Symposium Schedule: April 25–28, 2024
![photo of man surrounded by reporters' microphones](/sites/default/files/2024-03/ray-blanton-cropped.png)
Screening & Discussion:
A Tennessee Waltz: Ray Blanton’s Last Dance (2023)
Thursday, April 25 | 7:00–9:00
East Tennessee History Center
Murder-for-hire and paid pardons—discover a Tennessee governor’s buried history in WVLT's first-of-its-kind investigation into former Governor Ray Blanton and his administration.
Discuss the scandal's impact with film creator Brittany Tarwater, veteran journalist, Tom Humphrey, and former US Attorney, Hal Hardin.
![distorted, pixelated photo of man's face](/sites/default/files/2024-03/face-recognition-concept.jpg)
Panel Discussion:
AI, Deep Fakes, Online Influencers & Political Communication
Friday, April 26 | 9:00–10:30
East Tennessee History Center
Presenters from CCI Information Integrity Institute, UTK:
- Ben Horne, PhD
- Mariea Hoy, PhD
- Mike Kotowski, PhD
- Catherine Luther, PhD
- Martin Riedl, PhD
![photo of American flag and rolled up U.S. Constitution](/sites/default/files/2024-03/democracy-concept.jpg)
Conversation:
First Amendment, Social Media, and Democracy
Friday, April 26 | 10:45–Noon
East Tennessee History Center
Glenn Reynolds, author of Social Media Upheaval (2019), is the Beauchamp Brogan Distinguished Professor of Law at UTK.
Jesse Mayshark is the co-founder of Compass, an online news site.
![photo of Sissy Spacek as character "Marie" - Criminals went free.](/sites/default/files/2024-03/marie-cropped.jpg)
Screening:
Marie (1985)
Sunday, April 28 | 3:30–5:30
Central Cinema | Free
Sissy Spacek stars as whistle-blower Marie Ragghianti in this dramatized story of the federal investigation of the pardon and parole corruption under Tennessee Governor Ray Blanton. PG-13
Presented by TAMIS
The Library thanks the partners making this program possible:
![compass](/sites/default/files/2024-03/compass.png)
![East Tennessee History Center](/sites/default/files/2024-03/ethc_0.png)
![friends of the knox county public library logo - heart over an open book](/sites/default/files/2024-03/fol.png)
![WVLT 8 logo](/sites/default/files/2024-03/wvlt.png)
![leadership knoxville](/sites/default/files/2024-03/leadership-knox.png)
![badge logo - east tennessee historical society 1834](/sites/default/files/2024-03/eths.png)
![Power T logo - Baker School of Public Policy and Public Affairs](/sites/default/files/2024-03/ut-baker-school.png)
![Power T logo - Information Integrity Institute](/sites/default/files/2024-03/ut-cci-info-integrity-institute.png)