Iowa Journalist Winter-Spring 2019-FINAL

University of Iowa | School of Journalism & Mass Communication | Alumni Magazine | Winter/Spring 2019

First Amendment
Under Fire

Can Free Speech Survive?

An exclusive interview with Floyd Abrams,
America’s preeminent First Amendment litigator

By Camas Leeson

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Journalism Unfiltered

Q&As with . . .

Seung Min Kim - White House reporter for The Washington Post
Andie Dominick - Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial writer for The Des Moines Register
Alex Ellerbeck - North America program director for the Committee to Protect Journalists
Cori Zarek - Inductee into the U.S. Freedom of Information Hall of Fame
Gage Miskimen - Editor in chief of The Daily Iowan
David Ryfe - Director of the UI School of Journalism & Mass Communication
Venise Berry - SJMC professor, novelist, and author of the new memoir ‘Driven’
Brian Ekdale- SJMC professor, filmmaker and resident UI multimedia expert

Bill of RiAgrtihclets1trhaioCgbefhroGritndeoolggvifriegnetrihsnogsemntsph,heeeonaorltfplrfpelmoereroadpakhoeeirambecndieotoarifebnlssalgsypwoetthfoerecegashrspfi,sreeeeovcmeratineboncxlfgeeets,rah.caneinsepdesrttteaohsbsepl;rieeostohirtfmit;oheonenrt Winter/Spring 2019 FROM THE

8 FIRST AMENDMENT Editor Writers DIRECTOR
UNDER FIRE Michael Judge
It was clear from the start Charles Boyd THE GUARDIANS OF TRUTH
what the students behind this issue Associate Editors Lauren Himan
of Iowa Journalist (right) wanted to Julia Howe Rachael Hovde I f not unprecedented, the current
report and write on—the growing Lauren Himan Julia Howe administration’s aggressive
threat to free speech and a free press Adhel Jok reiteration of false statements and
in the U.S. and abroad. This Q&A Photo/Video Carly Koemptgen continual assault on journalists as the
with famed litigator Floyd Abrams Charles Boyd Camas Leeson “enemy of the people” is still remarkable.
is the cover story of an issue entirely Claudia Prescher Braxton Leonard So much so that Time magazine named
dedicated to those who exercise and Taylor Van Fleet Michael McCurdy a group of journalists as its 2018
defend our First Amendment rights. Claudia Prescher “Person of the Year,” labeling them the
Cover Art Morgan Ramsey “Guardians of Truth.”
CONTENTS Lauren Himan Taylor Van Fleet It shouldn’t be surprising, then, that,
Jazmen Wade when asked, students working on this issue of the Iowa Journalist said
Graphics Emily Weaver they’d like to focus on “the war on truth.” As budding journalists, they
Lauren Himan have as much at stake in this issue as any hard-bitten reporter. Since
Morgan Ramsey its inception in 17th century Europe, news writing has been entangled
in questions of truth, and it has never survived—at least for long—
Design when it is detached from that term. A journalism that isn’t seen as
telling the truth doesn’t last very long.
Lauren Himan By this time, most people know that journalism is changing a lot, and
Mara Cole journalism education is changing with it. A graduate of the SJMC as
recently as 2010 would not recognize much of the curriculum today.
Iowa Journalist is published for the School’s But some things are not changing, and one of them is that journalism
alumni and friends by The University of Iowa should strive to tell the truth. I am therefore heartened by their
School of Journalism & Mass Communication. interest because it means our message is getting across.
As you will see in the pages that follow, they have done an amazing
Photos used with permission from submitting job of reporting on the issue. They managed to obtain an exclusive
individuals and The Daily Iowan (unless noted). interview with Floyd Abrams, one of the most important First
Q&As have been edited for length and clarity. Amendment lawyers of the past half-century. You will also see
extensive Q&As with several SJMC alumni who are working on the
12 FROM ADLER 15 FREEDOM OF INFORMATION 18 PROTECTING THE Send address changes and items of interest for front lines of these issues.
TO THE WHITE HOUSE CHAMPION "ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE" publication to [email protected]. I think you will learn a lot from reading the pages that follow. I know
Seung Min Kim (BA ’07) gives us the I sure did.
inside scoop on her new job: White Cori Zarek (BA '01) on her life at the The Committee to Protect Journalists' The University of Iowa prohibits discrimination in It’s a fast-changing time in journalism and an exciting time to be a
House reporter for The Washington intersection of law and journalism Alex Ellerberck on the growing threat employment and in its educational programs and journalist. But some things are not changing.
Post. As one might imagine, there's and her induction into the U.S. Free- to journalists and freedom of the press activities on the basis of race, national origin, color, More than ever, perhaps, they remain the “Guardians of Truth.”
never a dull—or free—moment. dom of Information Hall of Fame. in the U.S. and around the world. creed, religion, sex, age, disability, veteran status, sexual With best wishes,
orientation, gender identity, or associational preference.
26 MORE THAN A MATTER 34 SPORTS, RACE, AND 38 THE WORLD COMES TO IOWA The University also affirms its commitment to providing David Ryfe, Ph.D.
OF OPINION THE FIRST AMENDMENT Thanks to a half century of equal opportunities and equal access to University DEO, School of Journalism & Mass Communication
cultural diplomacy at The International facilities. For additional information, contact the
Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial writer In our 24/7 social-media society, why Writing Progam, writers from around Coordinator of Title IX, Section 504, and the ADA in the
Andie Dominick on her English-major do we still expect our athletes, many the globe think of the UI campus as a Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity, (319) 335-0705
roots, her start at The Des Moines Reg- of them minorities, to check their mecca for those who still believe the (voice) and (319) 335-0697 (text), 202 Jessup Hall, The
ister, and the dos and don'ts of power- First Amendment rights at the door— pen is mightier than the sword. University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242-1316.
ful opinion writing. or in this case the locker room?

