Step Into The Ring
Join us for the 13th annual student-led UCO Media Ethics Conference: “Age of Lies and Conspiracies: The Ethics Battle,” on October 1st from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Bob Burke First Amendment Center, Room 120. This year, we will tackle the pressing issue of misinformation that infiltrates today’s media landscape. Experts from local, national, and international media will come together for diverse panels, offering insight into the current media environment and strategies for combating falsehoods and conspiracies. Don’t miss this crucial conversation about the ethical challenges facing modern journalism!
Our Speakers and Panelists
Joy Mayer
Joy Mayer is the founder and executive director of Trusting News, a project that studies how people decide what news to trust and helps journalists and the public understand each other. She and her team train newsrooms on strategies for demonstrating credibility and actively earning trust. She launched Trusting News in 2016 after a 20-year career in newsrooms and as a professor at the Missouri School of Journalism.
Paul Monies
Paul Monies has been a reporter for more than 20 years and covers state agencies for Oklahoma Watch, a nonprofit investigative news organization. Before that, he was an energy reporter for The Oklahoman in Oklahoma City. He’s also worked as a data journalist at USA Today and on the watchdog investigations team at The Oklahoman. Monies is a native of Scotland and has degrees from Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas, and the University of Missouri School of Journalism. He lives in Oklahoma City with his wife, Jennifer, and has two children.
Dr. Jerry Goodwin
Jerry Goodwin, LP.D, MBA, is a dynamic educator and a highly accomplished executive with a long-standing record of success in higher education, business, communications, and non-profit management. In education, Dr. Goodwin is an associate professor in mass communication and journalism at Tulsa Community College and faculty adviser to the award-winning newspaper, TCC Connection (www.tccconnection.com), and he is an adjunct professor in business at Langston University, the state’s HBCU. He is a contributing editor and writer for the state’s oldest African American prize-winning weekly newspaper, The Oklahoma Eagle (www.theokeagle.com). In business, he is a fourth-generation journalist and currently serves as associate publisher of the award-winning The Oklahoma Eagle, the 10th oldest Black newspaper in the nation. He has been affiliated with the newspaper for his entire life. He most recently rejoined the staff after a hiatus to pursue his career in higher education. In communications, Dr. Goodwin is president/CEO of Goodwin and Grant, the oldest minority public relations and diversity communications firm in the state. In the non-profit community, he is the former president/CEO of the Metropolitan Tulsa Urban League. Currently, he serves as a former chair and board member of the City of Tulsa/Rogers County Port of Catoosa, where he is the youngest to serve and the most senior member of its board of directors, where he has served for 28 years. Additionally, Dr. Goodwin is president of the Oklahoma Society of Professional Journalists Pro Chapter, a founding member and treasurer of the National Association of Black Journalists –Tulsa chapter, and a faculty member for the Oklahoma Collegiate Media Association. He is a member of the Public Relations Society of America and its Counselor Academy. Dr. Goodwin received his doctoral degree in law and policy from Northeastern University (Boston), a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Phoenix, and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Xavier University (Cincinnati).
Dr. Terry Clark: Moderator
Dr. Terry M. Clark retired as professor of journalism at the University of Central Oklahoma after 27 years where he was also department chair and director of the Oklahoma Journalism Hall of Fame. His 20-year award-winning journalism career in Iowa and Oklahoma included owning a weekly newspaper. Since retirement he has devoted himself to landscape painting and maintains a studio in the historic Paseo Arts District in Oklahoma City where he is also a member artist of the In Your Eye Gallery. He earned degrees from UCO, the University of Iowa and Oklahoma State University. He grew up in New Mexico and has lived most of his life on the Great Plains and in Oklahoma.
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Dr. Sridhar Krishnaswami
Dr. Sridhar Krishnaswami has been a journalist for 35 years and a foreign correspondent with The Hindu and The Press Trust of India for 18 years. He spent 10 years in Washington covering the United Nations and North America, four years in Singapore managing Southeast Asia, and the Asia-Pacific region, and seven years in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, as editor-in-chief, and foreign affairs writer. Dr. Krishnaswami holds a PhD in Political Science from Miami University of Ohio with specializations and expertise in international relations and the political systems of East Asia. He also has a master’s degree from the University of Madras and Ohio University. He is also recognized as a Professional Fellow with the Japan Foundation and a fellow journalist with the Foreign Press Center of Japan; he received the award from Radio Tampa Broadcasting Award for his Asia-Pacific papers. After his career in journalism, he became a distinguished, and respected professor of journalism at SRM University, Sikkim, and he was also in various leadership roles at SRM Institute of Science and Technology. He is also a member of the Governing Council and Secretary of the Indo-Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IJCCI) and has co-authored the First Policy Paper of The Centre titled Fostering Synergetic Relations Between India and Japan
Raqib Naik
Raqib Hameed Naik is the founder and Executive Director of the Center for the Study of Organized Hate (CSOH). Naik also founded India Hate Lab, a research initiative focused on analyzing hate speech, disinformation, and conspiracy theories, and Hindutva Watch, a hate tracker that documents the rise of Hindu nationalism and the persecution of religious minorities in India. The Washington Post has described Hindutva Watch as one of India’s only and most comprehensive real-time datasets of hate crimes.
