The League of Women Voters of Nebraska will present two virtual webinars related to media literacy, the journalism profession, and the importance of the First Amendment in November.
The first webinar, “Media Literacy in an Age of Disinformation,” will be presented from noon to 1 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 4. The webinar will focus on how to determine if news is credible, how to improve the relationship between the media and the public, and the importance of the First Amendment. The second webinar, “On the Beat: Reflections from Journalists on Their Profession,” will be presented from noon to 1 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 11. It will feature journalists with ties to Nebraska working at national and state media outlets. They will talk about their careers and important issues in the profession.
Both webinars are free and open to the public, including efforts planned to reach high school and college students interested in learning more about these topics. A Zoom link will be available closer to the dates of the webinars.
The media literacy webinar on Nov. 4 will feature Tobin Beck, an assistant professor of journalism and political science at Concordia University with more than 30 years of experience in journalism, including United Press International; Peggy Rupprecht, an associate professor of computer science, design and journalism at Creighton University, where she teaches classes on media and digital literacy; Ryan Teten, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Nebraska-Kearney, who studies the impact of social media on information consumption; and Mason Walker, a research analyst focusing on journalism and media at the Pew Research Center.
The professional journalist webinar on Nov. 11 will feature Dee Ann Divis, an award-winning journalist reporting for Al Jazeera on commercial space, NASA, robotics and emerging technology sectors; and Tony Herrman, government reporter at the Hastings Tribune. Divis, who earned her bachelor's degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, is from Columbus, NE. Also invited to participate in this panel are reporters with ties to Nebraska who work for CNN and Buzzfeed. They have indicated their interest in the panel, but wish to confirm their participation closer to the date of the webinar.
The webinars are being planned by the LWVNE’s Defending Journalism and the First Amendment Action Team, which was created to respond to concerns about attacks on the media as well as misinformation/disinformation campaigns.
Contact Dianne Bystrom with questions.
