Journalists, publishers, researchers, and media and journalism educators took part in a day-long workshop on Oct. 30 called “Trust and Truth in the Digital Age: A Journalist’s primer on Combating Information Disorder” at the Manchester Campus of Franklin Pierce University.

In an age of rumors, viral social media, and agents of misinformation, lead trainer Clair Wardle of First Draft News showed participants can they build a toolkit to help spot and combat misinformation and led a hands-on demonstration of the latest news verification technologies.

A panel discussed what local journalists have in common with a campaign consultant and a legal expert on the First Amendment. The panelists were:

Kevin Landrigan, journalist, Union Leader
Carol Robidoux, journalist, Manchester InkLink
Cori Princell, managing editor, NHPR
Greg Sullivan, Esq., Malloy & Sullivan, First Amendment expert
Jiore Craig, campaign consultant, GQR

Granite State News Collaborative was one of the event sponsors.

"Misinformation and disinformation is not going away anytime soon. It's just part of the landscape we live and work in now as journalists,” said GSNC Director Melanie Plenda. “At the same time, we can't just throw up our hands and not do anything about it. We are obligated as journalists to make sure that the public has the most accurate and fair information it needs to be informed and make decisions. That is the only way we can combat this trend and get the public the accurate information it needs and deserves. We owe that to them."

The event was also sponsored by Franklin Pierce University’s Marlin Fitzwater Center, Nackey S. Loeb School of Communications, the New Hampshire Endowment for Health and the New Hampshire Press Association.

For more information about the Collaborative, its partners or how to join, please email melanie.plenda@collaborativenh.org.