Edward R. Murrow Program – Media Responsibility in an Age of Disinformation

This virtual Edward R. Murrow IVLP project took place over the course of four weeks. The project goals were to examine efforts at the federal, state, and local levels to counter the dissemination of disinformation and misleading reporting; introduce and provide broad exposure to the serious impact of the current threat posed by disinformation and deceptive news; explore ways to verify reliable sources of information and counter misinformation; discuss how social media and new technologies can be utilized to amplify messages, disseminate information and connect with a target audience; consider ways to foster a discerning audience of media consumers; and focus on approaches to build trust between the media, government and citizens.

Eighteen anglophone and francophone journalists from across Africa and Haiti participated in this project which included virtual meetings with resources in five U.S. cities. Highlights included a keynote address by Bob Butler, a Bay Area-based radio journalist who has also trained African journalists; a panel on media literacy that featured perspectives from three different localities (Wisconsin, Florida, and Texas); and the Wisconsin Department of Public Health on their efforts to combat COVID-related misinformation. The group also had time for a private networking session with each other and virtual home hospitality with American hosts.

Sponsors & Partnerships