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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250710T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250710T200000
DTSTAMP:20260406T105531
CREATED:20250702T133536Z
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SUMMARY:Media in the Crosshairs: A Conversation with Judy Woodruff and Tara McGowan moderated by Rachel Janfaza
DESCRIPTION: BigTentUSA hosted legendary journalist Judy Woodruff and founder/publisher of Courier News\, Tara McGowan. The conversation will be moderated by Gen Z journalist Rachel Janfaza. \nAt a time of historic distrust in the media and rising misinformation\, how do we keep the public informed—and believing the facts? The conversation explored the challenges facing both legacy and emerging outlets\, the growing cynicism among audiences\, and the urgent need to rebuild trust in journalism as a cornerstone of democracy. \nThis discussion highlighted how data driven Courier is in meeting the moment with social-first\, fact-based reporting designed to reach Americans who’ve been left behind by traditional media. Our speakers will also examine how legacy voices like Woodruff’s continue to guide the public through complicated\, high-stakes times with clarity and integrity. \nThis was more than a conversation about the media—it was about defending truth and preserving democracy. \nABOUT THE SPEAKERS \nJUDY WOODRUFF is the Senior Correspondent for the PBS NewsHour after serving for 11 years as its Anchor and Managing Editor. She has covered politics and other news for over four decades at CNN\, NBC\, and PBS. In 2023 and 2024\, she undertook a reporting project\, America at a Crossroads\, to better understand the country’s political divide.   \nWoodruff is the recent recipient of an Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award\, as well as the Radcliffe Medal\, the Poynter Medal for Lifetime Achievement in Journalism\, the Gwen Ifill Press Freedom Award from the Committee to Protect Journalists and the Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism from Arizona State University. She is the recipient of more than 25 honorary degrees. \nTARA MCGOWAN is the founder and Publisher of Courier Newsroom and CEO of Good Information Inc\, a civic incubator that invests in immediate solutions to counter disinformation online. Recognizing the need for new media infrastructure that deliberately reaches and informs the consumers across the country who are most susceptible to being targeted with disinformation online\, she founded in Courier in 2019. \nCourier is a network of state and local newsrooms that deliver factual\, cultural\, and relevant news through a pro-democracy lens to communities who have been left behind by traditional media\, directly to their social newsfeeds and inboxes.  \nRACHEL JANFAZA is the founder of The Up and Up – a newsletter about young voters – and and a consultant on youth civic engagement and media strategy. A member of Generation Z myself\, she is lazier-focused on the cohort’s civic attitude and has convened listening sessions with hundreds of young people across the country. Her written work has been featured in The New York Times\, CNN\, The Free Press\, Glamour\, POLITICO Magazine\, Teen Vogue\, Vogue\, Elle\, Cosmo\, and Bustle. And my on-air analysis has been featured on CNN\, C-SPAN\, The Hill TV\, NY-1\, WNYC Public Radio\, and NPR/WBUR. 
URL:https://bigtentusa.org/event/mediainthecrosshairs/
CATEGORIES:BigTent Spotlight Speaker Series,BigTent Events,Preserving Democracy
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250716T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250716T200000
DTSTAMP:20260406T105531
CREATED:20250702T191815Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250813T183858Z
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SUMMARY:A Conversation with Adam Kinzinger and Reed Galen: The Strength of Collective Action
DESCRIPTION:BigTentUSA was honored to host former Congressman Adam Kinzinger – a leading voice in the fight to protect democracy\, and co-founder of The Lincoln Project and President of The Union\, Reed Galen. As Trump and his allies push forward with Project 2025—threatening to dismantle democratic norms\, purge civil servants\, and consolidate power—the urgency for collective action has never been greater. On the eve of a nationwide protest against the authoritarian threats facing our country\, join us for this timely conversation. \nOur speakers explored the vision behind collective action and how it’s helping build long-term civic muscle across the country. More importantly they will address how everyday Americans can take meaningful action to strengthen democracy in their communities. \nThe Union is a growing national coalition of volunteers\, organizers\, and pro-democracy advocates working to defend decency\, truth\, and competence in American government. Under Reed’s leadership\, The Union is building a durable\, nationwide organizing infrastructure to support candidates—up and down the ballot—who will uphold the Constitution and serve the public in good faith. \nCountry First mobilizes and equips the Reasonable Majority to defend democracy and champion change in their own communities. By equipping citizens with the tools to take action where they live and by leading grassroots efforts that strengthen communities\, we are building a healthier\, more stable and stronger country from the ground up. \nABOUT THE SPEAKERS \nREED GALEN is an independent political strategist and co-founder of The Lincoln Project. He now serves as the President of The Union\, a nationwide coalition working to rebuild American democracy from the ground up. The Union brings together volunteers\, organizers\, and local leaders to support decent\, competent candidates at every level of government. Under Reed’s leadership\, The Union is building the infrastructure needed to show up in all 50 states and strengthen civic engagement nationwide. \nADAM KINZINGER  served six terms in the United States House of Representatives\, from 2011-2022\, where he represented Illinois’ Sixteenth Congressional District. Prior to being elected to Congress\, Kinzinger served in the Air Force in both Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. Currently he is a senior political commentator on CNN\, founder of Country First and is known for his unwavering commitment to defend democratic values and promote civic participation across America.
URL:https://bigtentusa.org/event/collectiveaction/
LOCATION:BigTent Zoom Room
CATEGORIES:BigTent Spotlight Speaker Series,BigTent Events,Preserving Democracy
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