10:45am | Tickets are still on sale but will likely sell out quickly for this year’s featured speaker at Cal State Long Beach’s annual Distinguished Speaker Series, new media leader Arianna Huffington. Her speech, “Politics and the New Media,” will take place at 7:30pm on October 21 in the campus’ Carpenter Performing Arts Center.
Huffington is the founder and editor-in-chief of The Huffington Post, one of the most well-known blogs in the country that many believe is the quintessential new media model. Her speech at CSULB will focus on the increased power that the internet offers to readers, as media becomes more interactive online. Tickets cost $45 ($40 with early bird purchase, and preferred seating tickets are available for $60 and sponsor tickets are available for $100. Sponsor tickets include a reception and dinner with Huffington attending.
“Huffington is a real pioneer in the new media,” said Art Levine, CSULB professor of legal studies and founder and organizer of CSULB Distinguished Speaker Series, in a press release. Levine is the host of the local talk show Straight Talk and will lead several discussions throughout the series in October.
“We are delighted she is coming to CSULB and will be sharing her views on how the new media has given power to everyday citizens and the impact it is having on the political world.”
Huffington’s website is often seen as bridging the gap between the informality of blogs with traditional journalistic standards. Recently, the site attempted to create a foundation that would focus on producing in-depth, longform investigative journalism but with recent shifts in leadership it is not yet clear how the plan will work out, though it would be an impressive achievement if successful. The Huffington Post is largely viewed as more liberal among the political blogs, and with her CSULB appearance coming just weeks before the hot-button midterm elections, Huffington will have plenty to talk about.
Visit distinguishedspeakerseries.com for more information.