Agenda

With the decline of local journalism, citizens and communities struggle to understand some of the most pressing public issues they face. While people are saturated with access to information, it is often only national and/or international news. The decline of local journalism is a threat to democracy. However, aligning journalism with civil discourse can create opportunities for citizens to be better informed about the issues they face. They learn how to move from uninformed views to informed judgment. This session will focus on the ways that universities and journalism NGOs can collaborate to create space for democratic dialogue in local communities so citizens can understand and shape public policy.

Speakers

Shaffer Timothy J.

Director, SNF Ithaca Initiative and Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) Chair of Civil Discourse

Brand Simon

SNF Ithaca Student Leader, University of Delaware

DeMaio Jenna

SNF Ithaca Student Leader, University of Delaware