Dr. Joshua Scacco, professor in the USF College of Arts and Sciences Department of Communication and director of the Center for Sustainable Democracy, partnered with Wayne Garcia, a professor with the Zimmerman School of Advertising and Mass Communication, to launch a new podcast that seeks to demystify what democracy is at its foundation—highlighting how we relate to and understand democracy.
The podcast, titled “By Conduct and Example,” draws inspiration from The Federalist Papers and “the people who make democracies tick.” It features individuals connected with USF—including alumni, current faculty, students, and people affiliated with local, national, and international communities engaged in democracy-focused work.
Dr. Josh Scacco records an episode of By Conduct and Example. (Photo by Corey Lepak)
Professor Wayne Garcia records an episode of By Conduct and Example. (Photo by Corey Lepak)
Scacco said he hopes the podcast will highlight the ways in which we can practice
democracy on a day-to-day basis.
It also features updates from the Center for Sustainable Democracy and its research
on political leadership, information environments, and communities shaping conversations
about the challenges and opportunities for democracy.
Scacco added that he hopes listeners walk away with more knowledge about how they
can uphold democratic principles.
“We oftentimes look at democracy as a noun,” Scacco explained in the first episode
of the podcast. “Democracy is a verb. It is active, it is engaged. It is every day.”
To highlight the stories of "democratic lights" worldwide who exemplify this principle, Scacco teamed up with senior journalism instructor Wayne Garcia, an expert in political and investigative journalism.
“We want to host a very educated but engaging look at democracy, [discussing] where we have gone astray, and how our listeners can be partisans for democracy instead of for parties or causes,” Garcia explained.
“The center wants to promote research and ideas that are understandable and useable by the public, in a format that is easy to consume and on topics that, while very serious, are presented with a few chuckles along the way,” he added.
The hosts of the show are both excited to engage with community leaders and researchers who are actively embracing their role in democracy and to continue to promote the work of the Center for Sustainable Democracy. “By Conduct and Example” will be one of the places where the USF community can hear about the center’s upcoming events.
To date, the show has four episodes, including:
Episode 1 “Can We Really Make Democracy Sustainable?”
Episode 2 “Learning from Brazilian Journalists, Part 1: Brazilian Presscast”
Episode 3 “Learning from Brazilian Journalists, Part 2: Femocracy”
Episode 4 “Learning from Brazilian Journalists, Part 3: Januaries”
The podcast “By Conduct and Example” is available on Spotify with new episodes released bi-weekly.