The Conversation

Mainstream media outlets are dropping the ball with terrorism coverage

Written by Philip Seib, Professor of Journalism and Public Diplomacy, University of Southern California, Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism

Breathless reporting accompanies each attack, with little time spent addressing the underlying causes.Nick Lehr/The Conversation via Google, CC BY-SA

News coverage of the Manchester terrorist attack was sadly familiar: cellphone videos of screaming victims; details of first responders’ hectic efforts; “Was it terrorism?”...

CRISPR controversy raises questions about gene-editing technique

Written by Ian Haydon, Doctoral Student in Biochemistry, University of Washington

Laboratory mice are among the first animals to have their diseases treated by CRISPRtiburi via Pixabay.com

A new research paper is stirring up controversy among scientists interested in using DNA editing to treat disease.

In a two-page article published in the journal Nature Methods on May 30, a group of six scientists report an alarming number of...

Are esports the next major league sport?

Written by Galen Clavio, Associate Professor of Sports Media; Director of the National Sports Journalism Center, Indiana University

Two basketball teams go head-to-head in an esports competition, with spectators cheering them on.Dan Steinberg/Invision for NBA 2K/AP Images

In late 2016, a sports championship event was held in Chicago, drawing 43 million viewers during the series finals. That was 12 million more people than watched the 2016 NBA Finals.

It wasn’t soccer, or...

Does national service help heal America’s divisions?

Written by Cecilia Hyunjung Mo, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Vanderbilt University

Teach For America teacher Sergio Santiago looks over an assignment with a student.pennstatenews/flickr, CC BY-NC

President Donald Trump’s budget proposes getting the government out of the business of national service. This comes at a time when the election has divided Americans like few in history. And individuals from different walks of life...

What rural, coastal Puerto Ricans can teach us about thriving in times of crisis

Written by Carlos G. García-Quijano, Associate Professor of Anthropology and Marine Affairs, University of Rhode Island

A man fishing from a dock in Fajardo, Puerto Rico.AP Photo/Ricardo Arduengo

Puerto Ricans are searching for solutions to the island’s worst economic and social crisis in a long time.

An unprecedented debt level is creating widespread uncertainty about employment and the state’s ability to provide basic services. This crisis is not going...

Why stable relationships are 'poison control' in fighting trauma and stress in kids

Written by Melissa Bright, Research Scientist, University of Florida

A stable, supportive family is key to preventing childhood trauma. Pixelheadphoto/Shutterstock.

Editor’s note: May is Mental Health Awareness Month. This article is part of a series exploring how research into adverse childhood experiences – or ACEs – is helping therapists, parents, educators and the medical community better...

Saving Javan rhinos from extinction starts with counting them – and it's not easy

Written by Brian Gerber, Postdoctoral Researcher in the Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology Department., Colorado State University

Javan rhinos are one of the rarest mammals in the world.WWF-ID/Sugeng Hendratmo, Author provided

The Javan rhino (Rhinoceros sondaicus) is found only at the very western tip of the Indonesian island of Java, in the rainforest habitats of Ujung Kulon National Park (UKNP). However, this wasn’t always so. Many species have small natural ranges,...

How families with 2 dads raise their kids

Written by Andrew Leland, Ph.D. Candidate, Graduate School of Education, Rutgers University

The number of men married to each other who have children is rising following legal rulings about marriage equality.Shutterstock

Kentucky family court judge W. Mitchell Nance says he refuses to hold hearings on same-sex couples’ adoptions “as a matter of conscience.”

He’s not the only authority defying the 2015 Supreme Court...

How Trump's harsh education cuts undermine his economic growth goals

Written by Shaun M. Dougherty, Assistant Professor of Education & Public Policy, University of Connecticut

A student learns to operate a mill in an advanced precision machining class. AP Photo/Carlos Osorio

The Trump administration has some ambitious goals that include trillions in tax cuts, a significant military buildup and a fresh investment in infrastructure.

The White House released details of how it plans to pay for it all in its full budget...

Some graduation gifts really are better than others

Written by Selin Malkoc, Assistant Professor of Marketing, The Ohio State University

'Gift' via www.shutterstock.com

Graduation season is upon us, and for many graduates, it’s a moment they’ll want to remember for the rest of their lives.

Yet families often wonder about the best way to mark this special occasion. The graduation gift, of course, is one way. But then comes the tough part: deciding on the gift.

I recently...