(PHOENIX)– On Wednesday evening, May 3, PEN America’s Arizona chapter will mark World Press Freedom Day with a discussion by local journalists and editors on how they choose and cover stories in order to build trust with their readers and audiences. The public is invited to the free event.

“Meet the Media: A Celebration of World Press Freedom,” will be moderated by long-time Valley radio and television journalist Danielle Williams at 6:30-8 pm local time at Changing Hands Bookstore, 300 West Camelback Rd, Phoenix. Doors open at 6 p.m

The event will present the faces behind “the media” in Arizona— print, radio, and television— to help the public learn more about the news industry. The discussion will examine how trust is established between news outlets and the public by dissecting how reporters and editors select and cover stories and their criteria for producing quality journalism. There will be a Q and A with the audience.

World Press Freedom Day, in its 30th year, recognizes and celebrates press freedom and the ethics of sound journalism.

Moderator

Danielle Williams is a media consultant, the owner of Diva Strong Media, and the creator of “Community Link AZ” on YouTube, where she highlights nonprofits and the positive contributions they are making in her community. She has a background in radio and television hosting and reporting lifestyle and entertainment news.

Panelists:

Kris Pickel is a 10-time Emmy award winner whose stories have led to policy changes at the local and national levels over a decades-long career in journalism. She is a skilled interviewer and as comfortable in a studio anchoring a newscast as she is out in the field, covering live events.

Jodie Lau is a planning manager for USA Today.

Elvia Díaz is the editorial page editor for The Arizona Republic. Born and raised in Michoacán, Méxic, she and her family settled in northern California, where she began her journalism career as a Spanish-language radio newscaster. She worked for the Statesman Journal in Salem, Ore., and the Albuquerque Journal in New Mexico. She joined The Republic in 1999 and has held various reporting and editing positions.

Richard Ruelas is a veteran news reporter at the Arizona Republic.

Lindsey Collom Riley is the assistant news director at KJZZ. She joined the station as a senior editor last June after two decades of reporting and editing for print/digital news in metro Phoenix. Riley spent most of her journalism career with the Arizona Republic and was an editor for breaking news in Gannett’s western region. She has won several awards for government reporting.

About PEN America

PEN America stands at the intersection of literature and human rights to protect open expression in the United States and worldwide. We champion the freedom to write, recognizing the power of the word to transform the world. Our mission is to unite writers and their allies to celebrate creative expression and defend the liberties that make it possible. Learn more at pen.org.

Contact: Suzanne Trimel, [email protected], 201-247-5057