This symposium will explore the developments that threaten the news media's ability to function in its historic role as the "Fourth Estate" and will ask whether the law can be used to address these challenges. For example, do the current laws (e.g., defamation, privacy, copyright, broadcast) adequately protect the news media and other parties? Can law be used to reduce media consolidation and address the loss of local media outlets? Can social media be regulated in ways that might help increase public confidence in the news media? How can journalists be better protected from threats to their newsgathering and publication efforts? Can or should there be limits on the ability of wealthy private actors to mute or silence media outlets? What can the news media do, if anything, to restore public confidence? The symposium will address these and other questions.

In April 2024, the Department of Justice issued an update to Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ada.gov%2Fresources%2F2024-03-08-web-rule%2F&data=05%7C02%7Citaccessibility%40uconn.edu%7C20c771e5a88d478a8e9308dd66f63f7d%7C17f1a87e2a254eaab9df9d439034b080%7C0%7C0%7C638779929987281013%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=L%2Bz6mRTbBflpXOJe9W3QB7cZ9xNsKm4I%2B5%2FLQclhc5c%3D&reserved=0) which requires state and local governments – including public universities – to ensure that their digital content is accessible to people with disabilities. These changes will impact many in our community, and we want to share information and resources that will help everyone prepare and comply with the new standards.What is Impacted? Any digital content that we provide or make available on behalf of the University of Connecticut must meet the standards set forth by this ruling, whether this content is provided directly by us or via third-party organization as part of a contract, licensing, or other agreement. This includes websites, digital files, social media content, and mobile applications.DeadlinesWebpages & ApplicationsCreated on or after April 2024 must be accessible at launch. Created before April 2024 need to be accessible by April 2026. Digital FilesCreated on or after April 2024 need to be accessible at launch. Created before April 2024 and still in use need to be accessible by April 2026. Created before April 2024 and not in use can be marked as archived and do not need to be remediated unless someone requests it. Technical Standard The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) Version 2.1, Level AA (https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2FWAI%2Fstandards-guidelines%2Fwcag%2F&data=05%7C02%7Citaccessibility%40uconn.edu%7C20c771e5a88d478a8e9308dd66f63f7d%7C17f1a87e2a254eaab9df9d439034b080%7C0%7C0%7C638779929987301355%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=GtBfaBbRmzVFT4Jwcx%2B5gcH9Ej1haYILGDt9MSwHiCk%3D&reserved=0) are the current technical standard for web content and mobile apps. Please note that UConn also has web standards (https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fbrand.uconn.edu%2Fweb&data=05%7C02%7Citaccessibility%40uconn.edu%7C20c771e5a88d478a8e9308dd66f63f7d%7C17f1a87e2a254eaab9df9d439034b080%7C0%7C0%7C638779929987315699%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=IA0Va6a06XjzRJ8LZXG5PMuWZiM0%2FeMIREYo4qO3Mhs%3D&reserved=0) which must be adhered to. We require websites built on behalf of the University and/or using University funds to use a UConn domain and be hosted by UConn. While we know that our faculty and staff support efforts to provide accessible content and equitable experiences, performing this work and maintaining the standards going forward will be an ongoing, shared responsibility.

Speaker: Swati Pandey Title: TBD Via Webex: https://uconnhealth.webex.com/uconnhealth/j.php?MTID=mdacf393cf6a2ee5314a3b76525ea5e57 (https://uconnhealth.webex.com/uconnhealth/j.php?MTID=mdacf393cf6a2ee5314a3b76525ea5e57)