National exhibit exploring journalism’s past, present and future comes to Sarasota

Published On: July 18, 2025 5:52 amLast Updated: July 17, 2025 6:13 pm

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A nationally touring exhibit celebrating the vital role of journalism in American life is coming to Sarasota next month.

“Moments of Truth: An Exploration of Journalism’s Past, Present and Future” is a hands-on, multimedia experience presented by the nonprofit Poynter Institute as part of its 50th anniversary. The traveling exhibit traces the evolution of the press in the United States and examines how journalism has influenced public life — including its role in supporting democratic institutions and countering false or misleading information.

The exhibit will be on display August 4–11 at The Ringling in Sarasota, housed in the museum’s Community Gallery. The local stop is sponsored by Suncoast Searchlight and will include community events, panel discussions and interactive sessions aimed at building media literacy and trust. 

“Now more than ever, we need spaces where people can learn about journalism in a hands-on, engaging way,” said Emily Le Coz, Suncoast Searchlight executive editor-in-chief. “We’re proud to help bring this national conversation to Sarasota.”

Programming includes:

  • Be MediaWise Workshop: Sorting Fact from Fiction Online
    Aug. 5, 10:30–11:30 a.m., MakerSpace Classroom
    A hands-on session teaching practical strategies for identifying misinformation online.
  • Open Studio Youth Event
    Aug. 6, sessions at 11 a.m., 12 p.m., and 1 p.m., Education Center MakerSpace
    Interactive art sessions designed to introduce younger visitors to media literacy concepts.
  • Community Conversation
    Aug. 7, doors open at 6 p.m., conversation from 6:30–7:30 p.m., Chao Lecture Hall
     A public forum discussing journalism’s future and its role in local communities.
  • Trivia Night
    Date and time to be announced.

Speakers at the “Community Conversation” event will address the importance of photojournalism and how AI could be used to manipulate photographs and videos we see in the news, as well as how you can tell what’s real,” Poynter said. Panelists include Alex Mahadevan, Poynter’s expert on the use of AI in journalism, and Andrea Melendez, an award-winning photojournalist from WGCU public media. 

The exhibit is part of Poynter’s broader educational initiative, MediaWise, which provides resources to help individuals identify and evaluate the reliability of information they encounter online and in the news.

“This initiative is about helping people think critically about the information they see every day—while giving them techniques they can use to navigate their information ecosystem,” said Brittani Kollar, deputy director of Poynter’s MediaWise. “We are thrilled to bring our event series to Sarasota in celebration of Poynter’s 50th anniversary.”

To learn more, visit poynter.org/poynters-50th-anniversary-city-takeover.

This story was produced by Suncoast Searchlight, a nonprofit newsroom of the Community News Collaborative serving Sarasota, Manatee, and DeSoto counties. Learn more at suncoastsearchlight.org.