STPHREEWAODRD DON’T FEAR THE
FREE SPEECH BALL
A peek behind the covers of four UI undergraduate magazines.
By Claudia Prescher
By Lauren Himan
As President Bruce Harreld is fond of saying, here at the University of Iowa—home to the world-renowned Iowa Writers’ On a crisp, windy afternoon in late October, members of Torgerson during a student meeting. “I think that part of the
Workshop, International Writing Program, and our award-winning School of Journalism and Mass Communication, “We the Young Americans for Liberty (YAL) and several vol- academic sphere is the freedom and complete transparency of
have ink in our veins.” That passion for the written word has poured over into the many publications written, edited, and unteers have been standing beside a massive beach ball different opinions through freedom of speech.”
designed solely by UI undergraduates. Below are some of the most well-known undergrad publications on campus, some for hours in the cold. The group’s weekly meetings are essentially an open forum with
with a decidedly literary bent, and others a little more avant-garde. YAL is a nonprofit started by campus Ron Paul supporters in discussion both political and nonpolitical. The main principle
2008 to promote free speech and libertarian thinking. Strategi- of the meetings is to provide a space for free discussion. This
Boundless cally picking one of the busiest student intersections on campus, includes debate, laughter, food, you name it.
the students gathered on the T. Anne Cleary Walkway. Taking Since the start of the fall 2018 semester, YAL members have tried
Founded in the spring of 2016, the Translate Iowa Project is a student organization that focuses on creating a turns, they held the ball by a leash to keep it from blowing away to bring the ball out at least once a week, gathering a few hun-
culturally and linguistically diverse environment for students at the University of Iowa. Each year, they create a while discussing everything from flag burning to Halloween. dred signatures in support of First Amendment rights on cam-
publication titled Boundless with creative works that are translated into Arabic, Armenian, English, French, Ger- This is not just any regular oversized beach ball on a leash, but an pus. As Young Americans for Liberty grows its membership on
man, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Thai, and Turkish. Volume three of Boundless accumulation of thoughts, signatures, phrases and even profan- the UI campus, the group hopes that students’ understanding—
is in the works and will be released in April 2019. ity written by passing students in support of free speech. and appreciation for—the First Amendment will also grow.

earthwords: the undergraduate literary review The “Free Speech Ball” has been growing in popularity at college So, the next time you’re on the UI campus, if you happen to see a
campuses across the nation, recently making its way to the Uni- giant, multicolored beach ball covered with signatures and com-
earthwords: the undergraduate literary review was founded in 1979 and is one of the oldest undergraduate literary versity of Iowa. ments like “I AM A FEMINIST” or “Be humble” or “The Consti-
reviews in the nation. earthwords aims to showcase the top writing and art by students at the University while The ball serves as a tangible medium to promote the First tution was written by slave owners,” don’t panic.
also enriching the literary community in Iowa City. Each year, earthwords hosts a variety of literary-focused Amendment and encourage students to write whatever they
events as well as producing its annual publication. While the publication features a new editorial team and style, want, even if it is the first thing that comes to mind while they And above all try not to be offended.
every year focuses on sharing creative works by undergraduate students at the University of Iowa. earthwords rush to class. The ball’s origination at the University of Iowa was
will release its 39th issue during Iowa City’s Mission Creek Festival at the historic Prairie Lights Bookstore. meant to gain the attention of the university but has since be- Instead, pick up a pen and start writing—before you know it,
come a method of recruitment for YAL. The overall goal is to ad- you’ll be exercising your First Amendment right to free speech.
Fools Magazine vocate for student rights on campus to be allowed to speak and
protest peacefully without university interference or penalty. And maybe even having a little fun.
Fools Magazine is a two-year-old arts and culture publication that was started in the Fall of 2016 by a group of “Freedom of speech should never be subjected to being only in a
University of Iowa students. Fools is focused on creating a magazine that is different than anything else the Uni- certain area of any political campus,” said YAL member Anders Claudia Prescher is graduating in Spring 2019 with a degree in
versity of Iowa campus and the community while highlighting the diversity of Iowa City. With a strong social Journalism and Mass Communication with a certificate in Entre-
media presence, Fools reaches a larger number of people—far beyond the number of individuals who are able to preneurship.
snag a copy of their physical magazine. Fools receives funding from the Magid Center for Undergraduate Writ-
ing, the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, as well as UISG and the Iowa City Public Arts Council. WINTER/SPRING 2019 IOWAJOURNALIST 5
Fools Magazine released its fifth issue in December of 2018.

Ink Lit Mag

Ink Lit Mag is an undergraduate literary review created by students in 2011 which aims to showcase writing by
first year students and the alumni of the Iowa Writer’s Living Learning Community. By being a member of Ink
Lit Mag, students are able to be a part of a real publication process as editors or readers. Whether students are
creating the work included in each issue—whether it be art, drama, fiction, nonfiction, or poetry – or are a part
of the editorial board, Ink allows University of Iowa freshman to produce a magazine in real time. Ink Lit Mag’s
15th issue was released in early December.

4 IOWA JOURNALIST WINTER/SPRING 2019

WANT TO When she returned to the UI to finish the final year of her Jour- “When you buy chocolate for under $3 in the U.S., most of the
CHANGE THE nalism degree, her studies solidified her decision to create a time that means the chocolate farmers aren’t getting a fair cut of
WORLD? THERE’S company with a unique mission. it. That’s our first stop, to see how we can better this situation.”
AN APP FOR THAT
“Journalism to its core is about telling somebody’s story that The plan is to go all the way through South America, up through
With her startup company Worthy needs to be heard for the benefit of humanity,” Harris said. Africa, across Europe, down through Asia and then back to
Buck, recent SJMC grad Lyric Harris “Once you are able to connect to a story, you can connect to the United States. They will be meeting with nonprofit groups
(BA ’18) has set out to change the a person and their problems and therefore have empathy and to learn how they are making an impact and to hopefully sign
process of charitable donations. want to help them.” partnership contracts.

