Clark College News and Events

Graphic–Clark College News and Events

Clark College News and Events


October 16, 2008
For Immediate Release
For additional information: 
Barbara Kerr, Executive Director of Communications and Marketing
Telephone:
360-992-2921
E-mail:  bkerr@clark.edu


POLITICS, THE PRESS
AND POLARIZATION: 
HOW JOURNALISM AND ETHICS
IMPACT OUR CULTURE 


On Election Day 2008,
Clark College journalism professor Christina Kopinski
will launch Clark College’s 2008-2009 Faculty Speaker Series
 with a timely discussion on journalism, politics and ethics

Clark College journalism professor Christina KopinskiVANCOUVER, Wash. –  On election day 2008, as voters across the country make their voices heard following one of the most heated election campaigns in U.S. history, Clark College will launch its 2008-2009 Faculty Speaker Series with a discussion on “Politics, the Press, and Polarization.”

The discussion, led by Clark journalism professor Christina Kopinski, will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 4 from noon to 1 p.m. in the Penguin Student Lounge, located in the college’s Penguin Union Building.  The event, which will include a question and answer session, is free and open to the public.  Clark College is located at 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver. Parking will be available in the college’s green, red and yellow parking lots.

Kopinski, who has experience as a journalist and educator, will share her reflections on the current state of the media and ethics.

Discussion highlights will include ethical criteria established by the Society of Professional Journalists, the difference between libel and slander, and ethical challenges facing journalists today. One subject likely to be discussed is a DVD recently distributed by The Oregonian and other newspapers. The Clarion Fund, a nonprofit founded in 2006 to address what they called "the most urgent threat of radical Islam," spent millions of dollars distributing the DVDs, mostly in battleground election states, triggering controversy across the country.

Other likely topics include:

  • Does the race to be first-to-print trump responsible journalism?
  • Does a blogger qualify as a journalist?
  • Do different standards apply to public figures versus private citizens?
  • Is “hate speech” protected as “freedom of speech”?

About Christina Kopinski

 

Christina Kopinski joined Clark College in fall 2006 as a tenure-track faculty member.  She teaches journalism classes at the college and serves as advisor for The Independent, the college’s student newspaper.  

Kopinski earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism at Lewis University in Illinois.  She earned a master’s degree in communication studies from Northern Illinois University.

Her academic experience includes teaching experience at Barry University and Miami Dade College, both in Florida.  In Illinois, Kopinski taught at South Suburban College, Kishwaukee College, and Northern Illinois University. 

Her journalism experience includes serving as an elections correspondent for the Chicago Bureau of the Associated Press.  She worked at the Morris Daily Herald (Morris, Illinois) and was producer and co-host of “Sunday Night Politics,” a weekly political discussion on WLRA-FM at Lewis University.

Kopinski, who was honored in 2008-2009 by “Who’s Who in Collegiate Teaching,” has spoken at academic conferences and forums across the United States on topics ranging from “Learning Communities” and “An Analysis of News Media as Propaganda” to “Media Bias and Critical Thinking” and “The First Amendment and News as the Fourth Branch.”

 

About the Clark College Faculty Speaker Series

The Faculty Speaker Series, established by Clark College with support from the Clark College Foundation, honors individual faculty members and celebrates academic excellence.   

Each fall, winter and spring quarter, the Faculty Speaker Series showcases experiences that have enriched both the life and teaching of a Clark faculty member.  Throughout the series, faculty members share their developmental experiences with the college community – and members of the community at large – while addressing some of today’s most intriguing issues.   

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