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March 29, 2023 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
A Media Mentoring Panel Discussion
Wednesday, March 29, 7:00 p.m. via Zoom
The public is invited to attend a panel discussion that goes behind the scenes of the mass media world and explores how, as a citizen, good critical media literacy can lead to intelligent civic engagement.
“The Powers of Social Media, and How to Develop Critical Media Literacy,” sponsored by Vermont Independent Media’s Media Mentoring Project, will take place on Wednesday, March 29 at 7:00 pm via Zoom.
Three expert panelists, Ben Boyington, an advocate for integrating critical media literacy into K-12 schools; Dr. Gyuri Kepes, Assistant Professor of Communication at Landmark College; and Susanna Strothman a Solution Consultant for Deloitte, will share their perspectives on how decisions are made by news corporations, and how different types of posts can help or hurt public awareness of what is actually happening in the world.
Topics will include:
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How to think critically and interpret messages from social media, mass media or pop culture.
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How to protect yourself and young people from negative aspects of social media.
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How social media platforms curate information for the reader/viewer.
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How social media is regulated v. mainstream media.
The discussion will be moderated by Joyce Marcel, writer of award-winning cover stories for Vermont Business Magazine.
To receive the Zoom link email ziagulazimi9@gmail.com. The program will also be live streamed on the Brattleboro Community Television’s (BCTV) Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/brattleborotv/
This public event is an educational program of Vermont Independent Media/The Commons. VIM’S goal – to assist area residents and young people with media literacy skills – follows VIM’s belief that a vibrant democracy requires an informed, empowered, and outspoken citizenry. We need your voice – that of all of us who live, work, study, and play here – heard in local media.
About the Panelists:
Ben Boyington is an advocate for integrating critical media literacy into K-12 schools, a veteran high school teacher, and the father of two teenagers who are immersed in the worlds of video games, Discord, and Twitch, as well as anime and other visual storytelling. A member of the Media Freedom Foundation board, Ben designs and conducts teacher trainings with his partners at the nonprofit organization Mass Media Literacy. In his daily life, he works with high school students on self-driven learning and builds student-centered programming at a high school in rural Vermont. Ben is also one of the authors behind The Media and Me: A Guide to Critical Media Literacy for Young People (Censored Press/Triangle Square Books, 2022).
Dr. Gyuri Kepes is an Assistant Professor of Communication at Landmark College in Putney, VT, where he teaches courses in multimedia production, media and communication theory, and leadership. While at Landmark College, Dr. Kepes introduced several initiatives at Landmark, the most ambitious being the creation of a television studio and associated academic programs. In collaboration with a group of Landmark students, Dr. Kepes launched Voices TV in 2021, the College’s first television network. He is a published author in the field of media and information literacy, and frequently presents original research on the topic.
Susanna Strothman is a Solution Consultant for Deloitte, the largest professional services firm in the world. They provide audit, consulting, financial advisory, risk management, tax and other services through their member firms. Strothman analyzed social media data for companies like Google, Nestlé, and Uber at Ipsos prior to her work at Deloitte. She now focuses on identifying and sharing mis-, dis-, and malinformation with authorities in the state of California. Her office is at Rockefeller Center in New York City.
