News anchor Gene Valicenti will speak on the First Amendment in our polarized country on Thursday, Sept. 9 at 7:15 p.m. in the Bristol County Courthouse on High St in Bristol. He is the first speaker …
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News anchor Gene Valicenti will speak on the First Amendment in our polarized country on Thursday, Sept. 9 at 7:15 p.m. in the Bristol County Courthouse on High St in Bristol. He is the first speaker of the Bosworth Lecture Series’ 2021-22 season. The event is free and open to the public.
“In this day of left vs right, some consumers don’t want information…they want affirmation, to hear what they already think,” said Mr. Valicenti. “We aren’t listening to each other.”
He said that people today don’t always understand the parameters of their rights. The First Amendment guarantees the right to speak, he said, “but not the right to be published.” Folks can send letters to the editor or call the radio station, but they aren’t guaranteed their ideas will be aired in public, he said.
He will also speak about the importance of fairness in reporting. “What is fairness?” he asked. “I try to be fair, and maybe I fall short…but if I wasn’t fair, I wouldn’t be number one.”
Now in his 27th year at WJAR, Mr. Valicenti co-anchors the top-rated 10 News at 6. He also hosts the top-rated radio news and information show, "The News with Gene Valicenti" weekday mornings on News/Talk 99.7FM & 630AM WPRO.
A four-time Emmy winner, Mr. Valicenti has covered stories including terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, papal visits and multiple gubernatorial and presidential elections. In 2016 he was inducted into the New England Emmy “Silver Circle” for 25 years of distinguished service to the industry.
A more than 35-year veteran of broadcasting, Mr. Valicenti started as a desk assistant for WPIX in New York City while still in college. Stops at stations in New Jersey and Connecticut followed. A New Jersey native, he holds a Bachelor of Arts in communications from Fairleigh Dickinson University.
He has three children, and lives in Kent County with his wife, and high school prom date, Diane.
The Roswell S. Bosworth, Jr. Lecture Series is presented by the Men’s Club, a Bristol organization that pays tribute to its founding member and former editor/publisher of the East Bay Newspapers with lectures of general interest.
Upcoming Lectures:
Oct. 19: RWU President Iannis Miaoulis on Science/Technology/Electronics/Mathematics (STEM)
Nov. 10: Sowams Project Coordinator David Weed on the Spirituality of the Pokonoket