Crisis of Credibility: Navigating Misinformation in Modern Media

Overview:

Join PRSA Buffalo-Niagara for a three-part summer seminar series tackling one of the biggest challenges facing today’s communicators: misinformation. With global thought leaders from public relations, academia, and media, this series offers practical insight on combating disinformation, navigating synthetic media, and rebuilding public trust. Attend one or all three events — in person or virtually — and sharpen your response strategies across channels.

Whether you’re shaping brand messaging or monitoring emerging threats, this series equips you with tools to lead confidently, ethically, and clearly.

Event Details

Seminar 1 – August 5, 8:00 AM ET

Title: Leading the Response: How Brands Can Ethically Counter Misinformation Across Channels
Location:  Virtual (Link provided upon registration) with in-person networking (optional) at HANSA Workspace, 505 Ellicott St, Buffalo, NY 14203

Join Ray Day, APR — Vice Chair of Stagwell and 2025 PRSA National Chair — as he shares real-world strategies from decades at IBM and Ford on how communicators can lead organization-wide responses to misinformation. Learn how to empower teams, build community-level trust, and protect brand integrity with clarity, speed, and ethics.

Light refreshments served at HANSA.

Save the dates and register now for our entire 2025 Summer Seminar Series (there’s a bundling discount)!

Seminar 2 – August 13, 12:00–12:45 PM ET

Title: What’s Real, What’s Fake? AI, Social Media & the Erosion of Authority
Location: Virtual (Link provided upon registration)

Dr. Jason Davis of Syracuse University’s Newhouse School explores how AI-driven disinformation and the breakdown of institutional trust are reshaping the risk landscape for communicators. Discover ways to restore credibility, counter synthetic media, and promote truth through strategic, values-driven messaging.

Seminar 3 – August 21, 5:00 PM ET

Title: Podcasts and Misinformation: Navigating the New Age of Influence
Location: In-Person at HANSA Workspace, 505 Ellicott St, Buffalo, NY 14203

Dr. Yotam Ophir, University at Buffalo communications professor, misinformation researcher and national science honoree, teams up with Buffalo radio personality and podcaster Laura Daniels to examine how modern formats like podcasts can both amplify and counter misinformation. Explore the challenges of content moderation, platform responsibility, and the role of voice, tone, and community trust in shaping public discourse.

Light refreshments served at HANSA.