Spring 2008 - College of Communication & Information - The ...

agging r i g h t sCS students add power and reachto clean-energy group’s message“Those groups oppose future needs of Georgia. I think they want us to wear animal skins and live in caves. And some of them wouldn’t want us to wearanimal skins.”So said a Georgia Public Service Commission incumbent about the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (SACE) during the 2006 election campaign.The punchy sound bite—a classic example of a one-sided appeal—was widely quoted, and in the minds of many, SACE was consigned to the fringe groupof extremists who are hostile to growth of public services, especially increased energy production.With enemies like these—public officials who have ready access to the media—you really need friends, especially those who can be effective in gettingout your side of the story. And in January 2007, that’s where students from the School of Communication Studies (CS) came in.SACE—headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee—describes itself as a nonpartisan nonprofit organization that promotes responsible energy choices“that solve global-warming problems and ensure clean, safe, and healthy communities throughout the Southeast.” A key element of its strategic plan iseducating the public about what’s at stake in choosing an energy source.Like many nonprofit public-advocacy organizations, SACE operates on a shoestring. Hiring media trackers and buying ad space or broadcast airtimeto communicate with the public is not an option.“I was in a position to see SACE’s manpower needs, and I knew our students in the School of Communication Studies could do a great job for themas interns,” says Justin Davis, a PhD student in the College of Communication and Information. “And working with SACE’s public information teamwould be an educational experience for thestudents.”Four CS students worked with SACE duringspring semester 2007. The interns “providedknowledgeable support as we communicatedabout key energy issues across the state and theregion,” says SACE’s communications directorValerie True about the collaboration.The interns completed a survey of Knoxville restaurantsto gauge interest in participating in localbiodiesel production using waste fryer oils—keyin determining the feasibility of producing clean,renewable biodiesel in Knoxville. They draftedpress releases about the development of cleanenergy policies on Tennessee college campuses,helped publicize the work that students at UTand other Southeastern institutions are doing toimprove their communities, and helped organizea regional press conference for the 4th AnnualSoutheast Student Renewable Energy Conference.The interns also supported SACE’s watchdogfunction by tracking regional media and informingSACE staff about which stories were beingpublished and whether any needed a response.When a response was called for, the interns—especially CS senior Nicolette Barnes—sent a letter to the editor of the media outlet involved. Says Barnes,“The people at SACE are extremely passionate about what they do. I learned a lot from them, and it was good to be able to help them communicate withaudiences that are not so environmentally aware.”True says that the UT–SACE partnership is a win–win proposition: “The internship program with the UT Knoxville College of Communication andInformation has proved to be a valuable contribution to the activities of SACE’s College Outreach program. It’s a collaboration we hope to continue foryears to come.”—Mary Marshburn9