News In Context

In Part 1 of this interview, we explore the role of arts during crises, as well as how arts and artists are viewed in U.S. mainstream society. We’ve faced many crises and artistic responses in recent months, including the COVID-19 pandemic; the elevation of the Black Lives Matter movement in the wake of the police killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and others; and uncertainty in the face of...

In Part 2 of my interview with Dr. Anita Varma, we discuss how word choice and passive voice can infuse bias into coverage, the pros and cons of humanizing, and the importance of expanding our perspectives and seeking to answer the why. Dr. Varma is Assistant Director of Journalism & Media Ethics at the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics… at Santa Clara University. She specializes in humanization...

In part one, we explore how news organizations are navigating the many major ongoing stories that currently dominate our news landscape, including COVID-19, the Black Lives Matter Movement, the federal government, the election, and many others. My guest is Dr. Anita Varma, Assistant Director of Journalism & Media Ethics At the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University. Dr. Varma...

In this episode we explore how one community is working to have the hard conversations growing out of this moment. As protesters push for reforms to police practices and funding… and seek to reframe and call out the false or sanitized narratives that have underpinned mainstream views of U-S history… many in the U-S struggle to come to terms with what they know and what they’re seeing. Zina Jacque...

This episode features Marnita Schroedl, CEO of Marnita’s Table, and Lauren Williams, Marnita’s Table’s Training Manager & Executive Administrator. Marnita’s Table has been working in the communities in and around Minneapolis, Minnesota, where community members are dealing with the police killing of George Floyd. Marnita's Table also works with communities across the country and around the world to...

In this episode. We explore America’s ongoing and persistent issues when it comes to race and social justice... in particular holding a mirror up to all of us in the U.S. … so we can face our history… and do the work required to push back on the structural racism that marginalizes, restricts, and harms our black and brown neighbors… and also make room for voices outside the mainstream… to have a s...

In this episode. We explore America’s ongoing and persistent issues when it comes to race and social justice... in particular how race can be weaponized… sometimes with deadly consequences. Our guest is Barry Thomas, Professional Educator – Community Advocate & Activist in Omaha, Nebraska, who is concerned about issues related to race within the country… and has dedicated his time to addressing th...

When we think libraries, many of us think-  BOOKS! But, libraries are so much more and often the heart of a community. They also play a critical role during crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. In this episode, we explore the context of libraries and their role in communities – both everyday… and during a crisis. Joining me is an incredible panel representing various aspects of the San Francisco...

In this episode, we talk with Dr. Nancy Bristow… Chair of the History Department at the University of Puget Sound… and author of American Pandemic: The Lost Worlds of the 1918 Influenza Epidemic. This episode is Part Two of my interview with Dr. Bristow… our focus? The stories of those affected by the flu pandemic, and how those stories help us understand our history and relate to each other.

In this episode, we talk with Dr. Nancy Bristow… Chair of the History Department at the University of Puget Sound… and author of American Pandemic: The Lost Worlds of the 1918 Influenza Epidemic. This episode is Part One of my interview with Dr. Bristow… our focus? America’s response to the 1918 flu pandemic… and how it compares to today. Next week, we’ll delve deeper into the stories of those aff...

Civity co-founders Malka Kopell and Palma Strand discuss the importance of SEEing, and how the COVID-19 pandemic seems to have led to an increase in us SEEing each other and each other's humanity. Failing to SEE each other can lead to othering, marginalizing, and even violence. We’ve seen examples of that during the pandemic… when some people othered Asian Americans by falsely accusing them of spr...

In this episode, we explore how the news media is doing in covering COVID-19 – including the responses of public officials… the data on infections and deaths… and the deeper work of explaining and giving context to all aspects of this ongoing story. My guests are Anne Belden and Ed Beebout, two professional journalists turned college professors. Anne runs the award-winning journalism program at Sa...

In part 2 of my interview with Dr. Boydstun, we explore social media and our own behavior as media audiences and consumers… AND people connected to other people in communities.

In this episode, we talk with Dr. Amber Boydstun, Associate Professor of Political Science at UC Davis, and author of Making the News… about how media influence framing and attention. We explored how framing and attention are at play during the time of COVID-19, as we shelter-in-place, rely more and more on digital spaces for engagement and news, and navigate the ever growing onslaught of informat...

We talk with Michelle Ciulla Lipkin, Executive Director of the National Association for Media Literacy Education – or NAMLE. Our focus? How media literacy can help us navigate news and information in the time of COVID-19… and the challenges we face when media literacy skills are lacking.

Dr. Chandra Clark, Assistant Professor at the University of Alabama, has expertise in electronic news and analysis of the news ecosystem. We got together to discuss new normals in news: how audiences respond to coverage; how news outlets respond to audiences; and how we all respond to the quickened information flow that comes with social media and instant access. Though this interview was recorded...

In Part 2 of my interview with Xyza News for Kids co-founder Sapna Satagopan, we discuss how teachers, parents, and kids can access and process news, and how Xyza can contribute to media literacy. In addition to providing news… Xyza also invites young people to cover the news. Anyone under 18 can become a junior reporter… where you have the opportunity to craft news stories and opinion pieces… eng...

In this episode, I talk with Sapna Satagopan… co-founder of Xyza News for Kids, an outlet that provides reliable, relatable, current, and easy-to-understand news and information for teens and tweens. In addition to providing news… Xyza also invites young people to cover the news. Anyone under 18 can become a junior reporter… where you have the opportunity to craft news stories and opinion pieces…...

Redwood City Library Director Derek Wolfgram and Library Services Supervisor Jenny Barnes talk about the Redwood City Public Library's Human Library, which helps to bridge divides by allowing readers to check out human "books" and have a conversation across difference.

Journalists turned professors Anne Belden of Santa Rosa Junior College and Ed Beebout of Sonoma State University, discuss how media framing of the candidates, issues, and primary process can influence our perceptions of the candidates… and ultimately how or whether we vote.

Gina sits down with John Zipperer, Vice President of Editorial at The Commonwealth Club of California, to discuss the importance of contextualizing news to help better inform the public about the information we all need to know and understand to engage with our communities and society.