From university encampments to labor strikes at the steps of the capitol, protests are a vital, legally protected mechanism for democratic participation. Yet, when collective action disrupts the status quo, the ways journalists choose to cover these events can either empower civic understanding or fuel what scholars call the protest paradigm—a pattern that emphasizes spectacle, conflict, and disruption over the actual grievances of the organizers. Our team recently conducted

The LIFT Team spent most of last week with communities at the Indiana Black Expo. This year was so engaging and meaningful -- we're appreciative of all the feedback we received from our rotating questions about trusted messengers and sources. We're looking into ways to synthesize the critiques of media coverage and how the most important issues of the days are covered to provide more details to newsrooms. We're also going through at least 300 post-it notes of thoughts and ide

Join us on camera or behind the camera! The LIFT Project is returning to the Indiana Black Expo (IBE) marking our second year of community engagement and conversations about media consumption habits in Indiana. We want to hear from you Indiana! Come visit us at booth #617!