Dan Bartlett, former special counselor to President George W. Bush, has been named an adjunct faculty member at the LBJ School of Public Affairs and a Fellow for the school’s Center for Politics and Governance.
Bartlett will teach the seminar, Public Affairs Media in Politics and Policy, in spring 2009 with LBJ School Assistant Dean Jeffery R. Patterson. The course seeks to enhance students’ understanding of the influences of modern mass media upon the dynamics of politics and policymaking in the public sphere. Students will learn to interact with the news media and understand how the framing and discourse of issues in an increasingly diverse public media sphere shape political attitudes, knowledge, behavior and policy outcomes.
“We are extremely pleased to have Dan teach a course on public affairs media, given the depth and breadth of his experience in public affairs management and strategy,” said James B. Steinberg, dean of the LBJ School. “In the digital age, it’s nearly impossible to understand the working of politics and policymaking without appreciating the integral role of information technologies in shaping the public dialogue. This class will be a significant step toward addressing those issues.”
Bartlett and Patterson will also be Fellows with the Center for Politics and Governance (CPG) at the LBJ School. The CPG fellowship program is designed to provide an opportunity for policymakers, politicians and scholars to come together to support the Center’s mission of analyzing and improving the political process and governance.
“Bartlett’s and Patterson’s experiences will complement each other in the classroom and will further the Center’s mission of melding practical experience with academic instruction,” said Veronica Vargas Stidvent, Center for Politics and Governance director.
Bartlett was counselor to President Bush from 2005 to 2007 and was responsible for all aspects of strategic communications planning, the formulation of policy and the implementation of the President’s agenda. He also oversaw the White House Press Office and the offices of Communications, Media Affairs and Speechwriting. Before that, Bartlett was assistant to the President for communications and White House communications director (June 2002-January 2005) and deputy assistant to the President and deputy to Counselor to the President Karen Hughes (January 2001-June 2002). Bartlett is a senior strategist based in Austin for Public Strategies, Inc., a strategic communications firm.
Patterson is an award-winning journalist and public affairs communicator. Prior to coming to the LBJ School, he was communications and public policy director for the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health, deputy press secretary to U.S. Sen. Lloyd Bentsen and communications director for former U.S. Congressman Michael A. Andrews in Washington, D.C. In 2005, Patterson won a Lone Star Emmy Award as executive producer of the PBS documentary “Are the Kids Alright? Stories of Children’s Mental Health Care in Texas.”