Guilherme Canela
Guilherme Canela is the chief of the Section of Freedom of Expression and Safety of Journalists at UNESCO’s Communication and Information Sector, based in Paris. For eight years, he served as the communication and information regional adviser for Latin America and the Caribbean at UNESCO Montevideo Office. During that time, he coordinated the UNESCO Initiative for the Promotion of Democracy and Freedom of Expression in judicial systems across the region. Guilherme holds a B.A. in International Relations from the University of Brasília and a Master’s in Political Science from the University of São Paulo. From 2000-2008, he coordinated media and journalism research for the News Agency for Children’s Rights (ANDI), overseeing surveys on media coverage of children’s education, rights, and social development. He co-authored 10 books and various publications on human and children’s rights. He also worked as a research consultant for the United Nations Latin American Institute and the Ayrton Senna Journalism Award. Guilherme has contributed to TV rating system regulation in Brazil, served as president of the Consultative Committee on Children and Media in Uruguay, and actively participated in the implementation of Access laws in Brazil and Paraguay.
Elanie Steyn: Moderator
Elanie Steyn is the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Oklahoma. She is an experienced international trainer/educator with a specialization in gender issues, media leadership and management. She has worked on research and teaching projects on these topics internationally since 2007. Steyn has been the PI or co-PI on more than a dozen State Department and other grants involving South Asia. She has worked extensively with students, media professionals and entrepreneurs in Bangladesh, Burma, India, Pakistan, Nepal, Kazakhstan and Sri Lanka. Prior to joining OU, Steyn conducted research for media and private sector businesses, government departments, universities and investment corporations in Africa and Europe. Steyn has published more than 30 peer-reviewed articles and/or chapters in textbooks, has read more than 50 conference papers and serves on review and editorial boards of academic journals. Before joining OU, she was a senior lecturer in the School of Communication Studies at the North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus in South Africa.
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Eliza Tan
Eliza Tan is a professor, photographer and multimedia artist. She manages product partnerships and co-marketing for the Adobe Video Ecosystem. Her diverse background includes Photography at the Tokyo 2020 and Beijing 2022 Olympic Games and Video Post-Production in the documentary and e-learning space. As a Part-Time Professor, Eliza teaches university classes on Video and Photojournalism, Web Design, UX/UI Design, and Animation. Born in Singapore, she grew up in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia, and is now based in San Francisco.
Nick Oxford
Nick is a freelance photojournalist based in Oklahoma City. In 2022, he was part of the team that won the National Reporting Pulitzer Prize for The New York Times series documenting a disturbing pattern of fatal traffic stops by police. With a distinct interest in extreme weather events, he often finds himself in the middle of historic natural disasters or documenting the people and communities being affected by climate change. When he’s not photographing breaking news, Nick enjoys working alongside national and international news outlets photographing in depth stories that examine social issues and politics. He often works for The Washington Post, Reuters, The New York Times, Associated Press and others.
Ashley Wilemon
Ashley Wilemon is Marketing Director in LDWW’s Oklahoma City office. She currently works on media relations and brand communications strategy for a variety of clients including Cars.com, LegalShield, WinStar World Casino & Resort and Carnival Cruise Line. Prior to joining LDWW, Ashley was Senior Vice President – Client Strategy and Service for Saxum, leading crisis and issues management, executive training, writing and media relations efforts for clients across multiple verticals. During her time at Saxum, Ashley led comprehensive rebranding efforts for companies in aerospace and defense, financial services and energy as well as working on issues management initiatives for brands such as Anheuser-Busch and Hobby Lobby. Before joining Saxum in Oklahoma, Ashley led the corporate practice for the Dallas office of Edelman, spearheading public awareness campaigns and reputation management efforts for clients in the event marketing, professional services and technology fields. Ashley began her career at Weber Shandwick in Dallas, providing award-winning support for American Airlines, Verizon Wireless and a variety of other B2B and B2C clients. Ashley has taught PR Writing at the Gaylord College of Journalism at the University of Oklahoma and consulted with the U.S. State Department on best practices for media measurement. Ashley graduated magna cum laude as a Trustee Scholar from Boston University with a degree in communications and a minor in business administration.
