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Zawya
2 days ago
- Politics
- Zawya
SGCA 2025 calls on researchers and spokespeople advancing the field of government communication
RELATED TOPICS UNITED ARAB EMIRATES Sharjah: The Sharjah Government Communication Award (SGCA) 2025 is open for submissions and is set to honour individuals shaping the future of public discourse; issuing a special call to those eligible for the following two categories: Best Research in Communication Sciences and Best Official Spokesperson. These categories; part of a diverse award of 23 categories; highlight SGCA's commitment to celebrating academic rigour, exceptional public engagement, and innovative leadership within the vital field of government communication. They recognise both the ideas that push the discipline forward and the authentic voices that build indispensable bridges between institutions and the communities they serve. Now in its 12th edition, SGCA continues to highlight the achievements that are redefining government communication in the region and globally. Winners will be announced during the 14th International Government Communication Forum (IGCF), held on September 10–11, 2025, at Expo Centre Sharjah. Best Research in Communication Sciences The Best Research in Communication Sciences category honours original research or published works that demonstrably advance the science and practical application of government communication. Open to academic institutions, scholars, and authors, this award specifically seeks contributions that introduce novel methodologies, technologies, or concepts which have a tangible influence on real-world government communication practices. Work focusing on sustainability, innovation, and quality of life is particularly encouraged. To be eligible, research must be formally endorsed by academic institutions or widely recognised and circulated within the communication field. Submissions will be evaluated based on methodological rigour, originality, adherence to ethical standards, and the demonstrable direct impact of the work on government communication strategy and practice. Applicants must provide a full copy of the research, accompanied by a concise 250-word executive summary, a detailed CV, and supporting materials such as media coverage, expert reviews, and documented evidence of impact within academic or governmental circles. Best Official Spokesperson The Best Official Spokesperson category sheds light on a unique group of communicators, and this award honours a government employee who has consistently demonstrated exceptional communication skills, a strong and effective media presence, and a proven ability to shape public perception. The ideal nominee embodies clarity, credibility, and readiness, especially during critical situations. They must display a clear track record of successfully engaging the public across both traditional and digital media platforms, all while manifesting leadership in communication strategy and response formulation. Key metrics for evaluation will include their skillfulness at handling challenging questions, presenting accurate information under pressure, and managing communication effectively during crises. Nominees should submit a comprehensive 1,000-word narrative outlining their specific achievements and contributions, a 250-word executive summary, their CV, letters of recommendation, relevant media samples, and analytics demonstrating measurable public engagement or media reach. Additional supporting evidence, such as case studies from previous communication campaigns, logs of media appearances, and examples showcasing innovative communication methods, will further strengthen submissions. How to apply SGCA welcomes entries from individuals and institutions around the world. Submissions must reflect work completed or significantly updated within the past two years. All entries must adhere to SGCA's criteria and include all required documentation for eligibility. The submission deadline is July 24, 2025, and entries can be submitted via the official SGCA portal:
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Daily Mail
'Predator' teacher, 30, makes jaw-dropping claim as she is accused of 'raping boy 50 times and sent damning text messages'
