University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Journalism and Mass Communications students will be participating in Democracy Day on Sept. 15.
The event is a collaboration of more than 300 U.S. news organizations to bring awareness to the strengths and weaknesses of American democracy. On Sept. 15, participating news outlets will publish stories about how democracy works, the threats facing it in their communities and how the public can become more civically involved.
Participating in Democracy Day is a prime example of how CoJMC strives to “do from day one.” The college works to allow its students to thrive in the changing media environment and gain experience that is rooted in hard work and collaborative problem-solving.
“Our mission is grounded in the ethical pursuit of truth to uphold democracy,” said CoJMC Dean Shari Veil. “Supporting Democracy Day is just an extension of what we do every day. I’m excited to see the stories our students produce and to get students across campus talking about the role of journalism in our democracy.”
Many students in the CoJMC will be involved in Democracy Day activities. Students in the News Lab, the capstone class for broadcasting and journalism majors, and the Experience Lab, an experiential learning program, will be publishing stories about voting rights issues and the Nebraskans who work to change democracy for the better. Students in other classes, such as Social Justice, Human Rights and the Media, will hear from guest speakers about voting issues and how they can get involved.
“Students are participating in Democracy Day in a variety of ways,” said Jill Martin, assistant professor of practice. “They are writing stories that will be published through the Nebraska News Service, conducting social media campaigns and raising awareness about constitutional rights, a journalist’s role as it relates to democracy, election coverage and more. How great is that.”
Among the U.S. news organizations participating Sept. 15 will be the USA Today Network, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and States Newsroom, which includes the Nebraska Examiner.
“We are excited to have our students participate alongside hundreds of news professionals in calling attention to the importance of democracy in our society and the role journalists play in safeguarding it,” said Michelle Hassler, associate professor of practice of journalism. “We think this will be a tremendous learning experience.”
For more information, visit, https://collaborativejournalism.org/democracyday/about. To see the Nebraska News Service’s stories related to Democracy Day, visit nebraskanewsservice.net.