Taylor Horner: Moderator
Taylor Horner is a senior studying photographic arts and visual media at the University of Central Oklahoma. She currently works as a photo archivist at UCO Photo services, and formerly worked at The Vista as the photo editor. Over the summer, she interned at the Tulsa World as a photojournalist.
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Dylan Brown
Dylan Brown is a news anchor and reporter with KFOR NBC 4, a job he said he dreamed of getting and is happy to have. Before that, he was a news anchor/reporter/producer at KRCR KCVU Redding, CA. Before that, he was a news anchor/reporter etc. for KAEF Eureka, CA. He has been in the news business for six years and has covered stories ranging from deadly wildfires to protests to a deadly pandemic to the fun scarecrow Halloween decoration in downtown Edmond. He attended the University of Central Oklahoma. He is married and has two dogs.
“Yes, I love talking to a camera alone in a dark room with a light shining in my face. But the real highlight of news is being a journalist. Making a difference while informing the public. Holding those in power accountable. Giving a voice to those who are otherwise voiceless. You know, all the cheesy things you hear journalists say when they talk about the job, but true.”
Chuck Maulden
Chuck Maulden is a veteran journalist with a career spanning more than four decades. Raised in Bryant, Arkansas, his passion for journalism was shaped by the major events of the 1960s and solidified during the Watergate scandal. Starting in 1978, Chuck covered significant stories, including the 1979 Iranian Hostage Crisis, the early political life of Bill and Hillary Clinton, the 1980 Titan II nuclear missile explosion, and the 1985 hijacking of Flight 847. He also reported on the 1996 Centennial Olympic Park bombing and led coverage of natural disasters, such as the record-setting storms and floods in Arkansas from 2008 to 2011. Chuck’s work earned national recognition, including his leadership during the 2009 Great Recession, when his newsroom won seven Regional Murrow Awards. In 2021, his documentary on the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre won a National Edward R. Murrow Award. His career highlights demonstrate a commitment to covering pivotal moments in history with depth and integrity.
Rachel Klein
Rachel Klein, APR, currently serves as the Director of the Office of Communications for the Oklahoma State Department of Health. Before OSDH, Klein served as the vice president of Communications at the YMCA of Greater Oklahoma City. Through her career has held a variety of related positions with the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma, American Red Cross of Central Oklahoma, LifeShare Transplant Donor Services of Oklahoma, United Way of Central Oklahoma, TrueSky Credit Union and Great Plains Bank.Rachel is Accredited in Public Relations and holds a BA in Journalism and Public Relations from the University of Central Oklahoma. Rachel is active in the Oklahoma City Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America serving in various leadership roles and was the recipient of the 2019 Paul E. Dannelley Jr. Harmony Award and the 2016 PR Professional of the Year Award. Active in her community, Rachel serves on the Children’s Health Foundation, American Heart Association and Leadership Oklahoma City Alumni Boards, is a member of Rotary Club 29 and is a graduate of Leadership Oklahoma City’s LOYAL II and Signature Class 33. Rachel is the proud mother of Jovi, a talented artist and kindhearted 17-year-old, and is a new dog mom to an adorable sheep doodle named Falkor.
Jannelle Stecklein: Panelist & Moderator
Janelle Stecklein is editor of Oklahoma Voice, a nonprofit news organization. She has been covering Oklahoma government since 2014 as CNHI’s Capitol Bureau Chief. Since graduating from college with degrees in journalism and political science, she has worked for publications of all sizes, including the Herald-Banner in Greenville, Texas, the Amarillo Globe-News and The Salt Lake Tribune. Stecklein is particularly interested in examining how government policy decisions impact Oklahomans living outside the state’s two largest cities. She resides in the Oklahoma City area with her husband and two children.
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Caleb Lack
Caleb W. Lack, PhD, is a professor of Psychology and the Counseling Psychology MA program coordinator at the University of Central Oklahoma. A licensed clinical psychologist, Dr. Lack is the best-selling author or editor of eight books on topics such as OCD, critical thinking, critical thinking and pseudoscience to racism and sexism in early psychology. He has published over 70 scientific papers on psychological issues, including Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Tourette’s Syndrome, and pediatric mood disorders. Dr. Lack has conducted workshops for clinicians across North and South America, Europe, and East Asia, and is a faculty member of the International OCD Foundation’s Training Institute. He specializes in treating anxiety disorders and related conditions, such as chronic tics, Tourette’s Syndrome, and trichotillomania. He is frequently consulted by major media outlets, including The New York Times and The Atlantic. More information can be found at www.caleblack.com.
