📡ON OUR RADAR

• Computer Science and Engineering Professor Ian Bogost argued against the over-saturation of computer science majors at prestigious universities like Stanford University in The Atlantic. Bogost’s bottom line: consolidating computer science schools can have long-term impacts on interdisciplinary collaborations.

• NBC’s on-air talent were publicly critical of their employer, The Peacock, as NBC announced ex-RNC chair Ronna McDaniel would join as a contributor. Co-host of Morning Joe Mika Brzezinski, griped “a person who used her position of power to be an anti-democracy election denier” shouldn’t be given credibility to join the news team. While NBC Sources originally said “there was unanimous support among leadership at the network for McDaniel’s hiring,” they soon changed course and dropped McDaniel swiftly.

• The Coast Guard suspends its search for the unaccounted for construction workers flung into frigid waters by a catastrophic collision between the cargo ship Dali and Baltimore’s Francis Scott bridge.
  

💡ON OUR MINDS: The Caitlin Clark Effect

• Caitlin Clark, a senior at the University of Iowa, is the highest-scoring player in all of NCAA Division I college basketball history. Clark has dominated the conversation around March Madness and her skills have brought more viewers to women’s sports.
• The Hawkeyes season tickets sold out for the first time, and Iowa’s first two March Madness games sold out in 30 minutes. But Clark’s success doesn’t end with the buzzer.
• Not one to miss her shot, Caitlin Clark has leveraged her legendary status to secure massive NIL deals with companies like Nike, Gatorade, and State Farm.
• In an industry that has historically favored male athletes in both coverage and compensation, Clark’s sponsorship deals with some of the biggest labels in the world helped establish women’s sports’ place in the enigmatic landscape of NIL deals.
• While all press may not be good press for other women in NCAA basketball, Caitlin Clark’s $3.1 million likeness and Caitlin Clark Foundation offer a bracket-winning lesson in personal branding and help position her as a force to be reckoned with – on and off the court.
  

🥊QUICK HITS:

In case you missed these reads:

• Boeing Chief Executive Officer Dave Calhoun couldn’t land the plane following a disastrous few months for his company’s reputation, and has decided to step down.

• Fabric rolls are at half-mast following crafts retailer Joann's filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The announcement comes after consumers are cutting back on spending on pandemic-era hobbies.

• The NFL continues to expand its international marketing, jeopardizing the ham-fisted worldliness of the American guy who says, ‘Oh, you mean American football.'