URI announces timely political tips

KINGSTON, R.I. — September 20, 2000 — Spring showers bring May flowers, but this fall politics reigns. Our airways and newspapers are filled with debates, political ads, sound bites, and speeches. Here are some University of Rhode Island professors who can help make sense of the jargon: TV Ads: Dr. Patrick Devlin, professor of Communication Studies, can comment on television advertising, political communication, and speech/ghost writing. He can be reached at 874-4724 (office) or 294-9975 (home). Media Impact and more: Dr. Marc Genest studies the media’s impact on national and state elections. Genest can comment on American foreign policy, terrorism, and national politics. The URI political scientist can be reached at 874-4054 (office) or 397-3459 (home). Debate: John Devine, a debate coach for more than a dozen years, coaches URI’s award-winning debate team. With advance notice, he and/or the team can be available to analyze a particular political debate. Devine can be reached at 874-4739. For more information or experts on other topics, call Jan Sawyer, URI News Bureau at 874-2116.