Guy Crain
Guy Crain is a professor and chair of the philosophy department at Rose State College in Midwest City. Guy received his Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Oklahoma. Crain’s area of specialization is in the formulation and application of normative ethical systems such as consequentialism and virtue ethics. His dissertation concerned the ethics of interpersonal violence, defending a form of interpersonal pacifism. Guy has academic publications concerning methodology in ethics, violence and virtue ethics, and the Satanic Panic. He has been a guest on numerous panels covering topics such as voting behavior, the political ideology of community college students, the importance of liberal arts education, how science affects public policy, political polarization, and how technology affects individual liberty. Crain is also the co-host of the Curiosity Porn podcast.
Shauna Bowes
Shauna Bowes, Ph.D., received her doctorate in clinical psychology from Emory University in 2023. She is currently a National Science Foundation Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences Postdoctoral Fellow at Vanderbilt University in Psychology and Human Development. Her research program uses an individual differences approach to understand what makes people turn toward and away from accurate and open-minded thinking. She specifically focuses on intellectual humility, political polarization, and misinformation susceptibility to build an understanding of when, why, and how people latch on to certain beliefs over others.
Dr. Jerry Green: Panelist & Moderator
Dr. Jerry Green started teaching at UCO in the Department of Humanities and Philosophy in 2017. He specializes in Ancient Greek Philosophy, especially ethicsin Plato and Aristotle. Most of his research focuses on Aristotle’s under-appreciated Eudemian Ethics, and its relationship to the better-known Nicomachean Ethics (covering a range of topics including the nature of the soul, the relationship between humans and God, the foundations of friendship, the components of happiness and what it means to be human). He is also interested in contemporary virtue ethics and virtue epistemology, social epistemology and the overlap between epistemology and teaching and learning. Green is an affiliate faculty in Modern Languages, where he teaches Biblical Greek
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Acknowledgments
We would like to recognize and thank our additional guests who provided opening remarks and served as our emcee
Jake Ramsey: Emcee
Jake Ramsey is a senior at UCO in the professional media department. He is the editor-in-chief of The Vista and the director of the UCentral broadcast. Jake is the only two-time scholarship recipient from the Oklahoma Journalism Hall of Fame and recently interned with Oklahoma Watch. After graduation, he plans to continue working in investigative and database journalism.
UCO President Todd Lamb: Welcoming Words
UCO President Todd G. Lamb’s selection as President of the University of Central Oklahoma marked a new chapter in his distinguished career that includes public service, statewide elected office, private law practice and business ownership. Early in his career, President Lamb served as a Special Agent with the U.S. Secret Service. While in the Secret Service he served on the protection details for Presidents Clinton and George W. Bush. He was also assigned to portions of the 9/11 investigation. President Lamb also served in the Oklahoma State Senate where he rose to the position of Majority Floor Leader and was later elected to serve as Oklahoma’s Lt. Governor. An office he held for eight years. During his time in elected office, he served in a number of leadership roles, focusing on educational, financial and commerce matters. He also received the Oklahoma State Regents Distinguished Service Award for his dedication to strengthening higher education in Oklahoma. President Lamb’s diverse background in government, law, financial management and industry is helping guide UCO into the future as a leading university in career readiness.
Dr. Michael Breslin: Opening Remarks
Mike Breslin is the chair of the Department of Mass Communications at the University of Central Oklahoma. He has been on the UCO Strategic Communications faculty since 2011. He has nearly 40 years of journalism, public relations and strategic communications experience in agency, government, nonprofit and academic Environments. Prior to academia, his industry experience as a communicator included technology (multiple sectors), telecommunications, insurance, health care, pharmaceuticals, non-profit/advocacy and aerospace. Client/corporate experience included the American Lung Association, Continental (now United) Airlines, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, Reliant Energy, Cingular Wireless (now AT&T), Nokia, Texas Tech Health Sciences Center, TIG Insurance, GTE (now Verizon), Ericsson and the U.S. Air Force. His specialties included issues management, crisis communications, litigation communications, spokesperson training, media relations, reputation management and account planning/management. His teaching focus is public relations, media research and PR writing. His focus as a researcher is the media, particularly news media literacy. He holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Leadership and Policy (Higher Education) from Oklahoma State University and a Master of Arts in Mass Communications from Texas Tech University.
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