Note to Correspondents

United Nations Academic Impact Hosts Debate on Future of Newspapers, 10 September

The United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI) will host a lunchtime debate on the future of newspapers, on 10 September at the Dag Hammarskjöld Library Auditorium, from 1:15 to 2:30 p.m.

To be held under its discussion forum “ Point Counter-Point”, the discussion will take the form of a debate, with panellists arguing in favour of a motion or against, and an audience opinion tally will be taken — before and after the debate — to see if these arguments have been able to change minds.

The topic of the debate is “The death of newspapers is irreversible.”  Speaking in defence of the motion will be Dr. Regina Marchi, Associate Professor, Journalism and Media Studies, Rutgers University, and Heena Chavda, a graduate student of New York University.  Speaking against the motion will be Ambassador Simona-Mirela Miculescu, Permanent Representative of Romania to the United Nations, and Atul Singh, Editor, Fair Observer.  Expert commentary will be provided by Mark Jurkowitz, Associate Director, Project for Excellence in Journalism, Pew Research Center, Washington, D.C.

The forum is open to delegates, the academic community, non-governmental organizations, media and United Nations staff.  Seating is limited, and those interested in attending are requested to register at http://outreach.un.org/unai/2012/09/04/point-counter-point-debate-the-death-of-newspaper-is-irreversible/.

The forum, to be webcast live, will be available at webtv.un.org.  Viewers may also send questions to the panel members or share a comment on UNAI’s Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/ImpactUN.

The United Nations Academic Impact, an initiative launched by the Secretary-General, is situated in the Department of Public Information.  It aligns schools of higher learning and research with the United Nations and with each other to promote the goals and objectives of the United Nations.  More than 850 universities and organizations in 117 countries are now members of UNAI (http://outreach.un.org/unai).

For further information, please contact academicimpact@un.org or Hasan Ferdous at +1 212 963 6555.

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For information media • not an official record