Democracy Forum 4/21/17

Host: Ann Luther, League of Women Voters of Maine    
Engineer: Amy Browne

Issue: Participatory Democracy

Program Topic: Fake News: Who Can You Trust?

Key Discussion Points:
We’ll talk about the proliferation of news sources in the internet age
The role of independent journalism in a liberal democracy
The challenges for citizens in finding real news. b)

Guests:
John Christie, co-founder and senior editor for the Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting. pinetreewatchdog.org/about/
Naomi Schalit, co-founder and senior reporter for the Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting. pinetreewatchdog.org/about/
Melissa Zimdars, assistant professor of communication at Merrimack College in Massachusetts www.merrimack.edu/live/profiles/586-melissa-mish-zimdars

To learn more about this topic:
Study: Breitbart-led right-wing media ecosystem altered broader media agenda, Columbia Journalism Review, March 3, 2017
The Real Story About Fake News Is Partisanship, The Upshot, New York Times, January 11, 2017
There’s an intriguing sociological reason so many Americans are ignoring facts lately, Business Insider, February 27, 2017

The all-volunteer team at the League of Women Voters – Downeast who plan and coordinate this series includes:
Starr Gilmartin
Maggie Harling
Linda Hoskins
Ann Luther
Maryann Ogonowski
Pam Person
Leah Taylor
Linda Washburn

FMI re League of Women Voters of Maine: www.lwvme.org

Democracy Forum 6/17/16

Host: Ann Luther, League of Women Voters of Maine    
Engineer: Amy Browne

Issue: Participatory Democracy

Program Topic: Press or Propaganda: Corporate Media, a Free Press, and the Future of Democracy

Key Discussion Points:
-Tension between corporate, profit-motivated ownership of mainstream media and the public interest mission served by journalism in an open democracy.
-What roles are old and new media playing in forming an educated electorate in 21st century America?
-The long-held belief in a liberal media bias has been challenged by the success of Fox News and the like. Is this kind of POV media a new phenomenon in American journalism? Which side is winning?
-What happens when the ultra-rich like Sheldon Adelson, Rupert Murdoch, and Jeffrey Bezos start buying up news outlets?
-Is this good for democracy? What can citizens do?

Guests:
Michael Franz, Associate Professor at Bowdoin College and co-director of the Wesleyan Media Project. https://mikemfranz.com/
John Christie, co-founder and senior editor for the Maine Center of Public Interest Reporting. http://pinetreewatchdog.org/about/

The all-volunteer team at the League of Women Voters – Downeast who plan and coordinate this series includes:
John Bradford
Linda Hoskins
Ann Luther
Marge May
Pam Person
Leah Taylor
Linda Washburn

FMI re League of Women Voters of Maine: www.lwvme.org

Wabanaki Windows 8/19/14

Producer/Host: Donna Loring
Engineer: Amy Browne

Issue: Historical background of the Maine Indian Land Claims Settlement Act/ Manahan letter

Maine Indian Land Claims what was it like back then?

Key Discussion Points:
What was the racial tone at that time?
What was the media saying?
How does this relate to the Manahan editorial?

Guests:
Sherri Mitchell, esq. Penobscot Nation Tribal Member and Director of the Land Peace Foundation
Maria Girouard, Native Rights and Environmental Activist and Penobscot Nation Tribal Member

Common Health 6/15/11

Producer/Host: Jim Fisher
Studio Engineer: Amy Browne

Topic: Body Image, Drugs and Diet: Media and the Self

What kinds of media are driving youth attitudes about body image and lifestyle?
What are some of the consequences of dissatisfaction with body image and perceptions of social norms?
What can we do to build youth resiliency and adaptive social behavior?

Guest:
Ed Oechslie, ATR-BC, LCPC, CSS, Executive Director, Acadia Family Center
One Fernald Point Road , P.O. Box 807, Southwest Harbor, ME 04679 207.244.4012

Call in show

Mid-Coast Currents 5/20/11

Producer/Host: John Zavodny
Studio Engineer: Joel Mann

Topic: The Mid-Coast Film & Media Scene

Guests:

Elizabeth Greenberg, artist and educator living in Thomaston, Maine. She is the Director of Education at the Maine Media Workshops and Maine Media College as well as an instructor in both the undergraduate and graduate programs at the college.

Benjamin Fowlie, founder and director of the Camden International Film Festival and co-founder of the Points North Documentary Forum. Last January Ben was included in Thom Powers’ (Program Director, Toronto International Film Festival) list “20 Under 40: Industry Leaders To Watch Out For.”

Lea Girardin, Director, Maine Film Office.

FMI:
Maine Media Workshops: http://www.mainemedia.edu/
Camden International Film Festival: http://www.camdenfilmfest.org/
The Maine Film Office: http://www.filminmaine.com/
The Maine Film Festival Consortium: http://www.mainefilmfestivals.com/
Media Arts Program of Maine Arts Commission: http://mainearts.maine.gov/program_mediaarts.aspx
Northeast Historic Film: http://www.oldfilm.org/
Maine Film and Video Industry: http://www.mainefilm.info/index.php

Voices 5/11/10

Producer/Host: Amy Browne

Audio from a radio workshop presented by Amy Browne of  WERU-FM, at the  Mainely Girls Annual Girls’ Conference, which was held on April 16th at Point Look Out.  The participants were middle school aged girls from several area schools.  More information about Mainely Girls is available at
http://www.mainelygirls.blogspot.com/