The Civic Arena: Media in the Ring

As we find ourselves in the thick of a Presidential Election cycle, we will engage conversation focusing on the role media can and should play in encouraging active engagement in civic life during and beyond elections, both nationally and closer to home. Learn how JMU faculty and local media are responding to this question and encouraging civic engagement. Talk with others to consider ways we might further efforts to make students and communities civically engaged and how we might use engage media in that goal.

Presenters will include:

Dan Schill from Communication Studies, who has published two books on political communication topics, including Presidential Campaigning and Social Media and Stagecraft and Statecraft: Advance and Media Events in Political Communication. He also works with, and engages students in, planning organized and moderated on-air dial focus groups for CNN which provide real-time analysis of debates, speeches, and ads.

Ryan Parkhurst from Media Arts and Design, who has enjoyed a career in broadcast journalism in that spanned five stations in two states, and one stint overseas. He worked as a Senior/Executive Producer at News 10 Now, a 24-hour cable news channel.

Valerie Sulfaro from Political Science, who teaches and researches about a wide array of facets of American politics -- American national institutions, public opinion, political psychology, voting and electoral behavior, political parties, mass media, public opinion, and legislative politics.

Al Bartholet from public radio affiliate WMRA, which helps engage the community in civic life through on-air programming and new in-person programming called Books and Brews. Learn more about these events and how they help shape an engaged, curious citizenry.

The JMU Civic Engagement Task Force is pleased to be partnering with JMuse Café & JMU Libraries and Educational Technologies in a year-long series of events focusing on civic engagement across a wide variety of disciplines. Coming in 2016-2017:

• Civic Engagement and the Sciences
• Civic Engagement and Business
• Civic Engagement and the Arts

If you have questions or suggestions about the series, contact Lori Britt at brittll@jmu.edu.

Refreshments will be served at this free event in Rose Library on JMU's east campus. Free parking is available in JMU lots C10 and D2.  All are welcome!