2026 / BREAKING NEWS

September 25-26 | Buffalo & Erie County Public Library – Central Branch

FREE and OPEN TO ALL

Location: Buffalo & Erie County Public Library – Central Library

Breaking? Or is it already broken?

With seismic forces at work radically and rapidly altering the shifting media ecosystem, how do we—as ordinary citizens in extraordinary times—decipher what is happening in the world and in our local communities? How do we stay informed in this “news mirage” while critically assessing each BREAKING NEWS moment?

The 2026 Buffalo Humanities Festival (Sept. 25th – 26th) takes up the theme of BREAKING NEWS! to reflect on how residents of WNY can support the vital, fact-based research and investigative reporting necessary for maintaining collective life in our neighborhoods, cities, and other experiments in democracy.

Every year, the Buffalo Humanities Festival brings together local universities and organizations for an annual celebration of ideas, art, and activities featuring talks and panel discussions by scholars, artists, and community activists designed to provoke thought, spur new encounters, and introduce attendees to new friends in the city.

The Festival kicks off on Friday evening with award-winning journalist, social activist, author, and public intellectual Juan González (Democracy Now!), followed on Saturday with a full day of talks, workshops, performances, and conversations celebrating the humanities and their vital role in our collective experiments in democracy. The Festival closing session will feature Buffalo News editorial cartoonist Adam Zyglis.