New York University

New York University

The Office of Public Affairs

Monday, Feb 04, 2008

N-262, 2007-08

New York University’s Charlton McIlwain, who co-directs the Project on Race in Political Communication (RaceProject.org), is available for comment on the Democratic primary race between Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.

An expert on political communication, particularly with regards to race, McIlwain is positioned to speak to a number of issues, including racial appeals in political advertisements, media coverage of the campaigns, and the extent to which endorsements, such as those by Oprah Winfrey and Senator Ted Kennedy, can influence a campaign.

In his research, with North Central College’s Stephen Maynard, of more than 300 ads in past campaigns where black candidates were involved, McIlwain has found that black candidates employ racial messages as frequently as whites but for different reasons.

“The strategy is almost always to inoculate against the stereotype of traditional black leaders,” explains McIlwain, an assistant professor in the Steinhardt School’s Department of Culture and Communication.

Reporters interested in speaking with McIlwain may contact him directly via cell phone at 917.279.3252 or via email at cdm1@nyu.edu. Alternately, reporters can contact Tim Farrell, NYU’s Office of Public Affairs, at 212.998.6797 or tim.farrell@nyu.edu.