UW–Madison’s Journalist in Residence program returns this spring with a series of virtual talks exploring what it means to be a journalist in today’s dynamic, deeply consequential news environment.
“Facing the Future” focuses on the media’s role in reporting on complex and often polarizing subjects. Topics of this semester’s talks range from the evolution of local news coverage to the role of media in the climate change debate.
Amy Westervelt: 7 p.m.,Wednesday, April 21
Award-winning journalist and Critical Frequency founder Amy Westervelt will discuss the news media’s role in the fossil fuel industry’s efforts to block climate action and obscure climate science. Westervelt says members of the media must acknowledge and understand their role in this effort and must constantly question the sources of information they lend credence to. Her talk, “Widening the Circle of Accountability: Media & the Climate Debate,” is hosted by the La Follette School of Public Affairs.
Westervelt is the founder of the Critical Frequency podcast network. She is also an award-winning print and audio journalist who has contributed to The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Guardian and NPR, among others.
