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Scott Althaus

@salthaus.bsky.social

510 followers 190 following 47 posts

Cline Center Director, professor of political science and communication at Illinois, current data scientist, former Tower Rat, swore an oath that doesn’t expire. www.clinecenter.illinois.edu

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Scott Althaus is a professor of political science and of communication at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the director of the Cline Center for Advanced Social Research at the University. .. more

Political science 37%

Communication & Media Studies 36%

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Scott Althaus @salthaus.bsky.social · 20d

That Memorial Day I decided to spend a few hours of internet searching to honor his memory by seeing what I could find out about his last mission.

And I found out more than I expected. But that's for the next post... (4/4)

Scott Althaus @salthaus.bsky.social · 20d

My family's journey started on Memorial Day 2013 when I remembered back when I was a boy visiting a family burial plot with a large stone with the image of a B-24 bomber engraved on it. I vaguely remembered that all our family ever knew was that he'd been shot down somewhere over New Guinea. (3/)

Scott Althaus @salthaus.bsky.social · 20d

This month is Project Recover's "Mission Miles" fundraiser that aims to raise awareness of the more than 81,000 American families like mine who have a relative who is Missing In Action.

If you'd like to donate to this effort, please follow this link:

runsignup.com/heaven-can-w...

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Mission Miles 2025

What is Mission Miles 2025? * From September 1st to September 30th, walk, hike, run, ruck, or bike 100 miles in honor of America’s missing-in-action (MIA) service members who have yet to return hom...

runsignup.com

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Scott Althaus @salthaus.bsky.social · 20d

Today is POW/MIA Remembrance Day in the US, a day set aside for remembering those who gave their lives for our country in wartime and are still Missing In Action.

As most of you know, I'm a volunteer for Project Recover, a nonprofit that finds and repatriates the remains of American MIAs. (1/)

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Scott Althaus @salthaus.bsky.social · 23d

His homecoming was made possible because of the work of Project Recover, a nonprofit devoted to finding and repatriating the remains of Americans missing in action from past wars. They found my relative's plane under more than 200 feet of water back in 2017.

www.projectrecover.org

Home

Project Recover is a collaborative effort to find and repatriate American MIAs for their recognition and closure for families and the Nation.

www.projectrecover.org

Scott Althaus @salthaus.bsky.social · 24d

This coming Friday 9/19 is national POW/MIA Recognition Day in the US. One of my relatives was MIA from WW2 until earlier this year: this past May I and other relatives buried the remains of 2Lt. Thomas V. Kelly, Jr. in Livermore CA 81 years after his death.

He is missing no longer. He is home.

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Reposted by Scott L. Althaus

Claes de Vreese @claesdevreese.bsky.social · 28d

Important issue: when journalists’ visa are reduced in length it creates uncertainty, chilling effects, and ultimately worse reporting from within the US.

That might be the purpose. But it is hugely problematic.

wan-ifra.org/2025/09/dont...

Global news media call on U.S. to scrap new visa proposal

2025-09-11. Dozens of major news and journalist organisations worldwide are urging the U.S. government to drop a proposal that would drastically shorten the time foreign correspondents can live and wo...

wan-ifra.org

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Reposted by Scott L. Althaus

Jerry Ratcliffe @jerryratcliffe.net · Aug 24

New Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agent training to go from 18 weeks to 8 weeks, and dropping the degree requirement?
If the plan is to make the FBI a laughing stock, this is the way to do it.

www.nytimes.com/2025/08/21/u...

F.B.I. Plans to Lower Recruiting Standards, Alarming Agents

www.nytimes.com

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Reposted by Scott L. Althaus, Daniela V. Dimitrova

APSA @apsa.bsky.social · Aug 22

Donald Kinder Receives the 2025 Ithiel de Sola Pool Award

The Ithiel de Sola Pool Award and Lectureship is presented triennially by the American Political Science Association (APSA) to honor a scholar whose research explores a broad range of fields pursued by Ithiel de Sola Pool; including…

Donald Kinder Receives the 2025 Ithiel de Sola Pool Award

The Ithiel de Sola Pool Award and Lectureship is presented triennially by the American Political Science Association (APSA) to honor a scholar whose research explores a broad range of fields pursued by Ithiel de Sola Pool; including political theory, political behavior, political communication, science and technology policy, and international affairs. Professor Donald Kinder will deliver the Pool Lecture on Friday, September 12th at 2pm PDT as part of the

politicalsciencenow.com

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Reposted by Scott L. Althaus

David Darmofal @daviddarmofal.bsky.social · Aug 22

More UChicago Ph.D. Programs Pause Admissions in Humanities, Social Sciences

More UChicago Ph.D. Programs Will Pause Admissions

The Arts and Humanities dean said “nearly all” faculty leaders preferred “a broader pause for the division.” Some social sciences programs also aren't accepting new students.

www.insidehighered.com

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Reposted by Scott L. Althaus

Press Gazette @pressgazette.co.uk · Aug 20

Traffic for the world’s top-50 news websites swung sharply into the red in July, according to Press Gazette’s exclusive traffic ranking pressgazette.co.uk/media-audien...

