KU News Release

Journalism professor to appear on ‘The Daily Show’

LAWRENCE — A University of Kansas journalism professor and author will be on the hot seat Thursday when he sits down with Jon Stewart on “The Daily Show” to discuss his newest book about political blogging.

David Perlmutter, associate dean for graduate and research studies and professor of journalism at KU, will be a guest on Stewart’s popular Comedy Central “fake news” show, which frequently features authors in addition to political figures and celebrities. The show airs locally at 10 p.m.

Perlmutter, who writes on his own blog at policybyblog.squarespace.com, is the author of “Blogwars” (Oxford University Press, 2008), an examination of the history of blogs and their effect on politics.

Weblogs, or blogs, began as online personal journals but have evolved to include editorials and information from journalists and political analysts. Readers and other bloggers can make comments on the posted topic or start a new “thread” of discussion. “I want to look at blogs in terms of how they’ve helped identifying and bringing people to political prominence,” Perlmutter said.

“Blogwars,” he said, also discusses the effect of blogging on fundraising and getting citizens involved in politics. The blog has become another tool, like a speech or a television ad, commonly used by politicians on the campaign trail.

“Blogging won’t replace TV ads,” Perlmutter said. “But different technologies working together, like blogging and YouTube, can be a force multiplier.”

Perlmutter, a regular contributor to the Chronicle of Higher Education, is the author of three books and the editor of a fourth on war, politics, visual images, new media and public opinion. A former board member of the American Association of Political Consultants, he received his bachelor’s and master’s at the University of Pennsylvania and doctorate at the University of Minnesota. While studying at Minnesota, he also taught there and at the University of St. Thomas. He also taught at Louisiana State University for more than 10 years and was a visiting professor at Williams College.

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