The Shorenstein Center

Mark McKinnon

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Mark McKinnon

Associate Lecturer in Public Policy

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Mark McKinnon, chief media advisor to President George W. Bush during the 2000 and 2004 elections, is an Adjunct Lecturer in Public Policy. He is an award-winning media producer and communications strategist who has served as principal media advisor for corporate and political campaigns in the United States, Latin America and Africa. McKinnon directed the advertising effort for George W. Bush’s 2000 and 2004 presidential campaigns. He is Vice Chairman of Public Strategies, Inc. and President of Maverick Media. President Bush recently nominated McKinnon to serve as a member of the Broadcasting Board of Governors. McKinnon has been awarded more than 30 Pollie and Telly awards, honoring the nation’s best political and public affairs advertising. He currently serves as vice chairman of the Lance Armstrong Foundation and teaches at the University of Texas’ Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs. At the Kennedy School, McKinnon will teach “Modern Political Communications: From the White House to the Blogosphere.”

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Zoom Webinar
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an image of oil barrels, illustrating one of the economic consequences of the war in Iran, with the Shorenstein Center and Journalist's Resource logos in a bar at the top
Disagreeing Better in a Polarized World: A conversation with Julia Minson and Todd Rogers

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This second event on Julia Minson’s new book, How to Disagree Better, will feature a fireside chat between Minson and fellow Harvard Kennedy School faculty member Todd Rogers exploring depolarization as a growing challenge, the promise of behavioral science approaches, and the difficulties of designing interventions that truly work.

 

Event

HKS campus, Taubman Building, Nye ABC
4:00 PM – 5:15 PM

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Book Talk with Julia Minson (“How to Disagree Better”)

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Theodore H. White Lecture on Press and Politics with Ken Burns

Theodore H. White Lecture on Press and Politics with Ken Burns

Attend the 2026 Theodore H. White Lecture on Press and Politics with preeminent documentary filmmaker Ken Burns. Shorenstein Center Director, Nancy Gibbs, will hold a fireside chat with Burns in the JFK Jr. Forum at Harvard Kennedy School.

Event

JFK Jr. Forum, HKS
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The Future of Federal Funding at Hispanic-Serving Institutions

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For decades, U.S. colleges and universities where at least 25% of undergrads are Hispanic have received federal grants to help them expand educational opportunities and improve graduation rates for Hispanic students. In September, however, the U.S. Department of Education slashed funding for these schools, formally designated as “Hispanic-serving institutions.” Meanwhile, a federal lawsuit making its way through the courts argues that distributing public money to higher education institutions based on their percentage of Hispanic students is discriminatory and violates the U.S. constitution. This free webinar focused on the fate of hundreds of public and private colleges and universities, which, together, serve most of the nation’s Hispanic undergraduate students.

Event

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