance of the Families First Act and increasing SNAP benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic:

“We know from previous research that the risk of food insecurity increases during economic downturns and is��connected to local food prices. Given that so many families are currently both losing their jobs while facing increased health care costs and food prices, we can expect to see dramatic increases in food insecurity��as a result of the coronavirus.

“The federal Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) provides food assistance to families in times of need. It is critical that states and counties maintain program services and take advantage of the options provided in the Family First Act that expand eligibility for the program to include children who will no longer receive��school meals as well as healthy adults without children in the��household.

“My own research suggests that SNAP benefits have clear health benefits in terms of both reducing healthcare utilization and excess mortality.��Given the serious public health situation that our country is facing, we are fortunate to have a program in place that is already keyed up to help a population whose needs are likely to get even more desperate given current projections.”

Thank you for your consideration. To request an interview with Prof. Heflin or for more information, please contact:

Matt Michael
Media Relations Specialist
T��315.443.2990 ����M��315.254.9037
mmicha04@syr.edu

March 13, 2020

If you’re looking for an independent source to provide insight and perspective on the impact on the U.S. airstrikes on Iranian-backed militia sites in Iraq and the growing tensions between Tehran and Washington, Middle East expert is available for an interview.

Khalil, who specializes in U.S. foreign policy toward the Middle East, the modern Middle East, and the Arab-Israeli conflict, is an Associate Professor of History in Syracuse University’s . He is the author of , a history of Middle East studies in the United States that was named by Foreign Affairs as a Best Book of 2017. Khalil was interviewed by and the following the U.S. airstrike in Iran in January, and he was interviewed by television following Iran’s response.

For use in your stories, here’s what Khalil says about the strikes that were in response to the rocket attack earlier this week that killed two Americans and a British soldier:

“The renewal of tensions between the United States and Iran in Iraq was predictable after the United States’ assassination of Iranian Major��General Qassem Soleimani and��Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the Deputy Chairman of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Units, in early January. Although the Trump administration insisted that the assassinations were necessary due to an imminent threat against U.S. forces as well as to restore deterrence, these claims have been proven to be false.

“The attack on the U.S. base in Taji, Iraq, and the retaliatory air strike against the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Units with American, Iraq and coalition casualties will be the new normal. We should expect tensions to continue to escalate into the spring and summer with regional and global political and economic implications.”

Thank you for your consideration. For more information or to request an interview with Prof. Khalil, please contact:

Matt Michael
Media Relations Specialist
Division of Marketing and Communications

T��315.443.2990 ����M��315.254.9037
mmicha04@syr.edu

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We live in a media marketplace saturated with countless channels that target a demographic slice — whether gender, politics, or even interest in crime documentaries. Plenty of content gets ignored or overlooked by other news outlets — BNC is wise to cater to that.���� There has always been a demand for cable news among different audiences, and that is no less true for segments of African Americans. A network that focuses on content that is ignored or overlooked by other news outlets is feeding a starving audience. And plenty of African Americans are hungry for content that they don’t see covered anywhere else.��That’s a void that BNC can step up and fill.

��

Giving voice to an underserved community certainly has merit and I hope they’re successful, but there are questions about the sustainability of such an operation. MSNBC and Fox News have their larger parent companies behind them and their local affiliated stations��to draw content from. Will the Black News Channel have the resources to provide the kind of coverage it hopes to deliver? And will that generate a large enough audience? It’s a challenging environment to be launching such a venture. As you recall, Al Jazeera America came on the air with a lot of optimism and fanfare about providing something fresh and different as an alternative to the established cable news channels. They lasted only a few years.��

For an interview with Profs. Dancy and/or Lewis, please contact Keith Kobland at kkobland@syr.edu.