Top 50 English-language news sites in the world: All but four report traffic declines in July

Press Gazette lists the top 50 most popular news websites in the world. Monthly updated top 50 listing based on data provided by SimilarWeb.

pressgazette.co.uk

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Reposted by Lisa W. Fazio, Axel Bruns, Samuel L. Perry , and 7 more Lisa W. Fazio, Axel Bruns, Samuel L. Perry, Robert C. Richards, Jo Barraket, David R. Miller, Jacob T. Levy, Scott L. Althaus, Kevin Coe, Aleksandra Urman

Dave Karpf @davekarpf.bsky.social · Aug 19

Next week I'll begin my fifteenth year as a political communication professor.

I wrote up some thoughts on what it's like trying to teach this subject while everything falls apart.

open.substack.com/pub/davekarp...

What it's like being a political communication professor right now

Misgivings, Grievances, and Thanks as I look ahead to my fifteenth year.

open.substack.com

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Scott Althaus @salthaus.bsky.social · Aug 11

Illinois political science has two TT faculty searches open, one in US political institutions and the other in political behavior. Come join our faculty!

American Political Institutions: illinois.csod.com/ux/ats/caree...

Political Behavior: illinois.csod.com/ux/ats/caree...

Assistant Professor- American Political Institution- Department of Political Science

Duties & Responsibilities

illinois.csod.com

Reposted by Scott L. Althaus

Cline Center @cline-center.bsky.social · Jul 30

Our latest release of SPOTLITE data offers for the first time a comprehensive picture of the demographic characteristics of civilians involved in police uses of lethal force on a national scale, including incidents without lethal outcomes.

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Reposted by Katherine Ognyanova, Scott L. Althaus, Curtis R. Ryan , and 1 more Katherine Ognyanova, Scott L. Althaus, Curtis R. Ryan, Alena Macková

APSA @apsa.bsky.social · Feb 7

APSA Statement on Executive Action Impacts on Research Funding, Data Availability and Academic Freedom

The American Political Science Association (APSA) is deeply concerned about recent executive actions that have had troubling implications for research funding and academic freedom. In January,…

APSA Statement on Executive Action Impacts on Research Funding, Data Availability and Academic Freedom

The American Political Science Association (APSA) is deeply concerned about recent executive actions that have had troubling implications for research funding and academic freedom. In January, President Trump issued an executive order calling for the termination of federal support for diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. This was followed by a memorandum to temporarily pause a wide range of federal grants, loans, and other forms of financial assistance, to allow for a review of federal grants and awards and to enforce compliance with the executive order.

politicalsciencenow.com

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Reposted by Scott L. Althaus

Jay Rosen @jayrosen.bsky.social · Jul 25

Examine this chart from @niemanlab.org. It ranks the top 50 LOCAL news sites by number of monthly visits.

You'd expect LA Times to be high on the list. But The Post-Standard in Syracuse, NY? Let @joshuabenton.com explain. And see where your local newspaper falls.

www.niemanlab.org/2025/07/how-...

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Reposted by Scott L. Althaus

Curd Knüpfer @curdknupfer.bsky.social · Jul 25

So the UN Global Risks Report is out...
& it lists Mis- and Disinformation as the biggest risk we face.
unglobalriskreport.org

Listen... I'm a mis- and Disinformation kinda guy, meaning I worry about this professionally.
But there is no way this issue should be all the way up there!
Plus...

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Scott Althaus @salthaus.bsky.social · Jul 24

Residents of every county in the United States can explore SPOTLITE incident records from their own communities to better understand local trends in police uses of lethal force.

clinecenter.illinois.edu/spotlite

Scott Althaus @salthaus.bsky.social · Jul 24

Big news from the @cline-center.bsky.social: police uses of lethal force in the US dropped 24% from 2021 to 2023, with 2023 having the smallest number of lethal force incidents involving police since 2015.

news.illinois.edu/research-pol...

