How to cover – or ignore – “fake news” will be the focus of an ethics panel discussion at 6 p.m. this evening (Tuesday, April 25) on the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire campus.
The program, hosted by the student chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), will be held in Hibbard Hall 102. It is free and open to the public as well as to the campus community.
Panelists will include Andrew Fefer, WEAU-TV’s news director; Dan Schillinger, news director at WQOW-TV; and Rusty Cunningham, executive editor at the La Crosse Tribune. Amanda Tyler, WEAU weekend anchor and multimedia reporter, will be the moderator.
A press release from the SPJ chapter noted that some people argue that fake news has been around as long as journalism itself. But the panel is timely now because the Internet and social media have helped produce an unprecedented amount of it, it added.
Questions that may be discussed on Tuesday include the following:
* What exactly constitutes ‘fake’ news?
* Is there anything reporters and editors can do about it?
* How can journalists spot and prevent the spread of fake stories?
* How can journalists protect themselves and their reputations from fake news?
* How can journalists assist their viewers, readers, listeners and users in spotting fake news and prevent being taken in by it?