Webinar on journalists' challenges in covering extremism set for Tuesday, Jan. 31
As extremism has increasingly penetrated mainstream politics, journalists — especially political reporters — face new challenges. A recent report published by PEN America, Hate in the Headlines, found that without hypervigilance from journalists and editors, propaganda and disinformation can slide into reporters’ stories, especially as extremists deliberately target them to convey their messages to the broader public.
Register now to join the National Press Club Journalism Institute and PEN America on Tuesday, Jan. 31, at 1:30 p.m. EST on a webinar to learn how the mainstreaming of political extremism is affecting journalism, and how journalists and newsrooms are – or could be – shifting their practices in response.
Some news organizations have dramatically reframed coverage and created new beats to track the surge in extremism, but fundamental changes are still needed if audiences are to get a full and accurate view of how anti-democratic forces are infusing civic life, from local school board meetings to nationwide elections.
The PEN America report identified lessons learned as journalists have reckoned with this shifting political landscape, and from reporters who have long covered extremism.
This virtual program is slated to feature panelists:
- Hannah Allam, national security reporter focusing on extremism and domestic terrorism, Washington Post
- Natalia Contreras, Texas reporter, Votebeat
- Scott Kraft, editor at large, Los Angeles Times
- Wesley Lowery, journalist, author, and correspondent
Rhema Bland, journalism talent acquisition specialist at McClatchy, is moderator.