A New York State Writers Institute web magazine of essay, opinion, literature, culture, and politics.
-Editor: Paul Grondahl
-Executive Editor: William Kennedy
-Managing Editor / Web design: Michael Huber
-Contributing Editor: Edward Schwarzschild
Fall 2017: Essays and opinion
Focusing our attention to the community and practicing positive human interaction, may combat the distortion of truth in a ‘Post-Truth World.' Read more.
Eugene Garber
From the archives
David Clarke, BBC
Lies have consequences: A fake news story widely circulated in influential British newspapers in 1917 claimed the Kaiser's forces processed dead soldiers for cannon fodder. The Nazis later used this episode as proof of British lies. Read more.
Paul Grondahl
In a time where nearly 70% of Americans get their news from social media, we must reflect on our own biases in order to differentiate news from propaganda. Now more than ever, it is integral to practice respectful dialogue and be open minded receivers of information. Read more.
Michael Huber
The average citizen, either unwilling or incapable of discerning fact from opinion, or fake news from real news, has become an ineffectual component in our democratic society. Read more.
Tom Kertscher
Media literacy can help consumers discern what’s real and what’s fake, as would a redoubling of the efforts of legitimate journalists. Read more.
In a time when both legitimate and illegitimate information circulates the web, practicing critical thinking is more important than ever in discerning which sources are reliable. Read more.
Leonard Perlmutter
The internal dialogue that takes place while we decide whether or not to serve the Truth usually sounds like this: “If I lie, the outcome I fear will probably just disappear. If I speak the Truth, the outcome I fear is going to cause me pain.” Read more.
Political affiliation is the modern version of the tribe; tribal mentality undermines the media's ability to report effectually, if we only listen to information that supports our opinions. Read more.
Frank S. Robinson
In the current political rhetoric, it is important to not just hear the words, but to understand and digest what is being said. Read more.
Rebecca Wolff
When factual news stories fail to produce meaningful attention to the social condition they are meant to illuminate, do they also fail to produce the truth? Read more.
Excerpts from the New York State Writers Institute’s archives of literary conversations.
Comics and art
click to enlarge
(click images to enlarge)
