NEWS VS. MISINFORMATION

PUBLIC INVITED TO LEARN ABOUT NEWS VS. MISINFORMATION IN

LEAD UP TO 2024 LOCAL, STATE, NATIONAL ELECTIONS

Alabama Media Professionals, Hoover Public Library to host event May 30, from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.; Light snacks to be provided

During a free event, greater Birmingham community members of all ages are invited to learn about the media’s role in political campaigns, with a focus on recognizing misinformation in advance of the 2024 local, state, and national elections. The event will be held Thursday, May 30, from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Hoover Public Library in Hoover, Alabama.

Journalism and political-media scholars will give presentations, and a panel of local reporters and editors who cover government and elections will explain their processes, provide insight into ethical-journalism practices, and answer audience questions.

While misinformation has always existed, its power has grown exponentially in recent years, and experts in multiple fields are warning it poses an unprecedented threat to elections taking place in 2024. Artificial intelligence (including video, photo, and audio generators) now allows those who want to deceive to do that with false content that is high-quality as well as quick and easy to produce by anyone, not just those with technical skills. Through social-media, misinformation spreads rapidly – faster and reaching more people than factual news, according to research published in the journal Science. The top global risk over the next two years is misinformation from AI, per a World Economic Forum survey.

The event at Hoover Public Library will provide historical context as well as an in-depth look at how current technologies are expected to affect the information landscape this year.

Light snacks will be provided. Speakers/panelists will be as follows.

Scholars:

• Dr. Bill Singleton, assistant professor of communication and media at Samford University, will give a presentation on journalism basics, including the importance of ethical standards and how journalists go about meeting those standards.
• Dr. Matt Barnidge, associate professor in the Department of Journalism & Creative Media at The University of Alabama, will present on the history of the media’s role in political campaigns in the United States and how that role has evolved. He will also discuss misinformation in historical and current contexts.

  Journalists/Editors to take part in panel discussion:

• Alander Rocha, government policy and healthcare reporter for Alabama Reflector
• Andrew Yeager, managing editor, WBHM
• Barnett Wright, executive editor, Birmingham Times
• Jon Anderson, editor, Hoover Sun
• Virginia Martin, news editor, Birmingham Watch

  This project is supported by the Alabama Humanities Alliance, a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of the Alabama Humanities Alliance or the National Endowment for the Humanities.

  About Alabama Media Professionals and the AMP Education Fund

  Alabama Media Professionals is a volunteer-run nonprofit that provides professional- development and networking opportunities for communicators in various fields, from news media, marketing and advertising to education and book writing. The AMP Education Fund is a 501c3 nonprofit whose mission is to offer communications professionals continuing education in ethical, standards-based practices, to provide scholarships for aspiring communicators, and to help Alabamians of all ages improve their news-literacy skills. For more information, visit www.almediaprofessionals.org.

  About Hoover Public Library

  The Hoover Public Library seeks to reinvent the way communities view libraries. As the heart and soul of the Hoover community, we are more than just a library. We’re the place you come to meet your friends, experience live theater, peruse art, listen to music, entertain your children, learn about new technology, seek job searching assistance, explore your interests, find good book recommendations and much, much more. We seek to grow our patronage by offering an unparalleled customer experience. When you have a question, we want the library to be the first thing that comes to mind. For more information, visit https://www.hooverlibrary.org/.