How to Talk to People Who Disagree With You Politically Is Topic of LWVIL Presentation on June 19

Media Contacts:
Becky Simon, LWVIL President, communications@lwvil.org
Anne Sullivan and Barb Laimins, LWVIL Mis/Disinformation Task Force Co-Chairs, misdisinfotaskforce@lwvil.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CHICAGO, IL, May 22, 2024 – Gina M. Masullo, PhD., associate director of the Center for Media Engagement and an Associate Professor in the School of Journalism and Media, both at The University of Texas at Austin, will speak about “How to Talk to People Who Disagree with You Politically,” on Wednesday, June 19, at 7 pm., virtually via Zoom. Presented by the League of Women Voters of Illinois’ Mis/Disinformation Task Force, the program is free, but registration is required. Visit bit.ly/lwvil619 to register.

The presentation will focus on research-backed approaches for navigating digital and offline spaces with people who disagree with you politically. Dr. Masullo's research focuses on how the digital space both divides people and brings them together, with a particular emphasis on political polarization. Attendees will be provided tangible takeaways to apply in their own lives to be more open to other viewpoints without compromising their values.

Dr. Masullo is the author of Online Incivility and Public Debate: Nasty Talk and The New Town Hall: Why We Engage Personally with Politicians and co-editor of Scandal in a Digital Age. Their latest book, Midlife Sapphic Revelation in the Digital Age: How Digital Media Support Coming Out Late, will be published in 2025. Prior to becoming a professor, they spent 20 years as a newspaper journalist and received a PhD in Mass Media from Syracuse University in 2012. 

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Founded in 1919, the League of Women Voters of Illinois is a nonpartisan organization that encourages informed and active participation in government. It influences public policy through education and advocacy and does not support or oppose any political parties or candidates. With over 100 years of experience and more than 800 local and state affiliations, the League is one of America’s most trusted grassroots organizations. Membership in the League is open to people ages 16 and over. For further information, visit lwvil.org.

To address the troubling rise of misinformation and disinformation—and its impact on our elections—the League of Women Voters of Illinois formed the Mis/Disinformation Task Force in January 2024 with the goal of educating the general public on misinformation and disinformation. For more information, visit lwvil.org/misdis-info.