NPCJI, Resolve Philly panel on words used in covering breaking news, inauguration and Capitol riot, Jan. 19

Newsrooms mobilize on instinct when news breaks. Those split-second decisions — how we describe an individual or a group and their actions — can define reality for millions of people. The U.S. Capitol insurrection provides lessons for the upcoming Presidential Inauguration in what loaded language to avoid, questions to ask in real-time, and how your values influence the way audiences understand and remember world events.

Join the National Press Club Journalism Institute and Resolve Philly for a practical program that will leave you with tips you can use to ask the right questions in real-time and prepare to cover the unexpected on Inauguration Day and in the weeks and months that follow.

Registration is open for this program, which will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. EST on Tuesday, Jan. 19.

The panel will feature: Eric Deggans, NPR TV critic, MSNBC/NBC commentator and author of “Race-Baiter: How the Media Wields Dangerous Words to Divide a Nation”; Danielle K. Kilgo, the John & Elizabeth Bates Cowles Professor of Journalism, Diversity and Equality in the Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities; Michael McCarter, managing editor for standards, ethics & inclusion at USA Today; and Aubrey Nagle, Reframe editor at Resolve Philly. The program will be moderated by Cassie Haynes, co-executive director of Resolve Philly.

The conversation will cover: 

• How real-time news decisions get made live, from loaded language to dangerous framing, and why they’re so important in setting the narrative. We’ll use examples of what went right (and wrong) during the Capitol Insurrection – and how this coverage was different from last summer’s unrest – to talk about intentional, fast decision-making during the Inauguration and beyond. 
• Claims that last week’s Insurrection “came out of nowhere” conflict with many journalists’ and scholars’ experiences reporting on white supremacy. Whose voices are treated as authoritative in news coverage and whose should be? And how do we break through false understandings of “objectivity” and “bias” to create more representative and accurate coverage? 
• What we can learn from the last week and the last four years to help newsrooms prepare for the Inauguration coverage and similar events as we move into the Biden administration?

About NPCJI’s programs

The National Press Club Journalism Institute has added online programming, a daily newsletter, a weekly writing group, and other support for journalists since the pandemic started, and the Institute has waived fees for everything due to the COVID-19 pandemic at a savings of more than $52,000 to participants like you. If you value what you’ve been learning from the Institute during this time, please consider a donation of $5, $10, or whatever you can contribute. Contact Journalism Institute Executive Director Julie Moos with questions.

About Resolve Philly

Resolve Philly is a proving ground for journalistic initiatives that challenge our industry to be more equitable, collaborative and based in community voices and solutions. We are a small but mighty non-profit organization building trust between media and communities. Our aims to inform, engage, and inspire here in Philadelphia and around the world. Reframe is a Resolve Philly initiative that aims to help journalists improve the accuracy and authenticity of their coverage of mis- and under-represented individuals and communities and thus build trust with their audiences through precise, human-centered language. For more information, contact us here.