By Julia Howe and Carly Koemptgen Currently in the research-and-development stage, Worthy Buck “I’m a huge believer in people finding out what makes them the
is designed to be an app that a donor can use to browse com- most beneficial to the world. And I haven’t found that yet, so I
Ever wondered exactly where your money goes after donat- panies that align with their values and interests. There are four am exploring religion and personal development and just my
ing to a charitable organization? Recent graduate, Lyric categories: education, healthcare, basic access to resources, and overall understanding of the world.”
Harris (BA ’18), was frustrated with the lack of transpar- global crises. The user can select from any company within a Harris, who happily admits she’s “naive,” knows she’s got a lot to
ency and excitement surrounding charitable donations, so she given category or Worthy Buck can select randomly for them. learn. “I’ve grown up in the United States, which is a very small
created Worthy Buck, an application that helps users see the real Then, the donated money goes toward purchasing a tangible
impact of their donated money. item within the organization.
This December, Harris will embark on a one-year, around-the-
world journey to meet with nonprofit organizations and United Journalism to its core is about telling
Nations leaders in 33 different countries to answer the not-so- somebody’s story that needs to be
simple question: How can everyday people make global change heard for the benefit of humanity.
from right where they are? Once you are able to connect to a story,
We met with Harris over the phone, who spoke enthusiastically you can connect to a person and their
about the road that led her to the creation of Worthy Buck and problems and therefore have empathy
her upcoming trip to learn more about making global change. and want to help them.
“Worthy Buck was created to help consumers who want to have
a cool and transparent donating process connect to global or- “So let’s say you choose education,” explained Harris, “in our part of the world, so how should I know how I’m going to best
ganizations who are working in local communities to make real app we have companies like Pencils of Promise. They would make an impact? This journey will help us find out what we be-
change,” Harris said. “It’s supposed to be a cooler version of non- let us know that they need, say, 100 pencils, and your $2 might lieve is the right way to give globally.”
profits that you see now, with the transparency and technology go towards purchasing some of those pencils. Then you receive
factor that they are lacking.” confirmation, kind of like an Amazon shipment. So it tracks ex- The Worthy Buck app is set to launch in 2020. Harris wants to
Harris’ journey to the nonprofit space began when she took a actly where your donation went, the tangible items it went to, remind people that they don’t have to change their entire lives
gap semester her junior year and worked in the elite event-plan- what organization, and when and where it was delivered to the to make global change. “All you have to do is make the small
ning space of Vera Wang at New York Fashion Week. Working recipient.” changes in your life that cause no real harm to you or your life-
with exclusively privileged clients left her feeling uninspired and Harris and her co-founder Autumn Eastman live by their mis- style that can better shift the world. For instance, buying choco-
ready to make the jump to something more rewarding. sion for transparent spending and made the decision to turn late or clothing that is sustainably made. Or vote. You don’t have
She packed up and moved to Washington D.C., where she met away all outside funding for their trip. Instead, the pair has sold to go on a world trip to do that.”
her mentor Jeff Hoffman, founder and CEO of Priceline, who off their personal belongings, moved in with Harris’ grand-
became a huge influence for the foundation of Worthy Buck. A mother, and picked up multiple jobs totaling over 85 hours a Julia Howe will graduate in Spring 2019 with a degree in Jour-
successful entrepreneur and a stalwart supporter of the United week to fund the around-the-world expedition. They set off on nalism and Mass Communication and a minor in Spanish. Carly
Nations, Hoffman inspired Harris to pursue entrepreneurship as Dec. 1, 2018, with only backpacks in hand. Koemptgen graduated in Fall 2018 with a degree in Journalism
a vehicle for social change. The first stop was Guatemala City, where the founders visited ca- and Mass Communication.
cao farmers who create sustainable products. Harris explained,

6 IOWA JOURNALIST WINTER/SPRING 2019 WINTER/SPRING 2019 IOWAJOURNALIST 7

CFRAENE If you were to go to New York or Washington D.C., and ask tected by the First Amendment there are times when we need to
SSUPEREVCIVHE? around for someone with a depth of knowledge and exper- police, or we need public entities that separate people who are
tise in the First Amendment, you’d likely be pointed in the exercising—whatever the inflammatory nature of their speech—
A conversation with Floyd Abrams, direction of Floyd Abrams. After representing The New York their First Amendment rights, from people who understandably
America’s leading First Amendment attorney. Times in the 1971 Pentagon Papers case at the age of 35, he may not only be opposed to the speech but oriented towards re-
would go on to become the country’s preeminent First Amend- sponding in more violent ways. So, Charlottesville was a lesson
By Camas Leeson ment litigator. Having recently published his second book, “The for everyone, and I think one of the lessons they’ve learned there
Soul of the First Amendment,” he graciously found time to talk is how to use the police, when to impose limitations on where
8 IOWA JOURNALIST WINTER/SPRING 2019 to the Iowa Journalist about free speech and its adversaries in people go and the like. It also teaches us the broader dangers that
the age of Trump. are sometimes inherent in allowing an extremely high level of
freedom with respect to expression.
Why did you feel now was the right time to write your book,
“The Soul of the First Amendment”? In regard to free speech on college campuses, what do you see
as the foremost threat coming from that kind of reaction to
I thought it would be interesting to try to offer the public some certain speakers?
sense of the differences in approaches between the level of First
Amendment protection afforded in the U.S. and that afforded I think the primary threat is an unwillingness by students and
in other democratic countries and the world, including Canada, others who are deeply offended by certain speech to allow it to
England and the like. I purposely referred to them because, like proceed in a basically unencumbered way. Now, by that I don’t
us, they care a lot about freedom of expression. But they strike mean that the students can’t respond, can’t heckle, can’t have
very different balances in accessing certain social values that are their say in a number of ways. But I do mean that the string
sometimes in conflict—or require a level of reconciliation—with of people being disinvited from speaking or shut down from
those inherent in free expression. So, I thought this was a good speaking by almost primal screams, yelling, and threats from
time to write such a book. I wrote it at the very beginning of the people in the audience, is a major threat. So, I think there has
Trump administration, so it doesn’t have comments about the to be more tolerance on college campuses for more unpopular,
administration, although I do refer to the campaign at various sometimes offensive speech, and I think there has to be more
times. teaching before college and after college about the nature of free
expression in this country.
Did the timing of the Trump campaign and presidency have
anything to do with the book, or was this a project you were What is the importance of hearing from speakers that will al-
already pursuing? most certainly be offensive? I’m thinking of the ruling in Na-
tional Socialist Party of America v. the Village of Skokie where
The campaign sort of prodded me into wanting it out. I was the American Civil Liberties Union backed the National So-
struck in particular by the different approaches taken in this cialist Party. What is the major benefit in letting these people
country and Western Europe and Canada with what is referred express their First Amendment rights?
to as hate speech. I was struck by some of the things then-candi-
date Trump said that could have been criminal throughout those To me the major benefit is avoiding the specter of government
countries, and it struck me as a more than usually apt time to deciding who may speak and who may not, what speech is
explore those different approaches reflected in the behavior, and appropriate and what not. The First Amendment is rooted in
level of protections afforded in those countries. concern about government limitations on speech, government
oversight on speech, government power over speech and the
In situations where violence has happened in response to or like. So, my concern is not so much that of protecting particular
alongside certain types of speech, like in Charlottesville or on speakers, in this case Nazis, but in protecting against the govern-
the Berkeley campus in 2017, how should people deal with ment and from the government’s power, the authority to decide
hate speech, and when does it become dangerous speech? who can be heard.