Research: Police uses of lethal force dropped dramatically in US from 2021-23 – News Bureau

news.illinois.edu

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Reposted by Scott L. Althaus, Daniel Kreiss, Kevin Coe

APSA & ICA Political Communication Divisions @polcomm.bsky.social · Jul 23

We are happy to share the newest issue of the Political Communication Report! 🎉

This issue brings together six contributions on teaching political communication and also features interviews with recent award winners. 🧵

Read the full issue here: politicalcommunication.org/issue/summer...

Summer 2025 – Issue 31 “Teaching Political Communication” – PolComm

politicalcommunication.org

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Reposted by Lisa W. Fazio, Scott L. Althaus

Annenberg School at Penn @asc.upenn.edu · Jul 17

ICYMI: Annenberg alum @dannagal.bsky.social's powerful essay in @nytopinion.nytimes.com:

“Looking to magic and intuition for agency in a moment when science and medicine are frustrating is normal and human. But I worry that these normal human impulses are being exploited by powerful people."

Opinion | Holy Water Couldn’t Save My Husband. MAHA Wouldn’t Have, Either.

www.nytimes.com

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Reposted by Scott L. Althaus, Christopher Barrie

Columbia University Press @columbiaup.bsky.social · Jul 9

We are pleased to announce that Benjamin Toff, Ruth Palmer, and Rasmus Kleis Nielsen's AVOIDING THE NEW is the Winner of the 2025 Hazel Gaudet-Erskine Best Book Award from the International Journal of Press/Politics. buff.ly/KzI2QdM @polcomm.bsky.social #IJPP

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Reposted by Roger B. Myerson, Scott L. Althaus, Alexandra Cirone , and 1 more Roger B. Myerson, Scott L. Althaus, Alexandra Cirone, Jeff Carter

Scott Gehlbach @sgehlbach.bsky.social · Jul 7

Are you:

✅ A young scholar in econ, poli sci, or law
✅ Working on institutions, broadly defined
✅ Interested in spending a week in Italy with amazing faculty

If so, please apply to this year’s Coase Institute Workshop! It’s a transformative experience for many, and always fun. I’ll be there.

Ronald Coase Institute: What's New

www.coase.org

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Scott Althaus @salthaus.bsky.social · May 20

This Memorial Day, 81 years after the death and disappearance of my relative 2Lt. Thomas V. Kelly, I'll be gathering with family and friends to bury his remains. Grateful for all those who remembered the fallen in ways that brought us to this place of closure.

news.illinois.edu/because-amer...

Because America never forgot – News Bureau

news.illinois.edu

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Reposted by Scott L. Althaus

Rebekah Tromble @rebekahtromble.bsky.social · May 9

We also just launched Expert Voices Together (expertvoicestogether.org), a rapid response crisis support system for US-based researchers and journalists facing harassment due to their work. We’ll have an official roll out starting next week. But feel free to share with anyone who might be in need.

expertvoicestogether.org

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Scott Althaus @salthaus.bsky.social · May 8

Policing is one of the most difficult jobs imaginable. It is taking a toll.

www.nytimes.com/2025/05/08/m...

Why Do More Police Officers Die by Suicide Than in the Line of Duty?

www.nytimes.com

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Scott Althaus @salthaus.bsky.social · Apr 26

Here’s another:

www.news-gazette.com/opinion/gues...

My Turn | How federal funding helped UI undermine international terrorism

"As someone who once used federal funding to push back against global terrorism, the current rush to slash spending for university research makes me think of something else: the opportunities

www.news-gazette.com

Reposted by Erika Franklin Fowler, Scott L. Althaus, Edward T. Walker

Dr. David Miller 🏳️‍🌈 @davidimiller.bsky.social · Apr 24

🚨 Practical URGENT tip for NSF grantees:

Out of an abundance of caution, I would right now go into Research.gov and…

1. Download your NSF award letters.

2. Print PDF your annual reports.

3. Screenshot the status table for annual reports.

NSF is planning maintenance tomorrow to Research.gov

Due to maintenance, Research.gov (including access to NSF-PAR, GRFP, PES, and ETAP) will be unavailable from Fri., 4/25 at 10:00 PM ET to Sat., 4/26 at 1:00 PM ET. NSF apologizes for any inconvenience.

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Scott Althaus @salthaus.bsky.social · Apr 24

The “third person effect” rides again!

academic.oup.com/poq/article/...

The Third-Person Effect in Communication

Abstract. A person exposed to a persuasive communication in the mass media sees this as having a greater effect on others than on himself or herself. Each

academic.oup.com

Reposted by Scott L. Althaus

Brendan Nyhan @brendannyhan.bsky.social · Apr 23

Congrats to the new poli sci members of the American Academy! www.amacad.org/new-members-...

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