The series is part of the national initiative on "Democracy and the Informed Citizen"
administered by the Federation of State Humanities Councils and funded by the Mellon
Foundation. It includes 11 events and is an eight-month collaboration is an effort by the South
Carolina Humanities, Winthrop and the S.C. Press Association.
ROCK HILL, SOUTH CAROLINA — Winthrop University will host a series of events this
fall and spring to explore "News Literacy and Future of Journalism."
The series is part of the national initiative on "Democracy and the Informed Citizen" administered by the Federation of State Humanities Councils and funded by the Mellon
Foundation. It seeks to deepen the public's knowledge and appreciation of the vital
connections among democracy, the humanities, journalism and an informed citizenry.
The eight-month collaboration is an effort by the South Carolina Humanities, Winthrop and the S.C. Press Association.
Additional support comes from the North Carolina Humanities Council and the South
Carolina Press Association, the Newseum in Washington, D.C., the John C. West Forum
on Politics and Policy, the Departments of Mass Communication and Political Science,
and the College of Arts & Sciences at Winthrop.
The series includes 11 events. All are free, open to the public and will be available
for view on the Newseum website. Unless otherwise noted, they will be held on the
Winthrop campus.
The events are:
Monday, Sept. 17, 7 p.m. - THIS EVENT HAS BEEN POSTPONED UNTIL APRIL 2
"Speaking Truth to Power"
Dina's Place, DiGiorgio Campus Center
Speakers are Jim Hoagland, associate editor of the Washington Post, two-time Pulitzer
Prize winner and Rock Hill native, and Mary C. Curtis, a Charlotte-based, award-winning
writer, speaker and editor. This event, moderated by Nathaniel Frederick, Winthrop
associate professor of mass communication, will be supported in part by the N.C. Humanities
Council.
Tuesday, Sept. 18, 11 a.m.
"Constitution Day Observance: Free Speech and the Responsibilities of Citizenship"
Dina's Place, DiGiorgio Campus Center
Michael Lipscomb, a Winthrop professor of political science and chair of Faculty Conference,
specializes in political theory and teaches courses in American government and political
theory, including American political thought. Introduction will be given by Jennifer
Leigh Disney, professor and chair of the Department of Political Science.
Tuesday, Oct. 2, 11 a.m.
"News Engagement Day Observation: Discerning the Truth: Fake News vs the Real Thing"
Dina's Place, DiGiorgio Campus Center
A panel of experts will discuss the importance of critically examining information
and equip students with tools to look beyond the headline or "click bait" to determine
the veracity of articles posing as news. Recent surveys show that young adults have
the greatest difficulty determining legitimate news from fiction disguised as news.
The panelists are:
* Amanda Hiner, associate professor of English and director of the Critical
Reading, Thinking, and Writing (CRTW 201) course at Winthrop;
* Bill Schulte, assistant professor of mass communication at Winthrop; and
* Michelle Ciulla Lipkin, executive director of the National Association for
Media Literacy Education.
Panel Moderator: Aimee Meader, assistant professor of mass communication
Tuesday, Oct. 23, 7 p.m.
"Is That All You Do: The Art of Editorial Cartooning"
Dina's Place, DiGiorgio Campus Center
Panelists include:
*Dwane Powell, retired political cartoonist from the Raleigh (NC) News and
Observer and winner of the Pulitzer Prize, and;
*Robert Ariail, syndicated columnist formerly with The State newspaper and
three-time Pulitzer Prize finalist.
Panel Moderator: Terry Plumb, retired editor, Rock Hill Herald
Tuesday, Oct. 30, 7 p.m.
"Do Opinion Writers Matter Any More?"
Richardson Ballroom, DiGiorgio Campus Center
This panel of distinguished guests will discuss the role of opinion writers in today's
partisan and ideological media environment.
The panelists are:
* Maria Henson, associate vice president and editor-at-large at Wake Forest
University and winner of the Pulitzer Prize; and
* Vilissa Thompson, disability rights advocate and author of "Ramp Up Your Voice,"
a nationally-recognized blog that focuses on issues of concern to persons with disabilities
and especially persons of color with disabilities.
* Lane Filler, opinion writer for Newsday and former columnist for the Spartanburg
Herald-Journal.
Panel Moderator: Betsy Teter, co-founder and publisher, Hub City Writers Project
Tuesday, Nov. 13, 7 p.m.
"Finding the Truth Among Competing Claims: Politifact's Role in American Politics"
Dina's Place, DiGiorgio Campus Center
This lecture will be presented by Angie Holan, editor of Politifact, the Pulitzer
Prize-winning independent fact-checking organization.
Moderator: Avery Wilks, political reporter, The State
Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2019, 7 p.m.
Film Showing of "Spotlight," followed by a discussion led by Peter Judge, professor
of religious studies and chair of the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies.
Dina's Place, DiGiorgio Campus Center
Tuesday, Feb. 12, 7 p.m.
"Why Investigative Reporting Does Matter"
Richardson Ballroom, DiGiorgio Campus Center
Journalists will discuss the role of investigative reporting in American Democracy
and the challenges it faces in an era of citizen journalism, social media, and declining
audiences for newspapers and television news.
Panelists include:
*Anna Douglas, The Charlotte Observer;
*Jennifer Hawes, Charleston (SC) Post & Courier and winner of the Pulitzer Prize;
and
*Bill Fox, president of Protecting Public Access to Public Records (PAPR)
Panel Moderator: Manning Kimmel, co-owner and managing partner, WRHI radio
Tuesday, Feb. 19, 7 p.m.
"The State of the Fourth Estate: An Evening with David Fahrenthold"
Dina's Place, DiGiorgio Campus Center
Fahrenthold is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist from the Washington Post who is
known for his coverage of the Trump family business empire. Introduction will be given
by Beryl Dakers, S.C. ETV.
Tuesday, March 26, 7 p.m.
"The Future of Journalism"
Richardson Ballroom, DiGiorgio Campus Center
Panelists include:
*Kelly Kaufhold, professor at Texas Tech University
*Gene Policinski, the Newseum
*Graham Osteen II, The Sumter Item
Moderator: Glenn Burkins, founder and publisher, Qcitymetro.com
Saturday, April 6, 10:30-11:45 a.m.
The Marriott, 1200 Hampton St., Columbia
Address by a speaker at the S.C. Press Association meeting in Columbia.
For more information, contact Judy B. Bynum, Judy@schumanities.org; Karen Kedrowski, kedrowskik@winthrop.edu; or Guy Reel, Reelg@winthrop.edu. Stay tuned to the SC Humanities website for programming details.
