ONLINE EVENT: Media and Democracy in the Americas IV – Overcoming Distrust in Media

This post is also available in: Spanish

Amidst political polarization, social protest, and a public health crisis, good journalism has never been more essential. However, trust in media is declining across the Americas. Disinformation and stigmatization, sometimes emanating from political leaders themselves, represent persistent and often serious obstacles to professional journalism and an informed citizenry. While diverse solutions have been proposed, restoring trust between the press and the public remains a pending democratic challenge.

How does distrust in media relate to the broader trend of distrust in institutions and democracy in the Americas? How does media distrust impact journalists’ efforts to inform the public, and what kinds of solutions can revolutionize and restore the relationship between the press and citizens?

The Inter-American Dialogue, Fundamedios, and the Institute for Advanced Study of the Americas at the University of Miami are pleased to present the fourth annual Media and Democracy Conference.

Follow the event at #NoSoyTuEnemigo or at @The_Dialogue, @FUNDAMEDIOS, and @mia_umiami.

We invite participants to send questions through the Q&A function on Zoom or email questions to meetings@thedialogue.org.  

This event will be held in both English and Spanish. Simultaneous interpretation will be available for those who join the event online through the RSVP. 

Watch the conference here: 

Agenda

9:00am – 9:02am		Welcome
		Michael Shifter, President, Inter-American Dialogue (@MichaelShifter)
9:02am – 9:10am		Opening Remarks
		Karin Wilkins, Dean, School of Communication, University of Miami (@GwinnKarin)
9:15am – 10:30am		Distrust in Media: A Journalist’s Perspective
		Panelists	Maritza Félix, Journalist, Conecta Arizona (@MaritzaLFelix)
			Mc Nelly Torres, National Board Member, National Association of Hispanic Journalists (@WatchdogDiva)
			María Sol Borja, Associate Editor and Political Editor, GK (Ecuador) (@mariasolborja)
			Mauricio Weibel, Journalist, Journalistic Investigation Center (CIPER) (@mauricio_weibel)
		Moderator	Dagmar Thiel, USA Office Director, Fundamedios (@DagmarThiel)
10:30am – 10:45am		Break
10:45am – 12:00pm		Restoring Trust in Media
		Panelists	Sallie Hughes, Associate Dean for Global Initiatives, School of Communication, University of Miami (@Sallie_MIA)
			Tai Nalon, Co-Founder and CEO, Aos Fatos (@tainalon)
			María Teresa Ronderos, Director and Co-Founder, Latin American Center for Investigative Journalism (CLIP)
			Silvio Waisbord, Director and Professor, School of Media and Public Affairs, George Washington University (@silviowaisbord)
		Moderator	Michael Camilleri, Director, Peter D. Bell Rule of Law Program, Inter-American Dialogue (@camillerimj)
12:00pm – 12:10pm		Closing Remarks
		César Ricaurte, CEO, Fundamedios (@CesarRicaurte3)

EVENT PARTNERS

This event is hosted in partnership with Fundamedios and the Institute for Advanced Study of the Americas at the University of Miami.

EVENT SPONSOR

This event is made possible by support from the Open Society Foundations.