Three Chippewa Valley journalists will discuss how news media should handle newsworthy but demonstrably false Information, in a panel discussion this evening (Oct. 5) which is open to the public.
The program, organized by the Chippewa Valley Post, is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. It is part of the international observance of News Engagement Day (NED), which aims to get people involved in some way with the news media and to increase understanding of how they operate.
Panelists include Rich Kremer, a Wisconsin Public Radio reporter based in Eau Claire; Shannon Hoyt, co-anchor of WQOW-TV’s 6 and 10 p.m. newscasts; and Matt Milner, editor of the Eau Claire Leader-Telegram. The discussion will be moderated by Mike Dorsher, an emeritus journalism professor at UW-Eau Claire.
Access to the panel is available through this link: https://wisconsin-edu.zoom.us/j/92868410472?pwd=V2NneUN5NndSRW45TlNNM2FXeFN6UT09. The meeting ID is 928 6841 0472 and the Passcode is 059653.
News Engagement Day (NED), which began in 2014, is sponsored by the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, the national organization of educators in those fields. It aims to increase understanding of the role that journalism plays in a democratic society and of how it operates.
People of all ages are encouraged to read, watch, listen to and discuss news on NED and to tweet, post, text and email their thoughts about it.
The program this evening will afford audience members an opportunity to ask questions of the panel members. Among the issues to be discussed is how to deal with false assertions from people whose actions and statements are considered newsworthy.
Traditionally, journalists have not commented on the truth or falsity of the statements they are reporting but the recent explosion of statements made with little or no regard for accepted facts has called this approach into question. There is no consensus on how this should be handled, and tonight’s discussion is likely to reflect that.
The local NED program is co-sponsored by the UW-EC Department of Communication and Journalism.