The Diederich College of Communication will host the 2021 Nieman Symposium on Tuesday, Feb. 23, from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. via Microsoft Teams.
Panelists include:
- Marissa Evans, social issues reporter for the Star Tribune
- Wesley Lowery, journalist at CBS News
- Linda Steiner, professor and director of ADVANCE
- David Umhoefer, director of the O’Brien Fellowship in Public Service Journalism
Dr. Ayleen Cabas-Mijares, assistant professor of journalism and media studies, will moderate the event.
The 2021 Nieman Symposium will focus on a critique of the history, impact and value of objectivity in American journalism. As journalism in the U.S. evolved, its principles and practices grew alongside the dominant white (male, cisgender and heterosexual) perspective. In this context, the principle of objectivity has virtually been conflated with whiteness, resulting in the silencing, stereotyping and/or distorting of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of color) identities and issues.
In this symposium, prominent journalists and media scholars will reflect on this history and discuss how the journalism profession can improve its quality, regain BIPOC communities’ trust and fulfill its promise of guarding democracy.
