Author, journalist, and Emmy Award winner Danny Schechter will give a public speech titled “Can the Media Promote Peace as Well as War?” at 6 p.m. Sunday, May 20, in room 203 of the Smith Center for Undergraduate Education on the Washington State University campus in Pullman.
The speech will be preceded by a sale of Schechter’s recent books and a book-signing by the author in the hallway outside the auditorium.
Schechter’s appearance kicks off the two-day PaXIM Conference on peace, transnational communication, identity and media.
“Danny Schechter is an outspoken critic of the media whose observations are deeply informed by a wealth of experience as a journalist,” said Susan Dente Ross, associate professor in the Edward R. Murrow School of Communication and PaXIM director. “I think many media consumers will feel right at home with his sometimes damning critique of U.S. news practices.”
A two-time Emmy Award winner, Schechter has a lengthy broadcast news and documentary resume. He has produced and directed numerous television specials and films, including his award-winning weekly television news magazines, “South Africa Now” and “Rights and Wrongs: Human Rights Television.” His film credits include “Timothy Leary Lives” (1997), “Seeds of Peace” (1996), “Prisoners of Hope” (1996), and “Countdown to Freedom:
Ten Days That Changed South Africa” (1994).
Schechter was a producer in the early years of CNN before moving on to produce ABC’s “20/20” for eight years. He now serves as executive producer at Globalvision. In 2000, he founded MediaChannel.org. Schechter calls it “a Web supersite devoted to inspiring engaged debate through information and diverse opinions focused on the political, cultural and social impacts of the media.”
In 2001, Schechter won the Society of Professional Journalists’ Award for Excellence in Documentary Journalism. He is the author of numerous books including his newest release, “Embedded: Weapons of Mass Deception: How the Media Failed to Cover the War on Iraq.”
For more information about the PaXIM Conference and a complete schedule of the event, visit http://communication.wsu.edu/overview/news-paxim.htm.
