The State of Journalism: Presented by CT Mirror
Event Details
Explore the rapidly evolving state of journalism at The Westport Library in partnership with CT Mirror, winner of the 2026 Pulitzer Prize for Local Reporting.
Why You Should Come
About the Speakers
Well-known radio personality and journalist John Dankosky moderates CT Mirror's In The Room series as well as other events. John also serves as Editorial Director for the national radio show and podcast Science Friday. For 25 years, he worked at CT Public, where he founded the talk shows Where We Live, The Wheelhouse, and the New England News Collaborative.
Marie K. Shanahan is an associate professor and the head of the Department of Journalism at the University of Connecticut. She specializes in digital journalism and interactive communications. Her academic research focuses on trends in digital discourse, local news engagement, news literacy and the future of journalism. Prior to academia, Shanahan worked as a reporter, editor and digital news producer for more than 20 years. She is the author of Journalism, Online Comments and the Future of Public Discourse (Routledge, 2018) and the recipient of a 2022 Fulbright Fellowship in Leyte, Philippines.
Richard Tofel was the founding general manager and first employee of ProPublica, and its president from 2013 until 2021. He was formerly the assistant publisher of The Wall Street Journal, responsible for its international editions and U.S. special editions, and, earlier, an assistant managing editor of the paper. Dick also served as Vice President, Corporate Communications for Dow Jones & Company and an assistant general counsel of Dow Jones. He is now principal of Gallatin Advisory LLC and author of the newsletter Second Rough Draft.
Fact Checking
Spotting Fake News
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The Westport Library is committed to intellectual freedom, inclusivity, and lifelong learning. Our mission is to provide welcoming spaces for the free exchange of ideas. The Library does not endorse or condemn points of view, including any program content or the views expressed by presenters or participants.
