There have been thousands of public protests across the United States since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel and Israel’s retaliatory bombardment and siege on Gaza. If you cover or follow protests in your community, you’ll want to make time for this webinar, co-presented by Harvard Kennedy School’s Nonviolent Action Lab and The Journalist’s Resource. Experts from the Counting Crowds Consortium, a network of researchers tracking political demonstrations across the U.S., will share their most recent data on the multitude of pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian protests held nationwide since Oct. 7. Journalists will learn: 1.    Trends in protest frequency and participation over the past seven weeks of both pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli protests. 2.    Data behind protestor demands and rhetoric. 3.    Historical information on various organizers across the country. 4.    How they can use Counting Crowds Consortium data to inform news reporting in their own local communities. 5.    How to access updated Counting Crowds Consortium data via GitHub. The webinar is free and open to all, but registration is required.

A growing number of experts say social media is a significant factor in the nation’s youth mental health crisis. Children and adolescents readily encounter sexual and violent content, bullying, harassment, body shaming, racism and bigotry on popular platforms, the US Surgeon General and the American Psychological Association recently warned. This fall, 42 state attorneys general sued Meta, owner of Facebook and Instagram, accusing the company of manipulative and exploitive practices that lead some youth to become addicted to its platforms, raising the risk of depression, anxiety, sleep difficulties and other problems. This webinar examines the research sparking broad concerns and the questions science has yet to answer. We’ll also look at the disproportionate harms among girls and youth of color, and at policy efforts to protect young people. Reporters will gain a nuanced understanding of the behavioral, emotional and physical effects of the nearly universal use of social media by adolescents and fresh story ideas for reporting on digital safety.

This webinar is free and made possible by the Kristy Hammam Fund for Health Journalism.