FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACTS: Rebecca Keister, 401-456-4679, rkeister@ric.edu; Laura Hart, 401-456-8977, lhart@ric.edu
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – “Rediscovering the News: Millennials, Politics & Social Media,” a panel discussion presented by the American Democracy Project (ADP) at RIC, will explore how the ways in which today’s college students gather information influences their political engagement. This free program is scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 14, in Alger Hall, Room 110, 2-3:30 p.m.
Mark Curtis, chief political reporter for ABC6 Providence, will moderate the discussion, which will include a keynote address from Nicco Mele, author of “The End of Big: How the Internet Makes David the New Goliath.”
Mele will join panelists Scott MacKay, political analyst at Rhode Island Public Radio; Erika Niedowski, Associated Press reporter; Kate Nagle, writer and news editor at GoLocalProv; and Ed Fitzpatrick, Providence Journal political columnist to discuss:
· How consumption of the news is changing
· How political campaign reporting is evolving due to the influence of social media
· How various forms of social media are influencing the ways in which voters are informed
· How students can best utilize social media to stay informed for the 2014 elections
“Our college students are the most Internet-savvy generation of all time, yet we’re just beginning to understand the implications of key changes in how this group will get their information and how they will engage in politics,” said Val Endress, associate professor of communication and co-organizer of ADP at RIC.
Endress said the Millennial generation – those born between the early 1980s and the mid-1990s – represents today’s traditional undergraduate college student.
Research consulting firm Millennial Branding reported that 58 percent of Millennials intended to follow the 2012 presidential election on social networks.
“With an eye to the future, this panel will explore the implications of this unique form of activism and gauge how this generation’s use of social media might impact the political landscape,” Endress said.
The ADP is an initiative of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities partnership with the New York Times to produce college graduates who are committed to being active, involved citizens.
RIC is the only higher education institution in Rhode Island participating in the ADP with over 220 other colleges and universities in the country.
For more information on the ADP at RIC, visit http://www.ric.edu/adp/
