First Five

Rep. Mark DeSaulnier of California discusses the reason for and expected benefits of his “Saving Local News Act of 2019” (H.R. 3126). If it becomes law, the bill would make it easier for local news organizations to gain non-profit tax status and better deal with the financial challenges many face – as many local news providers around the nation cut back on news staff or simply cease operations.

What does religious liberty actually mean? Author and lawyer Steven Collis talks about four very different Americans — a Catholic priest, an atheist, a Klamath Indian man, and a Christian baker — who put their reputations and livelihoods at risk to preserve and live their personal beliefs.

Mickey Osterreicher, general counsel for the National Press Photographers Association and a national expert, provides the latest updates on legal issues surrounding the growing use of drones to gather news, including photos and video.

Student journalists were recognized in two ways during the April 15 announcement of the 2019 Pulitzer Prizes. Pulitzer Administrator Dana Canedy recognized the work of Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School student reporters after the February 2018 mass shooting at their school in Parkland, Fla. In addition, about 30 collegiate student journalists were invited to attend the event in recognition of 2019 as the Year of the Student Journalist. Freedom Forum Institute President Gene Policinski spoke with some of the invited students immediately after the ceremony at Columbia University in New York City.

An interview with John Gable, the founder of AllSides — a media technology company that exposes people to information and ideas from all sides of the political spectrum so they can better understand the world — and each other.

A discussion with Hadar Harris, executive director of the Student Press Law Center. The eighth in a series of podcasts exploring student journalism and celebrating 2019’s Year of the Student Journalist. Co-sponsored by the Freedom Forum Institute and the Student Press Law Center.

A discussion with Alex Connor, editor-in-chief of the Iowa State Daily in Ames, Iowa. The seventh in a series of podcasts exploring student journalism and celebrating 2019’s Year of the Student Journalist. Co-sponsored by the Freedom Forum Institute and the Student Press Law Center.

“Joseph Pulitzer: Voice of the People,” a new film airing April 12 on PBS as part of its American Masters series, provides unique insight into Pulitzer’s innovative approach to journalism excellence that still resonates more than a century later with the annual Pulitzer Prizes. In this episode, we talk with the film’s Emmy and Peabody Award-winning writer and producer Robert Seidman about how Pulitzer anticipated the contemporary discussion over “fake news.” In addition, we talk about how his emphasis on short, punchy stories and color graphics combined with an obsessive demand for accuracy propelled his New York World to the top of the American newspaper scene at the start of the 20th Century.

A discussion with Mike Simons, advisor for the yearbook at Corning-Painted Post High School in Corning, N.Y. The sixth in a series of podcasts exploring student journalism and celebrating 2019’s Year of the Student Journalist. Co-sponsored by the Freedom Forum Institute and the Student Press Law Center.

A discussion with Maya Goldman, editor-in-chief at The Michigan Daily at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. The fifth in a series of podcasts exploring student journalism and celebrating 2019’s Year of the Student Journalist. Co-sponsored by the Freedom Forum Institute and the Student Press Law Center.