Research experts attract publicity, earn airtime

The John Locke Foundation continues to attract media attention for a pair of wind power workshops conducted this month in Wilmington and Morehead City. The Carteret County News-Times covered the latter event and printed a letter offering a favorable review. The Wilmington Star-News also printed a letter praising the Wilmington workshop, while the News & Observer printed a critical letter from the head of the N.C. Offshore Wind Coalition. The Charlotte Business Journal published the same letter. The Beaufort Observer and Mountain Xpress noted the workshops, and the Beaufort Observer printed a wind power column from workshop panelist Daren Bakst, JLF Director of Legal and Regulatory Studies. The Washington Daily News noted that Bakst recently submitted an official comment on wind power to the N.C. Utilities Commission. Bakst also contributed an article about recent N.C. Supreme Court data to the N.C. Bar Association’s Rights and Responsibilities Section. Bakst attracted attention from a High Point Enterprise letter writer for a recent public presentation on the legal challenges surrounding ObamaCare. School-related issues led to a pair of radio interviews this week for Terry Stoops, Director of Education Studies. Stoops discussed school dropout issues on WUNC’s “State of Things,” then chatted with WPTF’s Bill LuMaye about teacher job openings. Michael Sanera, Director of Research and Local Government Studies, earned television airtime on a subject outside his normal area of expertise. WRAL’s “Tar Heel Traveler” segment featured Sanera discussing the Rembrandt exhibit at the N.C. Museum of Art. Sanera also discussed convention center issues with a Virginia Beach newspaper reporter for an upcoming story. Jon Sanders, Associate Director of Research, devoted his latest TownHall.com column to President Obama’s “joyless” Christmas. The Dallas Morning News promoted that article.