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Democracy Forum 2023

A headshot of a Black man with curly, short hair. He wears a blue polka-dot collared shirt under a gray suit jacket. Behind him is the outside of a modern building with rows of windows.

DeMario Phipps-Smith

Role

Senior Manager of Community Learning at News Literacy Project.

Biography

DeMario joined NLP in September 2022 after more than six years of working as a digital media professional. He began his career at one his hometown newspapers, The Chicago Sun-Times in 2015. Since then, he has worked in various roles that include stints in marketing, communications, and content production as a freelancer. DeMario is passionate about using his experiences to better serve marginalized communities and amplify their voices in the media space.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in radio, television, and digital media from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale and a master’s degree in media innovation and content strategy from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism.

Meet our 2023 Democracy Forum Speakers

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