There is and will always be a level of speech which either leads So outside of college campuses what do you see as the great-
to violence or provokes it in some way. The core question isn’t est threats to the First Amendment within the United States?
whether we should allow these types of speech, to which the And do you think the current administration is capable of
usual answer would be yes, but how to deal with the problems harming the liberties granted by the First Amendment?
that attend the speech. It doesn’t violate the First Amendment
to have police protection available, and to limit where people I do think that the current administration has been playing a
who are marching with arms go. And it doesn’t violate the First destructive role with respect to free expression. But it has not
Amendment to limit some very narrow categories of speech done some of the things which past administrations have done.
which have historically been deemed to be outside the protec- We don’t have a Sedition Act proposed as John Adams did; we
tive ambit of the First Amendment. But even if speech is pro- don’t have an indictment of a leading publisher as Theodore

WINTER/SPRING 2019 IOWAJOURNALIST 9

(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Roosevelt did. But we do have a sustained effort to persuade the cal—often in my view extremely unfairly so—but nonetheless Attorneys for The New York Times leave the Supreme
public that the press is not to be trusted, that the exercise of free a documentary about a candidate for president. The idea that Court, June 26, 1971, after presenting arguments against
expression by a very significant part of the American public is to a congressional law which says that because some of the fund- the government suit to prevent The Times and The
be disdained—and that has impact. It has impact on the ability ing money came from corporations, the documentary can’t be Washington Post from publishing articles on the secret
of speakers to communicate, it has impact on the knowledge of shown on television or cable or satellite within 60 days of an history of the Vietnam War, the “Pentagon Papers.” They
the American public. I mean the president said at one point in election or 30 days of a primary is at odds with the most core are, from left: Lawrence McKay; Floyd Abrams; Alexander
an interview that he goes on the attack against the press so that First Amendment precepts. So that’s how I got into the case, Bickel, James Goodale, Times’Vice President and William
when they criticize him they won’t be believed. That’s what he because I thought that people simply weren’t viewing it, at the Heggerty. (AP Photo/Charles Harrity)
said, I believe that’s what he meant, and that’s a disturbing fea- broadest level, the way I thought First Amendment supporters
ture and a repetitive one of this administration. should view it. Now on a much more narrow level, what the Su- that has not been revealed in open court is simply forbidden. lications. To some extent social media and the like have sup-
preme Court has done is to distinguish between contributions, When I graduated from college though, and particularly when planted journalism, as one would have defined it earlier, as the
If voting itself is an exercise of free speech then where do we which can be limited and are limited, and expenditures—spend- I graduated from law school in 1960—and the 1960s saw broad primary or major way people gather information. There is an
draw the line when someone we elect uses anti-First Amend- ing your money not by giving it to the candidate but spending risks to free expression in this country, which I couldn’t put aside enormous case to be made, if one needs to make it, for the sort
ment rhetoric, and are our checks and balances enough? it alone or with other people to support candidates, to oppose by simply saying that was satisfactory—my views changed, and I of new society we’re moving towards. We’ve never had a system
candidates, to speak out on public issues and the like. That may came to a much stronger level of protection of free speech. Also, before in which so many people—at so little cost, and with so
In neither case am I drawing lines in terms of what is legally be a rather artificial distinction but that’s what the law is, and it not till I was finished with law school had I ever met a journalist. much impact—can have their say and be heard. All that is new.
permissible or not; the lines I’m drawing are between the speech seems to me that in the area of expenditures—spending money I’ve learned a lot from meeting journalists, starting in the late But the other side of that is that it’s increasingly difficult for
that is responsible and irresponsible. I’m not suggesting we have to have your say—the First Amendment ought to be given the 1960s and in the many years thereafter. Learning about the role what I would call professional journalists to find employment,
to do anything to limit the speech that I see as irresponsible. But full play that occurred in the Citizens United ruling. they play in our society, their need for a genuinely free system to work at thriving newspapers, to have some level of economic
I think it’s important to say that while this administration has of public expression, their need for confidential sources, and a security of their own as they work in the new marketplace of
not gone as far as many had in terms of seeking to impose legal You taught First Amendment law at Columbia, is there some- wide range of other things all of which led me to ever-firmer and American journalism. So, I think one of the real challenges here
limitations on the press, it’s probably gone farther than any in thing you learned from your students in teaching there? ever-stronger defenses of the First Amendment. is not a legal one at all, but a sort of practical on the ground way
seeking to mute the message from the press and to persuade— for our journalistic entities, on which we depend so much, to
often in a disingenuous way—the public from finding out or be- I taught First Amendment law at a number of law schools, most As a young person looking to go into journalism, the future remain alive and to retain the level of importance, or anything
lieving what the facts are. recently at NYU Law School, Yale Law School, and Columbia looks somewhat uncertain given the current climate. Are you like the level of importance, that they previously had.
Law School. I always learn from my students. I certainly learn optimistic about the future of the free press in America?
In the context of whistle blowers, leakers, or dissenters within by listening about the sort of different moods that seem more Camas Leeson graduated in Fall 2018 with a degree in Journalism
an institution, when does it start to become a matter of na- prevalent at one time than another with respect to the protection I guess I’m more optimistic about protecting the freedom of the and Mass Communication and in History.
tional security and not free speech? Should, say, a whistle of free expression. I learn a lot from foreign students about the press than protecting the existence of the press [chuckles]. We
blower like Edward Snowden be protected or does national differences in the protection of the First Amendment, or what- have enormous financial problems facing newspapers and pub-
security take precedence? ever it is called in their country, vis-a-vis other social interests.
I certainly profited intellectually by hearing from students and
Well I do think that Mr. Snowden has gone close to, and some- others that come from countries where they value privacy more
times over, the line in terms of responsibility in what he has re- than we do when it’s in conflict with free speech and who are
leased, and sometimes he may have gone over the line in terms more concerned than we are with the dangers of national-secu-
of what material he has released, which could lead to a sustain- rity related information being made public. That the very fact
able prosecution under the Espionage Act. I would hope that we of our strength as a country, both ideologically and militarily,
wouldn’t get to a point where such a prosecution is necessary or sometimes makes it easier for us to protect more speech than
indeed is engaged in. But he certainly is at the least testing the other countries do. And I try very hard in my book to be clear
boundaries. I think that some of the commentary on what he that I wasn’t passing judgment on postwar Germany in making
has released has been unduly uncritical. it a crime to deny the reality of the Holocaust, or India mak-
ing it a crime to attack other religious groups when history in
You represented Sen. Mitch McConnell in support of the that country tells us that those attacks have led to thousands of
plaintiff in Citizens United defending the First Amendment deaths. So those are just some of the sorts of things that having
rights of corporations, labor unions and other nonprofit or- the opportunity to meet with and learn from students has given
ganizations to not have a limit put on their campaign contri- me.
butions. What would you say is most misunderstood about
this case? What early influences caused you to focus on First Amend-
ment law?
It has always seemed to me that the facts of the Citizens United
case ought to lead people who care about the First Amendment I started on the other side. When I was in college at Cornell, I
to support the notion that free expression of the sort involved wrote a senior thesis that was very supportive of what I would call
in that case should be protected. Think about it, a conservative the English approach to free speech. In England, then and now,
group, partially funded by corporate donations, does a docu- if someone’s on trial for a crime the press can only publish what
mentary about Hillary Clinton at a time when it looks like she happens in open court. Publication of a confession of a defen-
will be the Democratic candidate for president. It’s very criti- dant, a prior criminal record of a defendant, or almost anything

