Webster in the News: Labor market, Missouri cybersecurity, chess, media literacy
October 20, 2021
Recent news media coverage featuring Webster University community members includes:
Palmer on Labor Shortage, Balducci's Closing
Julie (JP) Palmer was interviewed on NBC affiliate KSDK about the national labor context after a popular
restaurant, Balducci's, announced it is closing after 46 years because it could not
find enough staff. Palmer teaches human resources and management in the George Herbert
Walker School of Business & Technology.
“People say that the [federal pandemic] assistance people are getting has caused us not to want to work, but it’s way more complicated than that," Palmer said. "Many, many people have spent a lot more time at home and have re-evaluated where they want to spend their time.”
The story ran on additional TV stations, including an affiliate in Kentucky.
Granneman on Mo. Governor and State Website Vulnerability
Website design faculty member Scott Granneman was interviewed by CBS affiliate KMOV about Missouri Gov. Mike Parson’s incorrect
accusations that a reporter "hacked" into a state website. "A St. Louis Post-Dispatch
report on the vulnerability said the Social Security numbers were embedded in the
source code of the web page. Source code of any website is publicly accessible by
tapping control-u on a keyboard," the KMOV report said.
"If Social Security numbers were found in source code, somebody at the Department of Education doesn't know what they're doing or completely screwed up. Because that should never happen. Anyone who is a competent administrator would never let passwords, sensitive data, like Social Security numbers, etcetera, go into the source code," Granneman said.
View or read a summary of the story here.
Smith Leads Session on Media Literacy
School of Communications instructor Julie Smith led a 40-minute on-air discussion at KMOX on media literacy and how it can make us
all better news consumers. Smith put her co-hosts through various exercises and questions
that she uses in her media literacy courses at Webster.
Chess Coach Liem Le on Fox 2
Webster University Chess Coach Liem Le was featured on Fox 2 discussing the recent success members of the chess team have
had in several national tournaments.
“Two of our students (GM Lazaro Bruzon, GM John Burke) will represent the Webster team in the October 2021 U.S. Chess Championship, a prestigious event for professional players,” said Coach Le. “A qualification and invitation to that event is already a major accomplishment, especially for college students.”