The Learning the Language of Diversity and Meaningful Inclusion program’s September speaker will be Teri A. Finneman, journalism professor in the School of Journalism and Mass Communications at the University of Kansas.

She is scheduled to participate in the conversation series on Tuesday, Sept. 7, at noon via Zoom. Her presentation, "I Always Watched Eyewitness News Just to See Your Beautiful Smile: The Ethical Implications of Sexism and TV News,” will begin the program, followed by moderated conversation and audience questions. 

In her talk, Finneman will argue that the rise of social media in recent years has created increased problems for women who work in television, as they receive sexist comments from viewers on their social media accounts. Through a national survey and analysis of journalists' Facebook pages, employers may not doing be enough to protect their employees with supportive social media policies. The session includes an open discussion of sexism and how to shift cultural attitudes.

Finneman is the author of “Press Portrayals of Women Politicians, 1870s-2000s.” She is a former reporter for The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead and WDAY and is past chair of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication’s History Division.

The event is open to the public and provided free of charge by Leann Wolff of Great Outcomes Consulting, Northern Plains Ethics Institute, YWCA Cass Clay and Humanities ND.

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