10 IOWA JOURNALIST WINTER/SPRING 2019 WINTER/SPRING 2019 IOWAJOURNALIST 11

Seung Min Kim interviews former Senate president or senior aides in Congress who are in touch with the get a break. But when you do, you relish them. I can tell you this:
Democratic Leader Harry Reid of Nevada. legislative-affairs office. You figure out what the White House This administration is never boring. It always keeps us on our
(Politico/John Shinkle) is up to by talking to people who they are really talking to, and toes.
kind of work your way in. I do think that the one thing we jour-
FROM ADLER TO Going from The Daily Iowan to my first reporting internship at nalists are much more conscious of, is always making sure we get How tough is the competition among you and journalists
THE WHITE HOUSE The Des Moines Register was super scary. I was lucky to have the everything right. from other publications? Does that play a role in how you go
opportunity, but I was very nervous. My training at the DI really about getting information/sources for your story?
The Washington Post’s Seung Min Kim helped me in that transition because every day we did exactly We see how much the media gets attacked under this admin-
may very well be the busiest, and what the professionals do. At the DI, you put together a daily istration, and how incredibly small human errors that happen There is always competition, and the competition is very good.
happiest, journalist on the planet. newspaper. You chase hits, break stories, write up what’s going during the course of reporting can be branded, not as an hon- That’s such a big part of a White House beat, everybody is com-
on in the community. That’s what you do at any professional est human mistake, but as completely intentional fake news. No peting. There truly is a case that competition makes you better.
By Taylor Van Fleet news organization, so it really did give me an incredibly solid self-respecting reporter would ever be pleased with an error or a The most competitive story I think I’ve ever done in my career
foundation for my first internship. correction, but because of the antagonistic nature that we see in was during Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s Senate
Alot has changed for Seung Min Kim (BA ’07) since this environment, it pushes us even harder to make sure that our confirmation hearings. It was incredibly exhausting, incredibly
her days as a student reporter for The Daily Iowan. For my first real job after college at the Star-Ledger, I was terri- facts are absolutely bullet proof. At the end of the day, I always stressful. But you know, it just made landing a scoop that much
The Iowa City native has built an impressive resume, fied. I didn’t really feel like I was ready to transition from being like to repeat what our editor, Marty Baron, says that’s totally more rewarding.
landing jobs at The Star-Ledger, USA Today and Politico. an Iowa girl to a journalist in the New York media market. It true: “We aren’t at war with the administration, we’re at work.” I
In early 2018, Kim joined The Washington Post as a White was very intimidating. I was surrounded by amazing journal- know the president likes to sort of pick on us and whatnot, and Do you ever have a hard time containing your personal biases
House reporter based primarily on Capitol Hill. As one might ists. Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists. It’s another example of, politically you can argue that it’s good for him, but we just want on political policies when reporting?
imagine, a beat like that requires serious time and dedication, if something scares you, it’s a great opportunity to dive into it to keep our heads down, do the work, and find out the truth. I
particularly under the current administration. Yet somehow, and just do it. Every job, every story laid the foundation for my think most journalists approach it in that manner, even with the It’s actually not hard for me, and this is why: The only thing I’ve
between campaign rallies, midterm elections, Senate hear- internship at USA Today, and then for my job at Politico, and antagonistic pressure from this administration. ever wanted to do professionally was be a journalist. That’s the
ings, and a trip to Paris aboard Air Force One, Kim found now my job at The Washington Post. only thing I know. So I’ve always had this mentality of wanting
time to talk with the Iowa Journalist about her fascinating— How is your relationship with your sources? Do you have any to pursue and write about the truth. I’m a human being, so of
and fast-paced—career. Have there been any major changes to how you go about get- advice for aspiring journalists on how they should conduct course I have personal opinions about different policies, but I
ting information since the Trump administration moved into their relationship with their sources? don’t share them with a lot of people. And more importantly,
Can you talk about your transition from being a reporter the White House? there’s no policy or public issue that I care more about than mak-
at The Daily Iowan to first reporting for national news plat- Relationships with sources can vary from good to workable to ing sure the public has the information that they need to make
forms? Did you feel prepared? What were some initial chal- I think a lot of it is ultimately the same reporting skills we use just really bad. And the really bad ones are not always helpful. their own informed decision about any given subject. That is my
lenges you faced? day in and day out. One of the techniques of covering any ad- But I think the best thing I’ve done in terms of making sure I passion, and that supersedes any sort of personal biases towards
ministration, is that you cover from the outside in. If you have have a good functional relationship with my sources is be up- any policy or whatever views I may have.
a story idea, you don’t immediately go to the press office and front and clear with what I’m doing and the kind of story I’m
talk to Sarah Huckabee Sanders, you talk to people who are al- pursuing. The worst thing you can do as a reporter, in terms of Jamal Khashoggi, The Washington Post writer murdered at
ready talking to the White House. Whether it’s close allies of the who you’re writing about, is surprise them when the story is the Saudi consulate in Turkey, did you know him? How does
published. I try my best to never do that. If a story is going to be an incident like that impact the newsroom? How does it im-
bad, I’m very upfront with the angle that we have found, or the pact you professionally and emotionally?
angle that we’re pursuing, and I give my sources plenty of time
to make their case of why they believe my angle or reporting is I didn’t know him personally, but obviously it has been really
wrong. If it’s going to be a particularly tough story, once all the tough on the newsroom. There are so many questions to be an-
reporting is done and it’s in the editing process, I always give swered about everything surrounding this. The extent of the
people a heads up. I tell them that this is what we’ve come up Saudi’s involvement, what exactly happened in that conflict in
with through all of our reporting and our conversations, just so Istanbul, and what does this mean for broader U.S.-Saudi rela-
they’re never surprised. There’s a phrase in reporting that I try tions? I mean those are all really vital, important questions, not
to subscribe to, and I think I do, if not all of the time then most just about accountability, but also about public policy. There’s so
of the time, it’s: “You never want to stab people in the back, you much to examine there. I had a very small role in all of this be-
always want to stab them from the front.” cause it’s been primarily our national-security and foreign-pol-
icy teams that have been aggressively reporting on this, but you
How demanding is your job covering the White House? can see how it has really galvanized the newsroom to find an-
swers. It’s a great reminder of the old phrase: “Never pick a fight
Honestly, the schedule is incredibly demanding. Particularly with people who buy ink by the barrel.” They really messed with
with this president who makes news so easily, often times just the wrong publication, and you see that commitment from The
with his Twitter account. Those simple 280 characters can com- Washington Post, making sure that every angle of the story is
pletely upend your day because he announces personnel firings, thoroughly reported.
makes policy announcements, says things that clearly need to be
fact checked, so it really keeps you on your toes. There’s just so
much to write about within this administration, you don’t often

