October 2021:
Building Community through Local Media
Thursday, October 21st: Dan Kennedy, Keynote
Thursday, October 28th: We will reconvene for a panel discussion:
Moderator: Elizabeth Ballantine
Panelist: Elena Eberwein
Panelist: Dan Kennedy
Panelist: David Ropeik
On the first night, Beat the Press’s Dan Kennedy will talk about the changing economics of the news business, including why local news and reporting is important as a counter-weight to national news and mass/social media, future models for local news – how they flourish and survive – and where we get our information. We will look at how local news promotes civic engagement and trust, brings people together, and what we as residents of communities can do to improve communication between those who don’t necessarily agree.
The following week the panel, led by The Durango Herald co-owner and former reporter Elizabeth Ballantine, will dive into the particulars of what is happening with news and social media in Concord and other communities. Plans for a new online news”paper” for Concord will be unveiled. Panelists will discuss why we need our local news, how to keep it financially viable while remaining independent, and ways for us to communicate and listen to each other.
October 2019 – June 2020:
Unconscious Bias: Interrupting the Cycle*
How do we begin to recognize and acknowledge that we all have biases, that we are part of the problem? In this groundbreaking series of five discussions, we will examine our unconscious biases, understand how to have conversations with others around this topic, and learn tools to use in our daily lives to counteract this.
The series begins with an overview of unconscious bias and how to perceive the topic as a whole. Each subsequent presentation will build on that topic, covering race, gender, and class/culture issues, and ending with a discussion on how to take what we’ve learned and apply it. We hope you will join us, and our five knowledgeable presenters, in better understanding this important topic.
*This program is co-sponsored by the Friends of the Concord Free Public Library
November 2018:
The Defamation Experience
Join us for a participatory play that is appropriate for audiences of all ages and will be the must-see event of the fall!
The premise is a civil suit: An African American female business owner is suing a Jewish male real estate developer for defamation. The woman was invited to the home of the man for a potential business project. After the meeting, the developer realized that his family heirloom watch was gone.
After the 75-min dramatic testimony, the judge tells the audience they are going to be the jury. A first poll is taken. The choices are for the plaintiff, the defendant, or undecided. The tally is announced and the judge then leads a deliberation. The audience is invited to stay for a post-show discussion.
Learn more about The Defamation Experience.
April 2017:
Conversations in a Civil Society: Agreeing to Disagree
The search for common ground
Join us for a panel discussion by
Moderator: Ethan Hoblitzelle, Social Studies teacher at CCHS
Panelists: Ona Ferguson from Consensus Building Institute, Dr. Robert Munro
from Middlesex School, and Rose Pavlov from Ivy Child
April 2016:
News: The Changing Landscape of Journalism in the 21st Century
Click here to view the program.
Host:
David Nurenberg, Concord-Carlisle High School English Teacher, Assistant Professor, Leslie University School of Education
Panelists:
- Tim Riley, Emerson College, Associate Professor, Department of Journalism
- Karen Shiffman, Executive Producer, On Point
- Melissa Zimdars, Merimack College, Assistant Professor of Communication, Department of Communication & Media