Panelists will focus on media ethics of “Dirty Politics” at national workshop

Kent State to host Connie Schultz as keynote speaker at annual Poynter Kent State Media Ethics Workshop

Kent, OH – Sept. 11 – Blistering sound bites, attack ads and pack journalism are all parts of “dirty politics.”  The focus of this year’s Poynter Kent State Media Ethics Workshop will reflect upon the significance of fact-checking, polling and anti-gender bias in political reporting at the eighth annual event at Kent State University’s Franklin Hall on Thursday, Sept. 20.

Media professionals, educators and college students will attend panel discussions, question and answer sessions and debates led by nationally recognized media and political experts.

Pulitzer Prize-winner and Kent State alumna Connie Schultz will address attendees during the lunch keynote presentation. Schultz is an author, TV commentator and former Plain Dealer columnist.

Other speakers include:

• Greg Korte, USA Today
• Bill Adair, PolitiFact
• Emily Harris, Journalism Accelerator
• Pam Fine, Political Fiber
• Mark Naymik, Plain Dealer political reporter and blogger
• Dr. John Green, director, Ray C. Bliss Institute of Applied Politics, University of Akron
• Drs. Steve Hook and Rick Robyn, professors of political science, Kent State University
• Jill Miller Zimon, Pepper Pike City Council member
• Dan Moulthrop, The Civic Commons
• Fran Collins, associate professor of advertising, School of Journalism and Mass Communication
• Doug Oplinger, The Akron Beacon Journal
• Bruce Winges, The Akron Beacon Journal
• Kelly McBride, Poynter Institute ethics specialist
• Ellyn Angelotti, Poynter Institute journalism values and legal challenges specialist

The live program will host 150 attendees, and it will draw a national audience through live streaming and mobile devices. Viewers can contribute to discussions and ask questions via Twitter, using the hashtag #ksuethics12.

Detailed information:

What: Eighth annual Poynter Kent State Media Ethics Workshop, “Dirty Politics?” focuses on ethics and politics

When: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 20, 2012

Where: FirstEnergy Auditorium in Franklin Hall, 550 Hilltop Dr., Kent State University

Cost: $25 for media and public relations professionals, $20 for educators and FREE for students

Event website for details and registration: http://mediaethics.jmc.kent.edu/2012

Questions: Contact Jan Leach, 330-672-4289 or jleach1@kent.edu or Jennifer Kramer, 330-672-1960 or jlkramer@kent.edu

The Poynter Kent State Media Ethics Workshop is sponsored by the Poynter Institute, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation,  the Journalism Accelerator, the Media Law Center for Ethics and Access, the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, the College of Communication and Information, the Civic Commons, Kent State Department of Political Science, Kent State TeleProductions, Kent State’s Department of Educational Technology, Akron Area PRSA, the Akron Beacon Journal and the Online News Association.

###

In its 75th year, the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Kent State University is a leading accredited journalism school with cutting-edge curriculum and facilities. The school’s mission is focused on understanding the media marketplace and media -related careers while providing professional undergraduate and master's programs within the liberal arts tradition. JMC teaches its students to gather information, to present it clearly and to think critically within a legal and ethical framework. It serves as a resource for professional practitioners, for media consumers and for Kent State University. For more information, visit jmc.kent.edu.