Wednesday, October 22, 2003

WILMINGTON, NC – Author and media critic Douglas Rushkoff, scheduled to deliver a lecture as part of the Leadership Lecture Series at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington on Monday, Oct. 27, has had to reschedule his presentation for 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 10 in the Warwick Center Ballroom. The lecture, titled “Scared Stupid: Why America Resists Media Literacy,” will be followed by a question and answer session and book signing.

Due to the new location, seating will be general admission with a designated reserved seating area for any current ticket holders. Current ticket holders to the Oct. 27 lecture need not obtain new tickets but simply present their original tickets on Nov. 10.

Tickets to Rushkoff’s lecture on Nov. 10 in the Warwick Center Ballroom now will be distributed by the University Union Information Center. Students, faculty and staff must pick up their tickets from the Information Center. Members of the general public may call 910/962-3841 to reserve their tickets. The ticket price for the general public is $6.00. The University Union Information Center is open Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to midnight, and Sunday from 1 to 11 p.m.

Douglas Rushkoff is a leading voice in the ongoing debate over who and what shapes cultural narratives. He explores how communications affect values and lives—from how to raise children in a media-driven culture to how to find and impart meaning in business, education and even religion.

In his lectures, Rushkoff challenges the popular opinion that perceptions are controlled by big business, big media and big government. Instead, he looks to the ways that, together, we can participate in the creation of culture, and, when necessary, fight back by pursuing our autonomy in the face of those who would subvert it.

Rushkoff has written seven books, translated into fifteen languages, including Media Virus, Ecstasy Club and the collaborative, online novel Exit Strategy. He also wrote Coercion: Why We Listen to What “They” Say, which won an award in 2002 for Outstanding Book in the Field of Media Ecology. His latest book is Nothing Sacred.

He reaches millions each week with his commentaries on NPR’s All Things Considered, his syndicated column and his popular ‘blogs’ on www.rushkoff.com. His articles have appeared in GQ, Esquire, Silicon Alley Reporter and TIME Magazine. He is a regularly scheduled guest on TV programs including NBC Nightly News and Larry King Live.

The Leadership Lecture Series is a Campus Activities and Involvement Center program designed to expose students to speakers who enlighten, challenge, inspire and demonstrate that all people have the ability to lead if they have the desire to make a difference. For more information about the lecture series, visit www.uncw.edu/arts.



OTHER SERIES SPEAKERS

(All lectures are at 7:00 p.m. in Kenan Auditorium.)

Thursday, Jan. 22

Juan Williams, MLK Commemorative Speaker, and civil rights and race relations expert

“Eyes on the Prize: The Truths of American Race Relations”

Presented by the Office of Campus Diversity

Monday, Feb. 2

Dr. Gregory Stock, international genomic technology expert and ethicist

“Enhancing the Human: Genomics, Science Fiction, & Ethics Collide”

Co-sponsored with the Honors Scholars Program

Monday, Mar. 29

Fareed Zakaria, editor of Newsweek International and influential foreign policy advisor

“Globalization: The Next Phase”

BOX OFFICE AND TICKET INFORMATION All lectures are scheduled in UNCW Kenan Auditorium unless otherwise indicated. Tickets are free for UNCW students, faculty and staff, and $6 for the general public. To reserve tickets or for additional information about the Leadership Lecture Series, call the Kenan Auditorium Box Office at 910/962-3500, or 800/732-3643 outside of the Wilmington area. Ticket office hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday. For more information about the series, visit www.uncw.edu/arts.

###

Media Contact: Shannon Hooker, 910/962-7600 or hookers@uncw.edu