UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — With an election on the horizon and COVID-19 still gripping the U.S., news consumption has reached record levels in recent months. Journalist and author Matt Taibbi has never been shy about sharing his thoughts on how the media can distort perceptions of reality in the name of clicks, shares and advertising dollars.
Taibbi encapsulates those ideas in his book “Hate Inc.: Why Today’s Media Makes Us Despise One Another” and will present an online lecture on media literacy in politics and beyond at 4 p.m. ET on Sept. 17. The event is co-sponsored by the McCourtney Institute for Democracy in the College of the Liberal Arts and the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications.
“Hate, Inc.,” offers Taibbi’s take on what he describes as the vivid, disturbing reality of the news media today. With his trademark wit and take-no-prisoners stance on the pursuit of the truth, he gives an insider's guide to the variety of ways today's mainstream media tells us lies and purposefully pits us against each other.
In books and Rolling Stone articles, Taibbi has also covered the killing of Eric Garner by New York City police, the 2008 financial crisis and the increasing wealth gap in the U.S.
He hosts the podcast Useful Idiots for Rolling Stone and regularly publishes articles on his own Substack account. He is a previous recipient of the National Magazine Award and the Sidney Award, which honors investigative journalism produced in service of the common good.
Taibbi will take questions following his lecture. Advance registration is required to attend; visit democracy.psu.edu/taibbi to RSVP.