COLUMBIA — More than 30 participants joined in a community dialogue Wednesday night to discuss the “five W’s” — the who, what, where, when and why — and how of the news media.
Participants ranging in age from 17 to 81 and coming from all six city wards were prompted by questions such as “How do you define the news media?” and “What do the news media mean to you?” The conversations touched on topics including Rush Limbaugh, accuracy, infotainment, foreign media, cartoons, crossword puzzles, the Internet blogosphere and the influence of ratings and advertising.
The discussion kicked off a three-part series titled “Watching the Watchdog,” sponsored by the Columbia Missourian, the Reynolds Journalism Institute and the City Human Rights Commission, held at the Columbia Public Library.
Volunteers with Community Study Circles — a program of the Human Rights Commission — facilitated the discussion, which will continue in two sessions scheduled for July and August.