Teri Finneman, associate professor of journalism at the University of Kansas, and publisher/founder of The Eudora Times. A decade after the fall of the legacy paper in that city, Finneman was able to evolve her class project into a full-out online newspaper with students covering the city commission, school board, businesses, sports and more.
Tackling News Deserts
Tackling news deserts: Exploring some real-time academic models to improve coverage of undercovered communities
Sep 26 2023
WHEN:
Sep 26, 2023 at 9:30am
WHERE:
Zenger Room
CONTACT INFO:
Cecily Scott Martin
MORE INFO:
Professional Development
News deserts — both in regional areas that lost their newspapers and in communities that are underserved by media — are vastly growing and have a multifold impact. People in news deserts do not have access to the information they need to make informed decisions. Leaders tend not to be held accountable for their actions as they no longer have oversight from journalists. Communities of color or underrepresented groups often do not have their stories or concerns told unless they are connected to a big (often negative) event. People live in their bubbles and are inundated with misinformation/disinformation that fills the journalism void.
But, some groups and individuals are trying to change what's happening and are testing out different models to see what can work in an industry hurt by the drop in advertising dollars. Join us for a lively conversation on this important topic, with this panel of highly esteemed academics striving to make a difference.
Dr. Gracie Lawson-Borders is Dean and Professor of the Cathy Hughes School of Communications at Howard University. S. She is also a member of the Policy Board, Howard Journal of Communications; Editorial Board Member, the International Journal on Media Management, and Advisory Board Member, BlackPast.org at the University of Washington. She is a 2022 recipient of the Spirit of Diversity Award from the Journalism Institute for Media Diversity at Wayne State University. She is a former associate dean and professor at the University of Wyoming, and former faculty member at Kent State University and Southern Methodist University. She received her Ph.D. from Wayne State University, M.A. from Northwestern University and B.A. from Michigan State University. She a former journalist, who has worked as a reporter and editor at the Akron Beacon Journal, The Oakland Press and The Chicago Tribune.
Jerry Zremski became a lecturer at the Philip Merrill College of Journalism in July 2022, when he was brought in as director of the college's new Local News Network, which aims to bolster local news coverage throughout the state of Maryland. At Merrill College, Zremski also serves as lead instructor of the mid-level reporting class and as faculty adviser to the college chapter of NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ Journalists. Zremski has also been named a “faculty champion” by the Center for Community News at the University of Vermont for his proposal to explore development of a “Maryland Commons,” an effort to collect state data to make it easier to use for journalists across the state.
Raised in Puerto Rico, Patricia Guadalupe is a bilingual multimedia journalist based in Washington, D.C., covering the capital for both English and Spanish-language media outlets in both print and broadcast, including NBC Latino, Latino Magazine, and NPR's Latino USA, in addition to being a copy editor at Axios. Previously she was with WTOP Radio in D.C. and was the Washington correspondent for WKAQ Radio in Puerto Rico and has reported for CBS News Radio and financial news outlets. Previously she was a reporter in New York City. She is a member of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists and an editor and translator of its national newsletter and is the past president of the group’s chapter in Washington, D.C. She is a member of the National Press Club, in addition to being a member of the SEIU and SAG-AFTRA unions. Patricia is also an adjunct professor at American University’s School of Communication and at Florida International University's Semester in Washington journalism program. She is a graduate of Michigan State University and has a Master's degree from George Washington University’s Graduate School of Political Management.