July 18 at 7pm
THE WEIRD ECONOMICS OF TRUTH: Understanding Today’s News & Documentary Landscape
We have more information at our fingertips than any other generation in the history of the world. And yet, it seems harder than ever to decipher what information is trustworthy and what is pushing an agenda– especially when it comes to broadcast news, an industry built to provide credible information. How did we get here? And what can the audience do to better equip themselves to understand the push and pull factors that help shape the news reports and documentary films they are watching?
In this talk, award-winning journalist and filmmaker Jackie Jesko will pull back the curtain on the inner workings of the news and documentary industries. Why isn’t the media covering that particular war overseas? Why is true crime the dominant documentary genre? How do some news networks get away with being so obviously partisan? If you’ve ever wanted to better understand the media landscape, this talk will help explain the complex interplay between journalists, their audiences, and platforms that need high ratings to survive.
The Speaker
JACKIE JESKO is an award-winning director, producer, and journalist. In 2023, she directed the HBO three-part series Savior Complex. She is also the co-founder of the production company Latchkey Films, whose recent credits include Savior Complex, Between Life & Death with MSNBC Films and Demons & Saviors on Hulu. Before pivoting into documentary, Jackie was a producer at VICE News, where her reports for Showtime, Hulu and HBO earned her a DuPont Award, an Emmy, and the James Foley Medal for Courage in Journalism. She started her career as an assistant at ABC News Nightline, working her way up to a producer role by the time she was 25. Jackie loves to tell stories about complicated people, places, and societies. You can keep up with her work by following her on Instagram @jackie.jesko or @latchkey-films.