The Post

On January 7, 2015, two gunmen – brothers Cherif and Said Kouachi – entered the Charlie Hebdo offices in the Rue Nicolas-Appert section of Paris and began to open fire on the magazine’s editorial staff and cartoonists, as well as administrators and security personnel working in the building. The brothers had specific targets in mind, including editor Stephane Charbonnier. In all, the Kouachi brothers killed 12 people – eight journalists, two police officers, a caretaker, and a visitor to the office. During the siege, the brothers claimed to have “avenged the Prophet Muhammad.”

“Free Speech or Hate Speech: Discussing the Charlie Hebdo Cartoons” is an opportunity for the Niagara University community to come together to debate issues related to this event, including what constitutes hate speech and whom – after a tragedy as serious as this – becomes vilified and sanctified in journalistic narratives.

Please join us in the multi-purpose room in the lower level Gallagher Center, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2015, at 1:25 p.m., where a panel of students moderated by Dr. Carrie Teresa and Dr. Joseph Sirianni of the communication studies department will discuss and debate these issues. This panel discussion is presented as part of NU’s 2014-2015 Media Awareness Series.

All faculty, staff and students are encouraged to attend.

For additional information, contact Dr. Teresa at cteresa@niagara.edu and Dr. Sirianni at jsirianni@niagara.edu.