On April 13th, there was a panel held in Gregory Hall called, The War on Facts: Costs and Casualties. This panel discussion was about “the new federal administration’s disinformation campaign and its ‘running war’ with the mainstream news media”, as it reads on the flyer. That is exactly what is was about. The panel included Lynn Sweet, the Chicago Sun-Times Washington bureau chief, Stephanie Craft, who is the author of our JOURN 200 textbook and who is an associate professor in the Department of Journalism and Communications, she also has her Ph.D. Others on the panel were John Nerone, Ph.D., professor emeritus of Communications, Media and Cinema Studies, lastly, is Ann Reisner who has her PhD. Is an associate professor in the Department of Media and Cinema Studies, the Institution of Communications Research, and the College of Medicine and an affiliate in the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences. The panel was moderated by Mira Sotirovic. This panel was interesting because we have been learning about fake news in class and the panel discussed the topic of fake news. Mira started by stating wars that Trump started, such as the media, and public health war, to name a few. She stated that the real war is the war on facts. Lynn Sweet mentioned that this is a time where journalism is made dramatically clear, people make mistakes, but the things Trump doesn’t like doesn’t make it a fact. Stephanie Craft said, “the more we talk about fake news, the more it becomes a thing.” She then went on to call it the word that shall not be mentioned. Jerome Nerone just touched on the subject that “what is news is not putting much investment into lying”. He also stated that a lie doesn’t have to be elaborate. Ann Reisner talked about how truth is in science, trust is alive, and you need facts you can agree on. She stated, “lies deny who we are as human beings, journalists have to have the ability to speak truth to power.” Ann Reisner talking on the subject was very intriguing and fun to listen to. The panel was overall was intriguing and eye opening about fake news and the war on facts.
On April 5, 2017, federal agents searched areas within the Los Angeles area that were lead to be connected to a 50-million-dollar visa fraud operation that gave Chinese citizens, including fugitives from the law, the opportunity to secure green cards for permanent residency in the United States. This investigation had been going on for several years leading up to this moment. This operation was focused around the EB-5 program that offers foreigns a quicker way to receive a green card. Chinese families whom are wealthy make up most of the programs participants because the family must invest 500,000 dollars into a development project in an area of high unemployment that creates a minimum of 10 jobs. Miriam Jordan, the author of the article states, “According to a 113-page affidavit filed by the F.B.I. in support of the search warrants, a lawyer identified as “Victoria” and her father, “Tat,” both Chinese citizens, conceived the scheme in 2008, using a business called the California Investment Immigration Fund. They offered wealthy Chinese the opportunity to obtain a green card under the EB-5 visa program by investing in cultural center, hotels and restaurants.” This investigation article uses sources like the Department of Homeland Security, the affidavit filed by the F.B.I., and used facts about the EB-5 program to back up her knowledge of what the investigation has evolved around. Even though no arrests were made, computers and other financial papers were taken from the office of the accused. Read the entire story here.
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