12 IOWA JOURNALIST WINTER/SPRING 2019 WINTER/SPRING 2019 IOWAJOURNALIST 13

Do you ever feel like your job puts you in danger? Are you and other reporters when we were on the plane coming back
mindful of that, and if so, how often? from the Paris trip. He came to the back of the plane to talk to
us off the record for a little bit, which he actually does on a fairly
I try to be realistic, but I think journalists felt really unsettled regular basis.
after the five journalists in Annapolis, Md., were shot and killed
last June. Also, when CNN was targeted with a pipe bomb in Oc- How do you feel when you hear President Trump use the term
tober. So obviously, you’re more conscious of it than you used to “failing Washington Post?”
be. For me personally, I primarily work out of two buildings be-
yond The Washington Post newsroom. I work from Capitol Hill [Laughs] Well, we’re not failing. I can confirm that. It just kind
and from the White House, which are two very secure govern- of goes back to the original point of making sure you are doing
ment facilities. Everybody goes through a metal detector every your job. If he wants to say we’re failing, all we can do is keep
day, we have amazing Capitol police who work hard to keep us reporting and writing good, fact-based stories about his admin-
safe every day. The safety issue crosses your mind, but it’s hard to istration and what they’re up to.
be really fearful when you are so lucky to be protected like that.

There’s no policy or public issue President Obama with Ryan Panchadsaram,
that I care more about than Cori Zarek, and Tony Scott. Image from Whitehouse.gov
making sure the public has the
information that they need IFNRFEOEDRMOMATOIOFN ing outside government at the Mozilla
to make their own informed CHAMPION Foundation and Code for America, and
decision about any given subject. an adjunct professor at San Francisco
State University, she continues to define
Are you ever on the floor of Trump’s press conferences asking If you could give any piece of advice to a student preparing to A conversation with SJMC Professional Advsiory Board and defend the First Amendment rights
questions? What is that like? enter the journalism field, what would it be? member Cori Zarek (BA ’01) on her influential career at of ordinary citizens, even in trying times.
the intersection of law and journalism, her work in the
Not very often, only when it’s my turn to be present at a Trump It sounds cheesy, but there is absolutely no substitute for hard Obama White House, and her induction into the U.S. Can you describe your journey of going
event. There are six people on our White House team that rotate work. I’m surrounded by people who are just incredible with Freedom of Information Hall of Fame. from a Des Moines Register correspon-
through what’s called duty week. When it’s our duty week, it’s words, and I’m a fine writer, but I will never be as good as many dent and media lawyer to the Deputy
our responsibility to be wherever the president is. If he’s travel- of them. I also work with people who can just extract all sorts of By Julia Howe government—and ultimately led her to U.S. Chief Technology Officer at the
ing, we’re traveling with him. Whether it’s on Air Force One, or information from everyone, and I’m not always going to be that working alongside President Obama as White House under the Obama admin-
flying commercially to get to wherever he is. If Sarah Sanders person. The one thing you can control, the one thing you can The prestige of Iowa’s student-run Deputy U.S. Chief Technology Officer istration?
holds a press briefing, then we’re at our seats at the press brief- do, is outwork people. There’s a lot in journalism you can’t con- daily newspaper brought Cori and a founding member of the Freedom
ing. If Trump holds a press conference, we’re there at the press trol. But the one thing you can always control, no matter what Zarek (BA ’01) to the UI, where of Information Ombudsman’s office at Journalism, cheesy as it is sounds, is a
conference. If he has a press event at the White House, then we circumstance you’re in, is how hard you work. Whether you are she worked at The Daily Iowan, rising the U.S. National Archives. In 2016, Za- cornerstone of democracy. The mission
are there. If it aligns that he happens to hold a press conference at a small broadcast station, or whether you’re reporting on the to editor in chief in 2000-01. While still rek was inducted into the U.S. Freedom of journalists to find the truth and to tell
during my duty week, then I’ll be the one there. I think the last White House, you can always, always, always control how hard attending UI law school (JD ’05), she be- of Information Hall of Fame for a career the truth serves such an important func-
press conference that I attended was the one in London with the you work—and that will carry you to much success. gan writing and reporting for The Des spanning nearly two decades working to tion in our society, and yet journalists run
British prime minister. I raise my hand, I don’t get called on, it’s Moines Register. That return to journal- “establish, defend and utilize the legal into so many hurdles and barriers when
OK [laughs]. The unique thing with President Trump, which is Taylor Van Fleet graduated in Fall 2018 with a degree in Journal- ism solidified the direction she chose basis for the right to know.” Now work- they’re just trying to do their job.
very different from his predecessors, is that he takes questions ism and Mass Communication. to take her career—First Amendment
every opportunity possible. You can shout a question at him and law, freedom of information, and open Through the use of law, I realized that I
there’s a very good chance that he’ll answer. He spoke with me can help journalists better tell stories, un-
cover information, and serve the public.

