Colloquium Series Begins With “Fight for Democracy”

The first Colloquium Series event for Fall 2013, “The Fight for Democracy: Improving Media at the Local and National Levels”, features a roundtable discussion with Tim Karr of Free Press and Chuck Lovey of Voice for New Jersey, moderated by Debra Galant, Director of NJ News Commons. The event takes place on Wednesday, September 25, 2:30-3:45 p.m. in Richardson Hall, Room 120.

Karr is Senior Director of Strategy at Free Press — which is described on its website as “building a powerful nationwide movement to change media and technology policies, promote the public interest and strengthen democracy.” Karr served as executive director of MediaChannel.org and vice president of Globalvision New Media. He has also worked extensively as an editor, reporter and photojournalist for the Associated Press, Time, Inc., the New York Times and Australia Consolidated Press. Tim critiques, analyzes and reports on media and media policy for the Huffington Post and on his personal blog, MediaCitizen.

Lovey is a member of Voice for New Jersey, an affiliation of individuals and organizations who are “dedicated to improving broadcast media coverage in New Jersey” with the state goals of increasing media attention on New Jersey and improving the quality of the media coverage that New Jersey receives. Voice for New Jersey notably made a filing with the FCC in 2011 charging that the New Jersey Fox affiliate, WWOR, had failed to fulfill its promise to provide local news coverage for New Jersey.

Galant is director of the NJ News Commons. Before coming to Montclair State to start the Commons, she was co-editor of Baristanet, one of the first hyperlocal news sites in the country, which she founded in 2004. Debbie is also the author of three novels about New Jersey and was Jersey columnist for The New York Times from 1998 to 2003.

Students, faculty and guests may register using this link.

The SCM Colloquium Series (course # CMDA 490) provides a forum for students, faculty and special guests to share their work and address current issues in news, public policy, government and society.  Meetings take place monthly with each date featuring an invited speaker.