Sept. 16, 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. | Boston Public Library
700 Boylston Street, Copley Square, Rabb Lecture Hall
When Checks and Balances Fail: the Media and Civil Liberties in the 2008 Election
An ACLU Constitution Day conversation with:
Eric Alterman, The Nation
Ellen Hume, MIT Center for Future Civic Media
Callie Crossley, Program Manager for the Nieman Foundation for Journalism, Harvard University
Emcee: Barry Nolan, veteran TV journalist
Among the questions to be discussed:
- WHO is demanding real answers about civil liberties in this election year?
- WHAT can we hope for from investigative reporting given the increasing risks faced by whistleblowers?
- WHEN will the Fourth Estate assume the role of “last line of defense” for democracy when Congress fails to exercise a check against the executive’s power grab?
- WHERE can we find the best media coverage of key constitutional issues?
- WHY does the “war on terror” framework continue to affect an independent media’s willingness to take risks seven years after 9/11?
- HOW do we take advantage of opportunities offered by new media to keep the government responsive to the people?
Free and open to the public.