I started as a First Amendment lawyer
working in D.C. for the Reporters Com-
mittee for the Freedom of the Press, the
nation’s oldest legal defense organiza-
tion for journalists. I was working on
cases involving everyone from The New
York Times and The Washington Post to
freelance journalists and photographers

14 IOWA JOURNALIST WINTER/SPRING 2019 WINTER/SPRING 2019 IOWAJOURNALIST 15

anywhere in the country. I was there for tinue to work on tech and civil engage- not happy with your response, file an THE DAILY IOWAN 2018
about four years and a lot of my work fo- ment issues outside of government. appeal.
cused on access to information, govern- ASSOCIATAEWD CAOLRLEDGISATE PRESS
ment records, and data. Can you talk about what it felt like to be One thing that really surprised me when
Journalists rely heavily on the Freedom inducted into the U.S. Freedom of Infor- I dug into the data is how few people file #1 Pacemaker finalist
of Information Act to get the information mation Hall of Fame? What do you feel Freedom of Information Act appeals. The
they need to do their reporting, and we has been your greatest accomplishment government gets around 700,000 FOIA Best in Show – 1st place (10/15/18 issue)
were working really hard to get access to so far? requests per year, but only a small per-
information. It was a really challenging centage of requesters files an appeal. Yet if Individual Awards
time. The Bush administration was in- The award is only offered every five years you file an appeal, in many cases you’ll get
credibly adversarial against journalists so it’s even more exciting to be included more information provided to you. #1 1st: Best Sports Story – Courtney Baumann
and requesters. in something that’s a little bit rare. What’s
A lot of us thought there has got to be a neat for me is I believe I am the only per- How do you feel freedom of speech and (“Into the running”)
better way, so we worked to create a new son who has been inducted into the Hall access to information has changed un-
office in government to be an information of Fame while still actively working in der the Trump administration? #1 1st: Environmental Portrait – James Year
ombudsman located inside the National government.
Archives. I joined government to work in It’s human nature to want to protect #3 3rd: Photo Slideshow – Ben Smith (2018
that office. If I even contributed a little bit to mak- information that you feel might be un- United World Wrestling Freestyle World Cup)
Soon after, there was an opening to be ing the process of requesting information flattering or embarrassing. But the law
working in access to information and from government work more smoothly is the law. So I think there is a real ten- #4 4th: Spot News Photo – Ben Smith
open government issues out of the White and be a more pleasant experience all sion between adhering to the law, which
House. I joined the White House in 2013 around, I would feel very proud. of course people in government try very Honorable Mention: Diversity Series
and took on the open government portfo- hard to do, which I was delighted to see, – Lily Smith, Wylliam Smith,
lio. My role was to help our government One thing I think I saw over the years and between having an interest in preser- Joshua Housing, Sonnie Wooden
work closely with all of the nongovern- was a change in culture. Journalists and vation of information. But that’s why we Honorable Mention: Environmental Portrait
mental organizations and come up with requesters began working more harmoni- need laws like the Freedom of Informa- – James Year
commitments around open government. ously with government colleagues. I really tion Act, because in a democracy the Honorable Mention: Spot News Photo
What could we do to be more open and feel like I saw that process evolve and be- information belongs to us, the people. – Ben Smith
transparent? How can we engage the pub- come a little more pleasant, and I’m proud Government is really just the steward for Honorable Mention: Photo Slideshow
lic more? How can we increase account- that I got to be part of the large commu- that information. – DI Staff (2018 Dance Marathon)
ability and curb corruption? nity working to advance that.
My first week on the job was when I think we had a few signals early on
Healthcare.gov launched and failed spec- What advice do you give journalists who about how the new administration might
tacularly. It was all-hands-on-deck to not may run into brick walls and roadblocks approach transparency. And after leaving
only try and get that sorted out but figure when trying to access information? we’ve seen significant rollbacks, which is
out how can we better deliver technol- very disappointing, not only as someone
ogy to the American people. So while I Understand the law and the regulations who worked on some of these issues, but
was working on open government work, of the agency that you’re requesting as an American who wants to know what’s
I was pitching in heavily on the technol- information from. Do the homework happening in my government.
ogy transformation efforts, which is how upfront. Despite what well-meaning
I became the Deputy Chief Technology journalists tell you, you should try to The First Amendment has been a corner-
Officer. make your request as narrow as possi- stone principle for our country since the
I stayed in that office for four years, in- ble while not sharing more about your beginning. I have a lot of hope that our
cluding the transition to the Trump ad- reporting than you want to. I think the society will continue to find value and
ministration to help hand off the work to instinct to be vague in a request and not importance in the great work of our news
the colleagues that came in. Now I con- say what you really want leads to confu- media and journalists and their ability to
sion and delay inside the government. tell the stories that matter.
Follow your request closely. It’s also on
the requester to really track what’s hap- Julia Howe will graduate in Spring 2019
pening as close as possible. All of these with a degree in Journalism and Mass
laws allow you to appeal, so if you are Communication and a minor in Spanish.

I have a lot of hope that our society will continue to find WWININTTEERR//SSPPRRIINNGG22001199 IIOOWWAAJJOOUURRNNAALLIISSTT 1177
value and importance in the great work of our news
media and journalists.

