A free three-part series on journalism and media literacy kicks off Wednesday at Brookwood Library in Hillsboro.

The Library Foundation of Hillsboro is presenting the Media & Information Literacy Series across three Wednesday evenings in September. Each session features a different speaker on a different topic, according to the Hillsboro School District, which promoted the series as a good fit for high school students.

The series opens Wednesday, Sept. 16, from 5:45 p.m. to 8 p.m. with a screening of Trust Me, a feature-length documentary about media bias and information technology. The film has won the UNESCO Award for Media Literacy in North America and the Walter Cronkite Excellence in Journalism Award. Rosemary Smith, executive director of the Getting Better Foundation and impact producer of the film, and David LaPorte, a University of Minnesota professor emeritus and Oregon state advocate for Media Literacy Now, will lead a Q&A after the screening.

The Sept. 23 session, from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., features Laura Gunderson, editor of The Oregonian/OregonLive. Gunderson will discuss how reporters gather facts, verify sources and build public trust, according to the Foundation's series description.

Lee Shaker, chair of the Department of Communication at Portland State University, closes the series Sept. 30 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. His session focuses on how social media, digital platforms and emerging technologies are changing the way people consume information.

The series grew out of the Foundation's strategic plan, finalized in June, which includes a focus on media and information literacy, according to Hillsboro Library Board minutes. The Foundation described the effort as aimed at helping community members evaluate and verify information in a complex media environment.

All three sessions are free and open to the public. Brookwood Library is at 2850 NE Brookwood Parkway. The library's fall events guide lists modified hours on Sept. 16 due to staff training, with the building open from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. The evening screening is listed separately and appears to proceed as scheduled.

Upcoming: Media & Information Literacy Series

• Wednesday, Sept. 16, 5:45–8 p.m. — Trust Me documentary screening and Q&A with Rosemary Smith and David LaPorte
• Sept. 23, 6:30–8 p.m. — Journalist ethics and practice with Laura Gunderson, The Oregonian/OregonLive
• Sept. 30, 6:30–8 p.m. — Media literacy in the age of digital platforms with Lee Shaker, Portland State University

All sessions at Brookwood Library, 2850 NE Brookwood Parkway, Hillsboro. Free, no registration listed.