The Marlin Chronicle
Beyond the trails of the Wesleyan Woods, the dock overlooks an ice-covered Lake Taylor on a still January term afternoon. THURSDAY 2.20.25 || MARLINCHRONICLE.VWU.EDU
Isaac Fick|Marlin Chronicle
VIRGINIA WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY
‘Go farther than the headlines’ Following changes to Meta’s fact-checking, community members discuss its
Elliot Fylstra|Marlin Chronicle
implications on social media usage and strategies for seeking truth in news. BY LILY RESLINK lbreslink@vwu.edu
Meta platforms have dropped external fact-checking services in a decision that followed the 2024 election. A New York Times article said Facebook, Threads and Instagram will “instead rely on users to add notes to posts.” The article from January said, “Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, said it would now allow more speech, rely on its users to correct inaccurate and false posts, and take a more personalized approach to political content.” The article referred to how Mark Zuckerberg, founder and CEO of Meta Platforms, made the announcement. “It described the changes with the language of regret, saying it had strayed too far from its values over the previous decade.” Dr. Stu Minnis, chair and professor of Media and
Communication, provided perspective on social media as a news source. “If you’re getting your news from social media, you’re almost certainly being misled,” Minnis said. Minnis cautioned against using social media for news altogether. “I feel like at some point we’ve got to, as a society, figure out that this is not a good way to get our information,” Minnis said.
See META Page 3 ---------------------------------- In-Class Connections ---------------------------------Professor Terry Lindvall applied Plato’s Allegory of the Cave to social media. The allegory creates a scenario of an individual bound to a cave, with a perspective limited to the shadows cast upon the walls.
Inside Look:
Michelle DeRosa|Courtesy To provide the community resources that may prevent opiod overdose fatalities, the counseling center plans to host more naloxone trainings on campus.
Narcan training aims to save lives BY CLAY YOKOM
kayokom@vwu.edu
The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) held a naloxone training session in the Pierce Suite on Jan. 30 to teach protocol to community members. Naloxone–sometimes referred to by a
brand name of Narcan–is a medication that can temporarily block an opioid overdose and revive someone suffering from an opioid overdose. The training was twofold, with a short session from the VDH on general naloxone use and a college-focused presentation
from the counseling center. The VDH emphasized that administering naloxone may take more than one nasal spray to revive someone, as it depends on the amount of opioids a person has taken.
DEI uncertainty surrounds higher ed BY MIA DIEHL
mjdiehl@vwu.edu
Recently, the debate over DEI initiatives has become a primary focus in the United States, as President Donald J. Trump signed an executive order that requires institutions to “enforce our longstanding civil-rights laws and to combat illegal private-sector DEI preferences, mandates, policies, programs, and activities.” DEI, which stands for diversity, equity and inclusion,
originated in the 1960s antidiscrimination legislative movement. The intention of the initiatives was to remove discriminatory practices and policies within organizations. Trump has begun dismantling DEI initiatives; according to the U.S. Department of Education, the Department has “removed or archived hundreds of guidance documents, reports, and training materials that include mentions of DEI from its outward-facing communication channels.” These actions correlate
with Trump’s commitment to end illegal discrimination and wasteful spending across the board. The call for DEI initiatives to be carefully reviewed is extending into the private sector with encouragement from the President to end illegal discrimination and preferences within institutions. “We constantly held this idea of equality, with this refusal to do the work of equity,” an advocate of DEI and CEO of Justice Informed, Xavier Ramey, said to WTTW
See NARCAN Page 4
“We constantly held this idea of equality, with this refusal to do the work of equity” Xavier Ramey,
Sportshead|Eagles dismantle Chiefs in Super Bowl -- Page 7 Nevermind the Super Bowl, here’s the Ethics bowl -- Page 4
Kathy Merlock Jackson|Courtesy
Celebrating emerging Black artists -- Page 10 “Art is ... a statement, a challenge, and a way to build a more sustainable world.” - Mars Johnson
Letter from the editor -- Page 6
CEO of Justice Informed News. “And this is why they’re saying equity is discriminatory for them. Discrimination is not our enemy. Prejudice is our enemy.”
See DEI Page 2
Isaac Fick|Marlin Chronicle Image background generated by Google.