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Future of First Amendment: FIU to host 'Free Speech: A Florida Dialogue' with Georgetown University

Over the next three weeks, Florida International University will hold a series of public town halls for the community weigh on the candidacy of Interim President Kenneth Jessell.
Kate Payne / WLRN
Over the next three weeks, Florida International University will hold a series of public town halls for the community weigh on the candidacy of Interim President Kenneth Jessell.

Florida International University is holding a critical conversation on the the future of the First Amendment, partnering with Georgetown University's Free Speech Project to host "Free Speech: A Florida Dialogue," a symposium tackling today's most "pressing challenges to free speech."

The symposium is being held Wednesday, April 8, on FIU's main campus, 11200 SW 8 St., Miami, FL 33199. It runs from 8:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. at the Earlene and Albert Dotson Pavilion (MARC 290). Registration is free.

The event will tak a deep dive into the legal, ethical, and personal dimensions of the First Amendment, "featuring conversations with top legal experts, academics, journalists, and courageous young reporters from Latin American countries who are now journalism students at FIU."

The symposium kicks off with a session titled Free Speech Here, but Not at Home. This panel highlights the lived experiences of FIU students at the Lee Caplin School of Journalism & Media, many of whom have deep ties to regions where the press is under siege.

These students will "share their take on exercising their rights as journalists in the United States — because their families left countries where free expression can get you arrested, beaten, or even killed," said symposium organizers in a statement.

A second session, Free Speech Today: A View From Florida, looks at the historical foundation of press freedom and the future of free expression.

The final panel will explore the modern digital landscape, specifically the viral spread of misinformation. Titled Learning and Protecting the Truth in an Era of Disorder and Disinformation, the panel features award-winning journalists who stand on the front lines of factual integrity.

The symposium is sponsored by the Free Speech Project at Georgetown University; FIU's Lee Caplin School of Journalism & Media, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation in collaboration with the Office of Public Policy Events. 

Register and learn more about the "Free Speech: A Florida Dialogue" symposium here.

Learn more about the Free Speech Project at Florida International University here.

Learn more about the Lee Caplin School of Journalism & Media at Florida International University here.

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