Panel of journalists to discuss fake news, why it’s a problem at Thursday event

Sarah McCammon
Sarah McCammon

KEARNEY – What is fake news? Why is it a problem? What can we do about it?

Answers to those questions and more will be discussed by a panel of journalists and a legal expert at an upcoming event at the University of Nebraska at Kearney.

Hosted by the UNK College of Arts and Sciences, the panel will discuss fake news from 12:30-1:30 p.m. Thursday (Nov. 15) in the Nebraskan Student Union’s Ponderosa Room.

The event is free and open to the public.

Panelists include:

  • Lianna Bash, who graduated from the University of Wyoming with a bachelor’s degree in political science and minor in history. She currently is an associate at the international law firm DLA Piper LLP.
  • Erin Grace, a columnist for the Omaha World-Herald. She’s been a journalist for 20 years at the World-Herald in Omaha, where she grew up.
  • Ralph E. Hanson, professor in the Department of Communication at UNK, where he teaches courses in writing, commentary, reporting and mass communication. He authored media literacy textbook Mass Communication: Living in a Media World.
  • Sarah McCammon, a reporter covering the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast for National Public Radio’s National Desk. During the 2016 election cycle, she was NPR’s lead political reporter assigned to President Donal Trump’s campaign.
  • Lori Potter, an award-winning reporter and photographer at the Kearney Hub newspaper. Potter specializes in agriculture and natural resources issues. She has been at the Hub for 32 years, including 9½ as regional editor. She previously worked at the York News-Times