An ousted special education teacher who allegedly raped a former student has blamed the accusation on being 'good looking' and now claims she is the victim of misogyny. Christina Formella, 30, has long denied allegations that she engaged in an inappropriate relationship with the unidentified teenage student, whom prosecutors say she sent explicit text messages and raped more than 50 times. She is now facing a total of 55 criminal charges, including criminal sexual assault, aggravated criminal sexual abuse, indecent solicitation of a child and grooming. But Formella's family is now claiming she is just the victim of 'sexist scrutiny,' the New York Post reports. 'It's a spectacle - a public ritual that publishes women not for what they've done, but for how they're perceived,' a representative for the family told the outlet. 'When men face accusations, we discuss evidence and procedure. When women face accusations, we attack their character, their choices and their worth as human beings,' the family rep continued. 'This isn't justice - it's gender-based persecution disguised as accountability.' The representative for the family went on to explain that the 'public discourse' around Formella's case focuses on her 'appearance, her private life [and] even her lipstick - as if those details bear on guilt or innocence.' He also hit out at 'Internet caricatures' that call Formella a '"predator," "unfaithful wife" [and] "hypocrite,"' and claimed the coverage of the former teacher and soccer coach's alleged crimes have turned into 'real-world stalking' by 'so-called content creators.' Formella was even once followed to church, 'violating the sanctity of worship and terrorizing her family,' the representative said. 'Christina's case isn't being "covered" - she's being hunted,' he continued in a statement, adding that Formella has become the victim of 'bullying.' 'Reckless speculation, misinformation and theatrical coverage do nothing to serve justice and set hard-won respect for women back decades,' the representative concluded. Prosecutors have said Formella began an illicit relationship with the boy when he was just 14 years old and a member of the soccer team she coached at Downers Grove South High School. Formella had taken it upon herself to privately tutor the teen before class after an injury sidelined him. But prosecutors say the arrangement became more sinister when the special education teacher started sending the teenager flirtatious messages using the school's messaging system. Their exchanges eventually moved to text, with the alleged pedophile at one point telling the teen she 'loved' him and that he was 'perfect,' according to messages previously revealed in court. The relationship then allegedly turned physical inside her classroom in December 2023, when she was 28 and the boy was 15. The allegations first came to light in March, after the boy's mother stumbled upon the text messages on his phone, including one in which Formella allegedly wrote: 'I love having sex with you'. DuPage County prosecutors had initially believed the sordid affair culminated in a single sexual encounter following months of their inappropriate messages. But they say further evidence revealed the pair had sex more than 50 times, most of the time in her classroom but also multiple times at the home she shared with her unsuspecting husband, Michael. Formella even allegedly kept a 'memoir' on her phone during the relationship. 'I warned you that we should never have started dating a long long long fking time ago and you gas lit me and convinced me it was fine,' she allegedly said of the teen boy. 'We WILL be in each other's lives forever. We will be able to love each other while also living our own lives,' the diary added. Formella later claimed the writings were part of a therapeutic journaling exercise, and insisted that any sexual references in the entries were about her husband. Yet in a message to the boy, prosecutors say, Formella said she planned to dump her husband and abscond with his family's vast fortune. The couple had tied the knot last year, just weeks before her alleged sordid affair with the teen reportedly fizzled out in September. When the allegations of Formella's relationship then emerged earlier this year, Michael said he was left 'completely blindsided' by the allegations and swore he had no clue his wife was allegedly abusing an underage boy - despite their sexual activities at his house and his wife allegedly texting the teen while they were vacationing in Italy. Still, Michael has been by his wife's side at court hearings, as has his father, Randy Formella. They were even pictured supporting Formella when she appeared in court earlier this week to brazenly ask a judge to slash the distance she must keep from the alleged victim. She has been required to keep a 5,000-foot buffer zone from the boy since her charges were upgraded last month. That meant that she had to leave her marital home, and Christina has been holed up at her parents' $560,000 home on a golf course ever since. But in a bold request on Wednesday, she asked the court to slash that distance in half to just 2,500 feet, arguing the boy often hangs out with friends near her house and even has a job in the area. Judge Mia McPherson ultimately rejected her argument and denied the motion.
