Professor Charlton McIlwain Shares Election 2008 Insights

Last week, Americans witnessed a momentous milestone as the first African American president, Barack Obama, was elected President of the United States-an achievement that will surely go down in history books.

Though the day will remain vivid in our memories, we must also note that this was also a campaign season of many firsts.  The innovative and controversial campaign tactics of Barack Obama and his republican opponent, John McCain, were the subject of Steinhardt's Alumni Relations September Speakers Series event on October 30.  With only one week left in the campaign season, Professor Charlton McIlwain spoke with Steinhardt alumni in an intimate and frank discussion focusing on the messages behind Obama' and McCain's political advertisements.

McIlwain's presentation outlined the power of words in shaping the image of the presidency, the impact of racial appeals in political advertising, and the media's impact on candidates' image in election media coverage. Additionally, special attention was paid to the media's treatment of Alaskan governor Sarah Palin, and the effect that satirical interpretation of political figures has on the public psyche.

While the past election provided McIlwain with plenty of fodder for research, he has been invested in the topics of media, race and politics for quite some time. As a professor in the Media, Culture, and Communication department at Steinhardt, he has written/published several books and journal articles, including Black Messages, White Messages: The Differential Use of Racial Appeals by Black & White Candidates, and Racial Identity, Ideology and the Youth Vote: Observations From the 2004 Presidential Campaign. To learn more about McIlwain's research and work, please visit his faculty bio page here.

McIlwain also shared his thoughts with Reuters TV following Obama's victory.  To hear his talk, please click here.

Election 2008 was the final installment of the September Speaker Series, but more exciting alumni events are on the way. Stay tuned for details of our Winter Speaker Series, which will focus on such topics as age defying fitness, women's health, going back to graduate school, and investing in real estate in a troubled market. In the meantime, please visit the Steinhardt Alumni Calendar and the Steinhardt Community Calendar for more upcoming events.