Lippitt House Museum and Providence League of Women Voters tackle issues of fake news, civic health, and democracy in crisis 

Join us for dialogue about journalism, media literacy, first amendment rights, and the pursuit of an informed community.

Panelists:
Ed Fitzpatrick, Boston Globe staff writer
Renee Hobbs, Founder of the URI Media Education Lab
Lynette Labinger, lawyer specializing in First Amendment

Misinformation plants seeds of mistrust in democratic processes and undermines the systems of government. What responsibility do journalists and media personalities have for identifying incorrect or deliberately misleading information especially in widespread electronic media including podcasts? What responsibility do individuals have to their community to be critical media consumers in what they view, listen to, and share? Where and how do we draw the line between fake news and free speech rights? These questions and more will be discussed during this dialogue around the vital role media plays in civic society and the importance of media literacy to an informed community. Participants: Ed Fitzpatrick, Boston Globe staff writer covering Rhode Island; Renee Hobbs, Founder of the Media Education Lab at URI; Lynette Labinger, Attorney specializing in First Amendment cases. Audience questions will be encouraged.

Panelist biographies

Media Literacy in Rhode Island - Report URI Media Education Lab

Financial support for the Community Conversation series is provided by the League of Women Voters Rhode Island Education Fund.