Daily Mail
23-06-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Mamdani aide dreamed of driving 'Mangione Avenue' weeks after brutal killing of health exec in NYC
A campaign aide to New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani showed sympathy for alleged United Healthcare CEO killer Luigi Mangione in posts online, the Daily Mail has learned. Mamdani's political director, Julian Gerson, posted on December 29th of 2024 on Facebook that he was 'looking forward to driving down Mangione Avenue a few decades from now.' In social media posts obtained by the Daily Mail, Gerson made the remark replying to a comment after he shared a personal essay on the impact Mangione was having on public discourse in the weeks after he allegedly murdered United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York City. In his essay, Gerson concluded that Manginone 'is adored not only because he dared to target a leader of one of the most vile, self-enriching industries darkening our society today, but because he dared to defy the stasis of nihilistic rejection.' 'The question is not whether he was right or wrong. It's how many others he has shaken loose,' Gerson concluded. Per Gerson's LinkedIn page, which bears the same profile photograph as his Facebook profile, he has worked for Mamdani's mayoral campaign since March. Mamdani's campaign did not respond to a request for comment from the Daily Mail about Gerson's post. Mangione became a global phenomena due to the fascination around his privileged background and Hollywood good looks. For many on the left, he morphed into a vessel for radical rebellion against a system of economic injustice. Mangione remains in custody and federal prosecutors have chosen to seek the death penalty if he's convicted. New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani attends a campaign rally, calling for the full enforcement of the city's Sanctuary City laws, June 21, 2025, in Diversity Square in the Jackson Heights neighborhood of the borough of Queens, New York City Gerson noted that Mangione could be useful as 'an avatar for understanding millions of Americans growing dangerously aloof, isolating from others and themselves, and increasingly vindictive towards a world that feels more exclusionary and predetermined by the day.' Gerson has previously worked for number of New York Democrats, including as a speechwriter for Governor Kathy Hochul. Gerson also spent time in Washington, DC, working as a staffer for Congressman Jerry Nadler and the House Judiciary Committee. Per polling released by Emerson College Monday, Mamdani closely trails former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic primary race for mayor, garnering 32% to Cuomo's 35%. However, Mamdani emerged as the ultimate winner in a ranked choice voting simulation of 8 rounds, where voters could rank their top five candidates. Spencer Kimball, executive director of Emerson College Polling notes that 'over five months, Mamdani's support has surged from 1% to 32%, while Cuomo finishes near where he began. In the ranked-choice simulation, Mamdani gains 18 points compared to Cuomo's 12, putting him ahead in the final round for the first time in an Emerson poll.' The first day of early voting was June 14th, and Emerson's polling also found that Mamdani holds a 10-point lead over Cuomo among voters who have already cast their ballots. The mayoral primary is Tuesday.
Fox News
21-06-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
The solution to our political divide is within each of us
Every day, the news brings fresh reminders of just how divided we are. Violent protests. Political attacks. Horrific headlines, like the murders and attempted murders of lawmakers in Minnesota. Each incident is immediately seized upon as proof of how far gone the other side is — evidence of either creeping authoritarianism or runaway anarchy. But the greater danger may not be in what's happening — as horrific as it is — but in how we're choosing to see it. We no longer interpret events through a shared lens of concern or accountability. Instead, we reflexively use them to confirm the worst beliefs we hold about one another. Are the protests in Los Angeles a sign of civic unrest or extremist violence? Is President Donald Trump offering law-and-order assistance in California — or is he flexing authoritarian muscle? The answers depend on your politics. But more importantly, they depend on your assumptions. And right now, we're assuming the worst. Of each other. Of everything. In my work as a communications strategist and persuasion expert, I spend much of my time helping leaders connect across deep divides. One of the core principles I teach is something I call active empathy — the practice of not just hearing someone's beliefs, but truly trying to understand why they hold them. What are they afraid of? What are they protecting? What do they value? It's something I believe we desperately need more of in our public discourse. Right now, we're not practicing empathy. We're practicing judgment — and it's exhausting us. We're walking on eggshells with friends and family. We're fearful of speaking up. We're watching relationships deteriorate over headlines and hashtags. And we're losing the ability to see those we disagree with as anything other than threats. Author Brené Brown offers a provocative idea: "All I know is that my life is better when I assume that people are doing their best. It keeps me out of judgment and lets me focus on what is, and not what should or could be." Imagine what would happen if we applied that idea — not just in our personal lives, but to our politics. What if we assumed most Trump voters aren't fascists or racists — but people who want safety, prosperity and opportunity? What if we assumed most protesters aren't rioters — but citizens fighting to be seen and heard? What if we assumed that disagreement doesn't mean malice — and that we could hold different truths without dehumanizing one another? I'm not suggesting we stop holding people accountable. Or that we should abandon our convictions. I'm asking for something more challenging: to extend a little grace. To resist the instinct to flatten others into caricatures. To listen before we judge. To my friends on the left: not everything Republicans say is an attack on democracy. Many of them are trying to protect what they see as core American values — freedom, family, faith. That doesn't make them dangerous. It makes them human. To my friends on the right: not every protest is unlawful. Not every concern about racism or inequality is exaggerated. Many of the people raising those issues have lived through systemic injustices you might not have seen — but they're real. None of us is helped when we see the other side as irredeemable. In fact, that's what makes the divide wider. What if we stopped looking for enemies and started looking for common ground? We are living in a time when fear is louder than trust, and cynicism is more popular than hope. But I believe we can change that — if we start by changing our posture. Ask yourself: Why do they feel the way they feel? Why do they believe what they believe? Not to agree — but to understand. You may not change your mind. You may not want to. But you might stop being so afraid of one another. You might stop feeling so judged. You might even stop losing friendships over political differences. We are in danger of forgetting that people are not the worst thing they've ever said or believed. That identity is not destiny. That disagreement does not mean destruction. If we want to live in a less angry, less divided, less fearful country, we have to start assuming the best in each other again — or at the very least, stop assuming the worst. Because when we do, we can finally stop yelling. Start listening. And maybe, just maybe, begin to heal.
Yahoo
17-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Terry Moran Reveals What's So 'True' About His Trump Takedown That Sparked ABC News Exit
Terry Moran is defending his 'world-class haters' post about Donald Trump and senior White House aide Stephen Miller that led to his exit from ABC News, noting that it 'accurately' described the president and the MAGA movement. Moran — in an interview Monday with The Bulwark's Tim Miller, an ex Republican National Committee spokesperson — declared that the post was no 'drunk tweet,' adding that he had a 'normal' night with his family before sharing the post that he immediately evaluated as 'true' after writing it. 'It was something that was in my heart and mind,' said Moran — who has since launched a Substack since his ABC News ouster — of the post. 'I would say I used very strong language deliberately. ... You see [Stephen Miller] all the time doing the same — spitting venom and lies into our debate, degrading our public discourse, debasing it and using the power of the White House and what he's been given to grind us down in that bile. That's very disturbing to me.' Moran told The Bulwark that he had been thinking about the state of the country 'on-and-off' during the day before making the post, which sparked outrage among top White House officials, including Vice President JD Vance. In a since-deleted post to social media, Moran pinpointed that Miller's 'hatreds are his spiritual nourishment,' adding that he 'eats his hate' before turning his attention to the president. 'Trump is a world-class hater. But his hatred only a means to an end, and that end his his own glorification. That's his spiritual nourishment,' the longtime ABC News reporter continued. ABC News subsequently suspended Moran, calling the post a 'clear violation' of the network's policies, before announcing that his contract — which it claimed had reached the end — would not be renewed based on the post. Moran told The New York Times that ABC News' framing was 'incorrect,' arguing that the network was instead 'bailing' on an 'oral agreement' to bring him back for another three years. HuffPost has reached out to ABC News for comment. Moran told The Bulwark that he's a member of the 'most despised political tribe in America': a 'proud centrist.' He went on to describe his politics as leaning toward a 'Hubert Humphrey Democrat,' someone who wants to see 'practical things' get done and for politicians to 'stand up for what's right.' 'So someone like Stephen Miller, in my judgment — and in my observation, which is what reporters do — is degrading all of that and is a danger and that's what was in my heart,' he said. Jon Stewart Slams ABC News For Ousting Terry Moran: 'They're A F**king Joke' Terry Moran Reveals What's Next After Trump Slam Led To Exit From ABC News Terry Moran Won't Return To ABC News After 'Hater' Post
