NPR's Michele Norris to Speak on the Media & Election '08

Michele Norris, host of NPR's All Things Considered, will be in town next week. The Mary Alice Distinguished Lectureship, William Randolph Hearst Endowment for Visiting Professionals and the School of Journalism at UT Austin are sponsoring her lecture titled "Listening to America in an Election Year: Did the Press Get it Right?" Surely the lecture won't just focus on Joe the Plumber, "lipstick on a pig", Bill Ayers, Jeremiah Wright, the Bradley Effect, Palin's expensive clothes, and all the other memes the media seemed to glom onto this election year. While the internet (in general) and social media (specifically) played a larger-than-ever role in the 2008 election, the press still proved their relevancy with their research into Gov. Palin's background, their own blogging on the election, and more.

Norris has won many awards for her journalistic work, including the National Association of Black Journalists’ 2006 Salute to Excellence Award for her coverage of Hurricane Katrina and a Peabody and Emmy for her work on ABC's 9/11 coverage. She also was awarded the Outstanding Women in Marketing & Communications Award by Ebony Magazine in 2007. Her lecture next Thursday is free and open to the public.