David Folkenflik
Lifting The Veil: Journalism, Uncovered
Tuesday March 29, Founders Hall
Central Connecticut State University
New Britain, CT
Journalism is changing. We know that. But how are journalists managing that change? ”Lifting The Veil” is a conference meant to uncover some of these secrets, and present new ideas about the news business. These conversations will be recorded for WNPR’s award-winning news/talk show Where We Live in front of a live audience at Founders Hall at Central Connecticut State University, Tuesday March 29. On the agenda:
- A prominent political figure grills political reporters (how’s it feel now?)
- New media organizations team up on high-quality, investigative journalism
- An influential national reporter covers one of the toughest beats: The media
1:45 – 2:45 p.m. – Ned Lamont Turns The Tables
Since 2006, businessman and CCSU professor Ned Lamont has been in the political spotlight. As an upstart challenger to Senator Joe Lieberman, he rallied an online base of support that allowed him to beat Lieberman in the Democratic primary, and barely lose that seat to the Senator in November. In 2010, he ran a tight race for the Democratic nomination for governor. All along the way, he had to face tough questions from the capitol press corps, local and national talk show hosts, bloggers and thousands of others. Now, he’s asking the questions of some of the political journalists who’ve been grilling him for years: Dennis House, WFSB anchor and host of Face The State; Mark Pazniokas, chief political reporter for The Connecticut Mirror; and John Dankosky, Robert C. Vance Endowed Chair in Journalism and Mass Communication at CCSU, and news director of WNPR. For the hour, Dankosky turns the microphone of his talk show Where We Live over to Lamont, as he gives the media a taste of its own medicine.
3:00 – 4:00 p.m. – Partnership: A New Model For New Media
We’ve been hearing for years about the chronic struggles of newspapers and the proliferation of so called “new media” sources of journalism. As one outcome of this change, the traditional competition for stories between papers has given way to a new era of cooperation. By pooling resources and working together, these upstarts are making a real impact, informing the community, and driving the discussion in collaboration with newspapers. Where We Live’s John Dankosky talks with a panel of innovators who are forming partnerships to present insightful and investigative journalism of the highest order (while maintaining a healthy sense of “competition”). Mike Webb, director of communications for ProPublica, an independent, non-profit newsroom that produces investigative journalism in partnership with organizations like NPR and The Los Angeles Times; Jim Cutie is CEO and publisher of The Connecticut Mirror, an online site covering state politics that’s building partnerships and readership by filling a hole in public policy journalism; Lynne DeLucia is a former editor of the Hartford Courant, who is now editor of C-HIT, the Connecticut Health Investigative Team, which provides in-depth journalism on issues of health and safety, in Connecticut and the surrounding region; and Doug Hardy, co-founder of the Independent Media Network, a venture designed to share content and provide advertising revenue to help locally-owned news and commentary websites in Connecticut.
7:00 – 8:00 p.m. - NPR’s David Folkenflik
David Folkenflik is media correspondent for NPR. His reports offer insight into the operation of the media amid tectonic shifts in the industry and cast light on figures who help shape the way the news business works. Geraldo Rivera of the Fox News Channel once described Folkenflik as “a really weak-kneed, backstabbing, sweaty-palmed reporter.” Others have been kinder. The Columbia Journalism Review, for example, gave him a “laurel” for his reporting that immediately led the U.S. military to institute safety measures for journalists in Baghdad. And, recently he was named to The Wire “50 Most Influential People in the Media.” In choosing David, The Wire cited the consistent quality of his reporting on shows like Morning Edition and All Things Considered, his insightful Twitter feed and how he “admirably” handled covering his own employer during the Juan Williams debacle. His thought-provoking stories often spark debate and chatter, especially his rumination on the value of journalism school today, his two-part series looking at ideology in the media, and his coverage of how new media has influenced revolutions in the Middle East. Poynter has also praised David’s use of Twitter, showing how he uses a series of tweets to summarize and contextualize breaking news. Folkenflik will talk with WNPR’s John Dankosky about these and other issues on Where We Live, and he’ll take questions from the audience.
Presented by WNPR’s Where We Live and The Robert C. Vance Endowed Chair in Journalism and Mass Communication at Central Connecticut State University, in partnership with The CCSU Journalism Department, The Arts & Sciences Public Policy Committee, and the student chapter of The Society of Professional Journalists.
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