Torosyan To Speak on Growing Trend of Violence against the Press

ONEONTA—On Wednesday, October 7 at 6 p.m., SUNY Oneonta’s Alden Scholar Program Organizing Committee will host a talk titled “Silencing Journalism by Murder? An Overview of Six Global Case Studies” in the Alden Room of the Milne Library.

Gayane Torosyan, PhD, will present on her book by the same name, co-written with Amani Ismail, which investigates and chronicles the cases of six high-profile journalists who lost their lives for speaking what they believed should be shared with the public. A reception will follow the presentation. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Dr. Matthew Hendley at (607) 436-3302 or Matthew.Hendley@oneonta.edu.

Acknowledging a growing trend of violence against the press, “Silencing Journalism” aims to show readers the dangers of being the ones who cover controversy. Torosyan’s book critically examines the power of the local and global networks at play in the suppression of news media and the elimination of its journalists, peeling back the layers to reveal the ugly truths threatening freedom of information across the globe.

According to an article by Bill Bellen, published March 19 of this year, Torosyan is well-seasoned in the world of media studies and journalism, being a frequent contributor to AllOtsego as well as the seventh edition of Roy L. Moore and Michael D. Murray’s textbook “Media Law and Ethics.”

“She was born and raised in Armenia during its time as a republic of the Soviet Union, initially coming to the United States to attend first a master’s and then a doctoral program at the University of Iowa. It is here that she met fellow co-author Amani Ismail, who is now an associate dean of the School of Humanities and Creative Arts at the University of Hertfordshire in Egypt, hosted by the Global Academic Foundation,” Bellen wrote.

Torosyan is a professor of media studies in the SUNY Oneonta Communications and Media Department.