Program looks at role of media in era of ‘fake news’

SUNY Adirondack will present “Freedom of the Press in the Era of ‘Fake News,’” a discussion with local journalists, on Sept. 19 as part of the college’s annual Constitution Day celebration.

The program, which examines the importance of the First Amendment, will feature a panel of media experts from the region, including Post-Star Editor Ken Tingley and Times Union Reporter Amanda Fries.

The event, which is free and open to the public, will be held at 3 p.m. Sept. 19 in Miller Auditorium in Dearlove Hall on the Queensbury campus.

Tingley has been editor of The Post-Star for 18 years and was editor of the newspaper when it won the Pulitzer Prize for editorial writing in 2009. He writes a column twice a week on local people, news and issues. Tingley has won numerous state and national awards over the years for his writing, has served as a national officer with the Associated Press Sports Editors and a committee chair and member of the board of directors with the American Society of Newspaper Editors. He also serves on the board of directors with the New York State Associated Press, where he is a past president.

Fries covers the county and city of Albany for the Times Union, where she has worked since 2016. She previously worked at the Poughkeepsie Journal as an investigative reporter and The Observer-Dispatch in Utica covering city hall, among other beats. She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Temple University in Philadelphia.

The program was organized by Assistant Professor of Political Science Wendy Johnston.

For more information, contact Johnston at johnstonw@sunyacc.edu or 518.832.7729.