Research Focus:
The Kevin P. Reilly, Sr., Center for Media & Public Affairs
One of the contemporary problems of governance that troubles me most is the difficulty of getting good ideas into the public discussion … Many good ideas do not find a place in civic dialogue, thus limiting our ability to solve political problems.
—Former Senator John Breaux, now Distinguished Professor at the Manship School.
The Reilly Center for Media & Public Affairs creates opportunities for discussion of pressing contemporary issues relating to media and public affairs.
The center serves as a hub for bringing faculty, students, and national leaders together to discuss ways to elevate political discourse through symposiums, research projects, and other forums. The center also includes the Public Policy Research Lab – a joint venture with the E.J. Ourso College of Business Administration. This collaborative enterprise brings a multi-disciplinary research approach to pressing public policy questions.
The center’s annual Breaux Symposium, named for former U.S. Senator John Breaux, has covered contemporary issues of national importance including first amendment freedoms, foreign affairs reporting, voter perceptions and behavior, and the role of parties and political action committees on voters.
Manship School of Mass Communication
LSU’s Manship School of Mass Communication offers concentrations in journalism, political communication, advertising, and public relations, preparing students for careers in the Information Age in which we live.
Its master’s and doctoral programs focus on the study of media and public affairs, and have attracted outstanding graduate students that include a Pulitzer Prize winner, chief editor for the International Desk at the New York Times online news service, a special topics interpreter for the United Nations, and the first female bureau chief of a major newspaper in India.
Academic organizations have also recognized the school’s graduate students with national awards for top academic papers and outstanding teaching.
The graduate program attracts a diverse population with underrepresented populations accounting for approximately 30 percent of enrollment. In addition, the Manship School partners with Dillard University to bring undergraduate students from Dillard to LSU for their senior year.
Faculty members bring a broad range of experience as scholars and practitioners to the school. Among their ranks are former political appointees, executives with government agencies and corporations, and reporters and editors for national newspapers and broadcast media in the United States and abroad.
Faculty members’ recent awards include the Graber Award for the best book in political communication published during the last 10 years, Freedom Forum Administrator of the Year Award, National Federation of Press Women Award, Dean’s Award for Teaching Excellence from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, and numerous awards at academic conferences.
The Manship School’s facilities create a unique environment for teaching and research. In 2004, the school moved into a newly renovated building that features state-of-the-art technology, computer labs, and multimedia classrooms. The building also features the Holliday Forum, a gathering place for local, regional, and national groups to discuss ideas and issues.
