Bob Beatty emails:
I wanted to let you know about something that may be singular: a newspaper syndicated column run by political scientists (and one mass media prof). It’s called “Insight Kansas” and we started it a couple of years ago. Basically, it’s five political scientists from across the state, plus a mass media professor, who alternate a weekly column that is distributed to 20 newspapers across the state who pay a small fee to publish the columns in print or on their websites.
Subscribers include the Wichita Eagle, Dodge City Globe, Salina Journal, and many others. Our lineup of political scientists has included:
Burdett Loomis – Univ. of Kansas
Ed Flentje- Wichita State Univ.
Joe Aistrup – Kansas State University
Chapman Rackaway – Fort Hays State University
Michael Smith – Emporia State University
Bob Beatty – Washburn University
Gwyn Mellinger – (Mass Media, Baker University)The columns are available here.
The Insight Kansas gang also holds symposia every semester with our columnists and the columns have generated quite a bit of reaction from policymakers at various times, both privately and publicly.
This is an interesting model, one that could easily be replicated in other states.