“I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community and as long as I live, it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can.” – George Bernard Shaw – 1856-1950 – playwright and political activist

 

“Correction does much, but encouragement does more.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe – 1749-1832 – Poet-Playwright-Novelist

 

“The more grateful I am, the more beauty I see.” – Mary Davis – CEO of Special Olympics International

 

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS

(notes provided by the distinguished gentleman from Connecticut, Ed Perry)

 

Bucket Bucks for January are going towards Food As Medicine.

 

Mike Hirschi will be the program at our 1/21/21 club meeting. Mike will be presenting information about his year’s Rotary Foundation Drive. Those members who donate to the Foundation are asked to send the money to Lou by January 25.

 

 

PROGRAM

 

Tom Ulen introduced Professor Brant Houston as our speaker this morning. Brant is the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation Chair in Investigative and Enterprise Reporting at the College of Media here at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). His research focus is on nonprofit journalism newsrooms, digital tools for news-gathering and new business models for journalism. Brant teaches investigative and advanced reporting and oversees the online newsroom at Illinois, CU-CitizenAccess.org. 

 

Brant’s program this morning dealt with the challenges of covering QAnon. With the recent attack on the U.S. Capitol Building, QAnon has gained much attention in the news. QAnon began in 2017 with the far-right conspiracy theory alleging that a cabal of pedophiles are running a global sex-trafficking ring.  This conspiracy theory has been disproven. In 2019 the FBI reported concern that QAnon is a domestic extremist organization. Today, QAnon continues to spread far-right conspiracy theories, false election result theories, political falsehoods, fake news, threats and encourages attacks through online methods. Its audience has grown with the influx of false statements, misinformation and fake news spread through various media by countries, news organizations, and people in power.   

 

Brant noted that, as a reporter, QAnon is difficult to cover because it does not have an organized structure but instead consists of multifaceted collection of people (think hydra tentacles) that use sophisticated online dark web communication boards, social media and private chats. QAnon methods continue to change, broaden and spread its beliefs. One method that QAnon uses to spread these bogus theories is a sophisticated online alternate reality game-like method through the use of clues in various websites, videos, maps and voice messaging.

 

The New York Times and The Atlantic Monthly are two examples of good reporting in communicating information about QAnon. However, when reporting on a group such as QAnon, the journalists face a difficult dilemma: does the benefit of reporting about QAnon outweigh the possible harm the report may cause? 

 

QAnon’s existence and influence continues to grow with the American people and has infiltrated our political structure. President Trump and recently elected US Representatives Marjorie Taylor Green and Lauren Boebert are known to welcome QAnon’s beliefs and support. Boebert’s tweets the day of the Capital ransacking are currently under investigation by federal authorities.

 

According to Brant, QAnon looks at the Capitol attack as a success to build on and will continue to spread misinformation. Brant noted that better reporting and law enforcement is needed. He also added that historically the power of these cult-like groups begins to fade when the group’s influence turns to violent acts and arrests are made.

 

 

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  Jan 21st Jan 28th Feb 4th Feb 11th
         
Reflection Larry Johnson Bob La Charite Eddie Bridges Scott Paceley
Notetaker Hodson Conforti Perry Hodson

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UPCOMING SCHEDULE (with program committee member responsible listed in parentheses)

*All meetings via Zoom unless otherwise noted*

 

January 21st – AG Mike Hiirschi will talk about the Rotary Foundation (Bob)

January 28th – Rachel Rasmussen will give us a update on Books 2 Prisoners (Cary)

February 4th – Tom Hodson, Shelter Box (Charlie)

February 11th – TBD (Mary)

February 18th – TBD (Ondine)

February 25th – TBD (Tom)

March 4th – TBD (Bob)

March 11th – TBD (Cary)

March 18th – TBD (Charlie)

March 25th – TBD (Mary)