Choose Civility Events Hosted by FSU Communication Leadership Lab

Apr 29, 2022 12:00 AM

The Communication Leadership Lab hosted several events in April as part of the Allegany County Choose Civility series. On April 5, Dr. Chelsea Daggett’s CMST 302 Argumentation and Advocacy class facilitated a presentation and discussion titled, “What Did You Meme?” featuring examples of logical fallacies in memes and how misinformation spreads in online spaces.

On April 7, the annual Day of Civility in Allegany County, leader-in-residence Dr. Dorene Ciletti presented on social media civility. She is an associate professor and director of the marketing and sales program, as well as co-founder of the Michael P. Pitterich Sales and Innovation Center and co-director of Women in Industry for the Rowland School of Business, at Point Park University in Pittsburgh. Her presentation was followed by a discussion “Social Media Civility: Influencing Community and Strategy Online and On the Ground” with local panelists Mandela Echefu (owner of Wheelz Up Adventures in Cumberland), Sid Thomas (chair of the Allegany County NAACP Branch Communications Committee), Ashley Swinford ‘13 (Director of Marketing and Outreach for the Allegany County Library System), and Ashli Workman ’08 (Director of Allegany County Tourism).

On that same day, the Communication Leadership Lab and the Choose Civility Allegany chapter collaborated to host a podcast on civil political discourse, with liberals and conservatives talking to each other in a calm manner not often heard these days. The podcast, available on YouTube, featured a facilitated discussion among faculty, students, and alumni of FSU and local community members. It was edited by Dr. John Lombardi of the Communication Department.