SIOP members continue to be sought out by reporters and writers to add expert commentary to news stories. How does the media learn about SIOP members and the specialized knowledge they can add to workplace stories? There are a variety of ways. For example, one is Media Resources, which can be found on the SIOP Web site by clicking on Media. Over 450 SIOP members, along with their areas of expertise, are listed in Media Resources. And we are in the process of informing reporters about this useful Web site.

Another way to expand the visibility of I-O psychology is ProfNet, a media referral service currently being subscribed to by SIOP. The Administrative Office in Bowling Green, Ohio is monitoring media requests for workplace-related stories and then working to match SIOP members with reporters needs. Many SIOP members have established their own contacts with the media as credible sources and are often called upon to comment on stories. Together, these activities provide greater visibility for SIOP and its members.

Some SIOP members who have contributed to recent media reports include:

Mitchell Marks, a mergers and transitions consultant in San Francisco, who was asked to comment about the human side of mergers for a January 16^th Wall Street Journal article entitled Mergers Often Trigger Anxiety, Lower Morale. He was also interviewed by the BBC World News report for a story on employee behavior in the workplace.

Virginia Schein, a professor in the management department at Gettysburg College, appeared on Essential Talk Network in Canada for a 30-minute live discussion on office romances.

Workforce magazine called upon Linda Sawin, manager of assessment at The Boeing Companys human resources department, for her thoughts regarding preemployment testing.

For an article about using psychological testing for top jobs in the February 5 issue of Fortune magazine, Kevin Murphy, a professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania and a former SIOP president, estimated that Traditional job interviews are only about 65% accurate in judging an applicants potential strengths and leadership style. Adding testing and other psychological tools can raise accuracy to 85%, he said.

In the same Fortune story, Ben Dowell, vice president of Bristol-Myers Center for Leadership Development, talked about his companys experience using testing as a way to boost retention rates.

In its February issue, HR Magazine tapped David Arnold of Reid Psychological Systems in Chicago, acting as general counsel for the Association of Test Publishers, for an extensive letter to the editor discussing various issues surrounding pre-employment testing.

HR Magazine tapped David Arnold, general counsel and vice president of Reid Psychological Systems in Chicago, for his comments about research on interview scheduling preferences for a January article.

For an article on how applicants evaluate a company, HRZone, a Web site devoted to workplace issues, cited a research project in the fast food industry, which relies greatly on teens and retirees for staffing, describing how the teens and retirees determined which fast food restaurants were best for employment. The research was done by Scott Highhouse and Michael Zickar, both professors in the psychology department at Bowling Green State University, Todd Thorsteinson of the University of Idaho, and Jerel Slaughter of Louisiana State University. Their colleague, Sandra Stierwalt also participated in the study.

Bernardo M. Ferdman, professor and program director of organizational psychology programs at Alliant University in San Diego, conducted a live interview about workplace violence on Esta Maana, a nationwide radio program broadcast on the Telemundo Network.

Let us know when you or a SIOP colleague are quoted in or are the subject of a news story. We will include those mentions in future SIOP Members in the News. You can pass along copies of articles where SIOP members are featured, quoted, or mentioned to the SIOP Administrative Office at 520 Ordway Avenue, P.O. Box 87, Bowling Green, OH 43402, or tell us about them by e-mailing Lhakel@siop.bgsu.edu  or fax to (419) 352-2645.