The First Amendment will be at the center of the Institute for Media and Public Trust's work, said President Joseph I. Castro.

The institute will study media literacy and “fake news,” and develop strategies to restore trust in all forms of media.

“The Institute will study the current state of newsgathering and reporting and develop solutions to the challenge of credibility in the news media, its impact on voters and their participation in our democratic institutions. It will also examine how social media networks impact these issues,” Dr. Castro said.

The Institute will be housed in the Department of Media, Communications and Journalism in the university’s College of Arts and Humanities. Jim Boren, the former executive editor of The Fresno Bee, will be the inaugural executive director of the Institute.

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