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University of Washington

Town Hall Series

The Town Hall Center for Civic Life and The University of Washington Department of Communication presented the series, "The Revolution is Here: How Digital Media and Awakened Citizens Are Changing the World" during the 2009-10 academic year. The videos of the presentations are below:

David Domke: 'Health Care in the Media Revolution'

Prof. David Domke delivered the first in a series of Town Hall lectures on Oct. 13, 2009. In his presentation, "Health Care in the Media Revolution," he discussed the ways news coverage of the health care debate affects public understanding.

 

Hanson Hosein: 'The Digital Media Revolution and the Middle East'

On Jan. 7, 2010, Hanson Hosein, director of the Master of Communication in Digital Media, discussed how people under authoritarian regimes, such as Iran, are using new technologies to communicate, and seizing back some of the concentrated power formerly exerted through a tightly controlled state media. Hosein is a former foreign correspondent for NBC News.

 

Lance Bennett: 'Manufacturing Climate Controversy: Why the News Doesn't Work for Many Citizens in the Digital Age'

In his March 9, 2010 presentation, "Manufacturing Climate Controversy: Why the News Doesn't Work for Many Citizens in the Digital Age," Prof. Lance Bennett looks at climate change and how the media have fanned doubts and controversies while evidence of deteriorating global conditions continues to mount. He addresses problems with the news that relate to these patterns, and illustrates how information and citizen engagement on issues such as the environment are beginning to change online.