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Seattle Arts and Lecture U
Lecture series on storytelling in the digital age
The breakdown of traditional news sources and the explosion of accessible digital tools have forced us to reconsider the ways we communicate.
To foster an understanding of creativity in this digital age, the Seattle Arts and Lectures and the Master of Communication in Digital Media (MCDM) program are co-presenting the five-part lecture series, “SAL U: Storyteller Uprising: Narrative and Engagement Intelligence in the Digital Age.”
People of all backgrounds can engage in this conversation on models of successful storytelling in regard to civic engagement, law, and international markets.
Hanson Hosein, Director of the MCDM program, will lay the foundation for the series on Feb. 9, with his talk, “Storyteller Uprising: Trust and Persuasion in the Digital Age.” Hosein will detail the progression of the credibility of individuals, communities, companies, and organizations as news sources. From his lecture description, Hosein wrote, “With the decline of traditional journalism, there’s an increased need for trusted information. They can fill that void by telling their own multimedia stories, building their own channels, thereby serving as trusted sources in their own right.”
David Domke, Professor and Chair of the Department of Communication, follows up with his lecture, “You Say You Want A Revolution? Generational Change and Citizen Engagement,” on Feb. 23. “Technologies drive and reflect changing attitudes among Americans,” said Domke. “Those attitudes become apparent in all kinds of ways that people approach being publically involved on issues they care about – from voting to being an environmentalist, to being concerned about health care – all of these issues intersect with technology and with generational changes.”
Kraig Baker, Partner with Davis Wright Tremaine LLP and member of the MCDM Advisory Board, will take the reins for the third lecture on March 9 with his talk, “You Posted What on Facebook? Identifying and Managing Legal Risks in Social Media.” New media platforms and technology have blurred the lines of legality and it is no longer easy to determine when creativity steps over legal bindings like free expression, copyright, or journalist privilege.
On March 23, Scott Macklin, Professor and Associate Director of the MCDM program, will speak on “Building Organizational Capacity through Convening Community Stories.” Macklin’s presentation concerns the ways in which communities are employing the expanding technological advances to tell their own stories and engage their citizens. From his lecture description Macklin wrote, “Community centric storytelling puts the role of the storyteller in the hands of the communities we serve and places active participants in the realm of social communities through the practice of transparency and authenticity.”
Lowering the anchor on the series is Anita Verna Crofts, Professor and MCDM Associate Director. She will present her talk “Let's Do the Numbers: Metrics and Maturation of Digital Media in Emerging Markets,” which will address how the growth and impact of new media can expand the West’s understanding of emerging markets, and redefine the nature of engagement. “The speed and the scope of storytelling in the digital age leave me breathless,” said Crofts. “What we as storytellers create can be disseminated with the stroke of a keyboard to all corners of the world.”
All lectures from the “SAL U: Storyteller Uprising: Narrative and Engagement Intelligence in the Digital Age,” series take place in Kane Hall (UW Seattle campus) room 210, from 7:30-9 p.m. A $15 UW discount for the 5-part series is available by entering the code 'SALUMCDM.' Buy tickets here >>
