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John Dankosky moderates a panel discussion about assessing fact and fiction in the current media landscape. They explore strategies that media consumers can adopt, and ask:
  • How do the dynamics of consuming information differ across generations?
  • How do these differences in media consumption lead to disinformation and disagreement over truth? 
  • How does the historical journalistic role of checks, balance, and context operate in the new landscape?

This event is presented in partnership with the Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut

      

Panelists

John Silva, Senior Director of Education and Training at the News Literary Project

John Silva joined NLP in March 2017 with 13 years of experience as a middle and high social studies teacher with Chicago Public Schools. He first became involved with news literacy in 2014 when his students engaged in NLP’s original classroom program. A U.S. Marine Corps veteran, John spent several years in corporate telecommunications positions before deciding to become a teacher. He graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago with a bachelor’s degree in the teaching of history and has a master’s degree in education, with a concentration in e-learning, from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He became a National Board Certified Teacher in 2012.

Marie K. Shanahan, Associate Professor of Journalism & Associate Department Head of Journalism at the University of Connecticut

Marie K. Shanahan is an associate professor of journalism at the University of Connecticut. Her academic research and teaching focus on the intersection of journalism and digital communication technology. Shanahan studies trends in digital discourse, online commenting on news sites and on social media, online reputation, digital news ethics and local news engagement. She is the author of Journalism, Online Comments, and the Future of Public Discourse (Routledge, 2018). Shanahan’s research has been published by The Poynter Institute, Nieman Journalism Lab, Columbia Journalism ReviewThe Chronicle of Higher EducationThe Conversation and The Hartford Courant. Her writing has also appeared in Newsweek, Salon, Christian Science Monitor and Editor & Publisher.

 Izaskun “Sassy” Larrañeta, Managing Editor of The Day of New London

In 1999, Izaskun (Sassy) moved to Connecticut to start working for The Day newspaper in New London as a town reporter. During her tenure there, she covered several beats, including courts, police and breaking news. Sassy has covered critical issues like eminent domain in New London, the state’s last death penalty execution and  uncovered and wrote about a mortgage scam that led to two high profile federal convictions. She has received numerous recognitions, including two Publick Occurrences awards. In 2016, she was promoted to Deputy Managing Editor, where she oversees The Day’s newsroom, guiding reporters and daily news coverage. In 2018, she was honored as the Latina of the Year by the Hispanic Alliance of Southeastern Connecticut and La Latina Network.

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John DankoskyEvent / Podcast Host

John is CT Mirror's Director of Events. A well-known and highly-regarded radio personality and moderator, he divides his time between CT Mirror — where he heads up our events program and serves as a multi-platform consultant — and the NPR / PRI program Science Friday. Previously, John was executive editor of the New England News Collaborative and the host of NEXT, a weekly program about New England. He also appeared weekly on The Wheelhouse, WNPR’s news roundtable program. His 25 years in public media also include serving as vice president of news for Connecticut Public Broadcasting Network, host of WNPR’s Where We Live, and regular fill-in host for the PRI program Science Friday in New York. He was twice recognized by PRNDI as America’s best public radio call-in show.