KINGSTON, R.I. – April 2, 2026 – We’re all familiar with that “breaking news” intro when watching a newscast. Or, hearing a “ding” on our phones notifying us when an important story impacting local or global matters goes live.
Addressing crises—image, political, climate, legal, etc.—has been a constant task for the communications sector, journalism notwithstanding, to help maintain a functioning, informed society. However, methods of delivering crisis communication are also, ironically, in crisis. The rise of digital media—including social media and artificial intelligence—and the need for instant access to news has dramatically shifted, but there are consequences of the current digital environment from a social and cultural perspective.
On April 9 and 10, the University of Rhode Island Harrington School of Communication and Media will invite higher education communications faculty from across the country for a two-day symposium to address the challenges contemporary media faces today. The symposium, “Crisis in Mediated Communication,” will feature panel discussions on topics ranging from corporate social advocacy and navigating corporate crises; to journalism, propaganda and AI; to reconsidering the audience in the digital era and more.
Registration and a full event schedule can be found on the Harrington School’s website.
“The conference is really about looking across disciplines and thinking about crises in not just a negative way, but in a productive way,” Harrington School Interim Director Justin Wyatt said. “We want to show that the issues and challenges cut across multiple content areas. Hopefully this symposium will inspire thought and continued dialogue around these crucial issues.”
The discussions will be held in the Memorial Union (Atrium Room 1), 50 Lower College Road, on the Kingston Campus. Scholars from URI, Boston College, Emerson College, Bentley University, Rutgers University, the University of Miami, Tulane University, the University of Kentucky, Quinnipiac University, St. Bonaventure University and the University of Buffalo are expected to attend.
Questions that the symposium plans to address include what society gains and loses from the bevy of mediated communications, and how people navigate these information channels mindfully. Wyatt says technology has moved so quickly since the turn of the century that the digital revolution has created new pathways to communicate with the public. But with that, many traditional business practices have gone out the window, he says.
“When you engage with an online- or media-streaming environment, you’re making certain choices. Every one of your choices is being logged and you’re being defined as a consumer and as a viewer,” Wyatt said. “Unless you’re careful, what happens is you’re going down that rabbit hole and getting more and more content that’s exactly like what you’re watching already.”
He adds that news consumers need to think about veering beyond their usual media choices to avoid becoming siloed.
“It can be challenging to view both sides of a particular issue and form a perspective,” said Wyatt. “However, without the ability to do that, we’re going to become a more polarized society.”
The URI Harrington School of Communication and Media is a community of students and educators exploring the multifaceted, increasingly globalized and rapidly evolving world of communication and media. For more information about the program, contact Justin Wyatt at justinw@uri.edu.