Wednesday, October 12th, 2022 from 12:00-1:30pm PST

As psychedelics become mainstream, there are many journalists covering various different angles, such as the law and policy, ethics, social justice, regulation and advocacy, science, business, and more. Given that there is still much stigma surrounding these plants and substances, as well as legal limitations to accessing and consuming them, reporting can be extra challenging. How is the current landscape of psychedelic reporting, what are the main trends, institutions and players? What are the current changes in reporting with the explosion of psychedelic blogs and newsletters? What does it mean to keep psychedelic reporting “neutral” and is this desirable? Should journalists take ethical stances on topics related to topics such as drug reform and social justice? Does covering these topics equate to advocating for psychedelics? How should journalists’ approach and respond to conservative backlash? Can covering these topics affect the reputation and credibility of these journalists? Does taking psychedelics bias journalist’s reporting? Should reporters be open about their drug use? What are the current trends of creating sponsored content? Is science-based reporting perceived as more credible than other approaches in covering psychedelic news? What are the current trends of creating institutional content by psychedelic businesses? What is going on with the blurring of traditional reporting and these contents created for marketing purposes? Should we give visibility to news stories that are problematic, just because they are ‘on the news’? Join us in this panel of journalists consisting of Marcelo Leite, Zach Haigney, Natan Ponieman, Troy Farah and Amanda Siebert, who will answer these questions and share more about their experience working as journalists in the psychedelic space.

Marcelo Leite is a science/environment journalist and book author. He is a columnist with the Brazilian leading daily newspaper Folha de S.Paulo, an equivalent to the Brazilian New York Times. He writes the blog Virada Psicodélica (Psychedelic Turnaround), that comes out once a week in this prestigious newspaper. He is also a personal friend of Bia's and has written a few pieces for Chacruna.

Zach Haigney is the author of The Trip Report by Beckley Waves, a newsletter offering insight, news, and analysis at the intersection of business, policy, and psychedelics. Zach is drawn to the emerging psychedelic ecosystem because restoring psychedelic experience into the culture is a watershed moment in human history. The Trip Report keeps readers informed by analyzing the news within the context of the larger themes, forces and history of psychedelic science, culture, and practice.

Troy Farah is an independent journalist covering drug policy, science, public health, psychedelics, and much more. His reporting has appeared in National Geographic, WIRED, Pacific Standard and others. He co-hosts the podcast Narcotica (narcocast.com) and can be found at troyfarah.com and on Twitter @filth_filler.

Natan Ponieman is a writer, journalist and filmmaker covering the psychedelics space, as is intersects with finance, culture, science and policy. As former Head of Psychedelics Content at Benzinga he served as the main liaison with the psychedelics industry at-large. Besides writing for Benzinga, Natan is a Forbes contributor and his work has been featured in Business Insider, Entrepreneur Magazine, Yahoo Finance, Benzinga, MSN Money, Leafly News, High Times and many other outlets. As a creative director and filmmaker he spent over a decade developing creative concepts that span across multiple platforms including TV, web, print, social media, events and interactive installations. 'Celestial,' His first feature film as a director, is currently in post-production and will be released in 2023.

Amanda Siebert is an author, journalist, host, and moderator focused on the intersections of health, culture, science and business in the psychedelics and cannabis spaces. She is currently a contributing writer at Forbes and Leafly, with bylines in the New York Times, Vice, The Dales Report, Calgary Herald, The Georgia Straight and more. She is also the co-founder and editor-in-chief at Inside the Jar, an independent publication focused on drug culture. Her first book, “The Little Book of Cannabis: How Marijuana Can Improve Your Life”, was published in 2018 on the same day cannabis was legalized in Canada. In her second book, “Psyched: Seven Cutting-Edge Psychedelics Changing The World,” Amanda breaks down the history, science, and cultural and medicinal uses of seven psychedelic drugs and plant medicines, contextualized with case studies and interviews with scientists, doctors, therapists, advocates, ethnobotanists, and practitioners. It will be in bookstores on October 18, 2022.

This talk will be recorded and immediately available for rewatch for all attendees.

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