The subject up for discussion at the 2026 Buffalo Humanities Festival this weekend is “Breaking News.”
Why?
“Because the news has been in the news,” said Christina Milletti, Interim Director, Humanities Institute at the University at Buffalo. For over a decade, the annual Humanities Festival has brought together local scholars for perspective on important topics.
“We’re always trying to think about what is the most current issue that both the campus and the community are thinking about,” Milletti said.
The two-day festival runs Friday and Saturday at the Central Branch of the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library. Scholars from Buffalo State, Daemen, Canisius, Niagara and the University at Buffalo will host sessions examining aspects of the subject. Local journalists, including BTPM’s I’Jaz Ja’Ciel, will also take part. The event is free and open to the public, though registration is required.
”We do think that the circulation of news, the adapting and changing environment of how people receive their news or think that something qualifies as a credible news source is a very relevant conversation,” said Andrea Pitts, Interim Executive Director at the Humanities Institute.
Kicking off the festival is Juan Gonzalez, the award-winning journalist and co-host of Democracy Now! Pitts lauds Gonzalez for his extensive experience, starting with his work at newspapers in high school and at Columbia University.
“Then, (he) moved very quickly into social organizing,” Pitts recounted.
“So, he was one of the founding members of the Young Lords organization in New York (and) led successful campaigns as a labor organizer in factory settings in Philadelphia."
Gonzalez will also return Saturday morning to take part in a round table on “The Value of Local Journalism.”
