Stuckey Starts Series of Distinguished Speakers for UA Department of Communication

Georgia State University

Mary E. Stuckey, professor of communication, author and speaker.

The Department of Communication will be hosting experts on various topics throughout the year to provide students with opportunities to learn and explore various perspectives on special subjects. The department is pleased to introduce its first Very Big Deal (VBD) article with Mary Stuckey.

Stuckey is a communication professor at Georgia State University and is the current editor for Quarterly Journal of Speech. She has also published numerous books and articles on rhetoric and politics.

At the UA campus, Stuckey spoke on "The Art of Anger in Presidential Elections," focusing on how political candidates use "anger rhetoric" to motivate their coalitions while defining their campaign.

In her remarks, Stuckey discussed Donald Trump's use of anger rhetoric to mobilize his political agenda. This, she says, is problematic because it provides a rift between expert information and non-expert opinion. With anger rhetoric becoming increasingly popular, we often become distracted from a candidate's credibility. Stuckey added that both candidates, "have very different strategies. Clinton was reaching out to moderates of both parties and even to Republicans. Trump was talking primarily to his base."

Stuckey said that her interest in politics began in high school because a teacher, "helped make politics come alive." Stuckey also credits her passion for politics to the 1970's Watergate scandal because it, "captivated the whole nation. I was hooked."

In the future, Stuckey hopes people make smarter choices about politics. "There is a lot of toxic partisanship out there, which provides a filter for political information. So there are a lot of people who don't know much, because they hate the meanness of politics. And there are a lot of people who have misinformation because they are such committed partisans. So if I can help people find common ground and accurate information, that's a good thing."

When asked what advice she would give low-information voters, she said, "This is the crucial question. I'd suggest that they find good sources of information: the News Hour on PBS, for instance. And to get information from more than one source. Doing the work of citizenship is hard."

For the more than 100 students and faculty who heard her speak, Stuckey was a wonderful way to kick off the distinguished scholar lecture series. The department will send an alert when the next speaker has been selected.