PROTECTING had been a lot of negative rhetoric, but we had yet to see a prom-
THE "ENEMY ised legal assault. I don’t know if that’s true anymore. The article
OF THE PEOPLE” talks about concerns over leak investigations. When we wrote
it there had been one investigation—now there have been four.
A conversation with Alex Ellerbeck, the A protestor at the Myanmar Embassy in London petitions for One example is the Justice Department’s seizure of New York
Committee to Protect Journalists’ North the release of Reuters journalists Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, Times reporter Allie Watkins’ private communications. So there
America program director. Sept. 27, 2018. The two journalists were given a seven-year is now some of that legal threat that we were concerned about.
prison sentence in Myanmar in connection with their reporting
By Morgan Ramsey about massacres of Rohingya Muslims. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein) In terms of the rhetoric itself, journalists have thick skin. We can
take it. But using such rhetoric is harmful for journalists who
For nearly four decades, the Committee to Protect Jour- oning journalists. There are certainly things that we try to do in are then targeted by online harassment campaigns or singled
nalists (CPJ) has been fulfilling its mission statement as terms of getting journalists to safety and helping to raise their out. It also creates an environment of increased hostility towards
a nonprofit that “promotes press freedom worldwide and profile—but in those top countries like Egypt, China, or Turkey journalists. One of our concerns is that it can create an environ-
defends the right of journalists to report the news safely and it’s incredibly difficult. The key in any country is to do public ment where some of the hostility trickles down to the state or
without fear of reprisal.” Founded in 1981, CPJ is headquartered advocacy around individual cases and bring in international in- local level. We’ve seen about double the number of journalists
in New York City but works to protect “the free flow of news and stitutions and make sure that governments realize there is a very, arrested on false charges in 2017 compared to 2016. It’s deeply
commentary by taking action wherever journalists are under very heavy price to pay for jailing journalists. troubling. The president of the United States uses his platform to
threat.” The Iowa Journalist recently spoke with Alex Ellerbeck, routinely attack the press and discredit mainstream media out-
CPJ’s North American Program Coordinator, about the current So you don’t necessarily try to keep them from those coun- lets. It’s sort of a bizarre conspiracy theory, right?
climate for journalists abroad and in the U.S. The conversation tries but rather you take precautions and create advocacy
has been edited for length and clarity. around the issues in those countries? Do you believe there is a concerted attack by the government
on the First Amendment and freedom of speech?
Are there specific countries that the CPJ works in more than Well, we primarily work with local journalists around the world.
others? Most of the journalists we work with—Turkish, Egyptian, Chi- I do think that there is a broad disrespect and lack of appreciation
The CPJ was founded by a group of U.S. foreign correspondents nese, Sudanese, Ethiopian journalists—are cases where we help for the First Amendment and the role of the press at the highest lev-
who realized that as they went abroad into war zones or con- assist them in leaving the country if they are facing imminent els of government right now and from the president. You see that in
flict or authoritarian countries, they had a much higher degree risk of imprisonment or murder. It’s often hard to prevent vio- the threats to “open up libel laws.” But the allegation that Trump has
of protection than many of their local colleagues. They wanted lence when this is where people live, these are their homes; it’s said he wants to use the regulatory power of government to punish
to create an organization that could protect all local journalists not like advising U.S. journalists on where they should report media organizations he doesn’t like, the allegation that he told for-
around the world. The committee works globally; we do report- stories or what countries they should deploy to. mer FBI Director James Comey that he wanted to jail journalists.
ing in every country. There are obviously some countries that Those aren’t just about whether journalists should use an anony-
have particular crises, for example, Turkey, where we do more mous source or not. Those are direct threats to the free press.
work. My role is limited just to Canada, the U.S. and Mexico.
I will say though, that the ability to act on a lot of this has been very
What’s the climate like for journalists around the world today? limited. When we have seen foreign leaders use the type of rhetoric
In terms of imprisonment, 2017 was a record year [262 impris- we see in the U.S. now, it’s often followed by journalists going to jail
oned globally]—the second in a row. So, 2016 was the highest or prison or media outlets being shuttered. That hasn’t happened
year we had until 2017. We’re not expecting 2018 to be any bet- here. The U.S. is an incredibly robust institution. It has the First
ter. Which is just incredibly chilling, I think. We’ve also seen a Amendment, it has courts, it has a balance of power, all of which
particular crackdown in a number of authoritarian countries are protective. But in terms of the rhetoric, yeah, I think some of it
that led to more journalists being arrested. is a direct threat to the First Amendment and the free press.

What do you think is the most important factor in keeping You co-wrote an article for the Winter 2018 issue of the Co- All of this has sparked a robust discussion within journalism
journalists safe or preventing them from being imprisoned? lumbia Journalism Review titled “The President’s Phantom schools and newsrooms about how and when to use anonymous
Threats.” How has this administration’s calling mainstream sources. But when the president is stoking conspiracy theories
Over half of journalists arrested are arrested in a small handful U.S. news outlets “fake news” and “the enemy of the people” that news organizations are just “inventing” sources that don’t
of countries. What that tells you is that there are incredibly re- changed the climate for journalists in America? really exist—that’s not a good faith critique about the use of
pressive countries who have decided that they’re willing to pay anonymous sources. Another interesting reaction on the part
the price in terms of their international reputation for impris- When we wrote that article, the premise in part was that there of a lot of newsrooms is an attempt to do more media-literacy
education, and to try to show how they go about their work a
bit more. You see a lot of news sites now interviewing reporters
about how they got a story and why they quoted anonymous
sources. To some extent, I think that’s been valuable.

Morgan Ramsey graduated in Fall 2018 with a degree in Journal-
ism and Mass Communication.

18 IOWA JOURNALIST WINTER/SPRING 2019 WINTER/SPRING 2019 IOWAJOURNALIST 19

1960s the Court has argued that students do not lose ALL of
their First Amendment rights when they step on to campus. This
is especially the case for open areas (like a quad or commons
area) where anyone may come and speak.

Since universities are able to adopt their own speech codes that in
a sense override the First Amendment, what are some factors that
help universities determine their speech codes? Does a school’s
location or demographics, for instance, make a difference?

Universities are not allowed to “override the First Amendment.”
Instead, I would say that Americans have never interpreted the
First Amendment to mean that anyone can say anything any-
where at any time. They have always believed that some com-
mon-sense regulations are necessary to achieve other state goals
(like national security goals, or public peace goals). Universities
look to their own contexts to determine what kinds of regula-
tions they may wish to put in place and then ask their lawyers to
help them craft policies that align with current Court interpre-
tations of the First Amendment.

FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION A protest on the UI campus in favor of Social media helps shape opinions on free speech. How does
stricter gun-control laws, Feb. 19, 2018. social media effect speech codes on campus?
MORE THAN A CLASS, IT'S THE FOUNDATION
OF OUR MODERN DEMOCRACY Photo by Lily Smith/The Daily Iowan This is a great question! We are not quite sure. Some students,
for instance, have threatened faculty, students and staff via Face-
An interview with SJMC Director pression because we believe it is best to teach the basics of the How does the First Amendment connect to speech codes on book and Twitter. Can they be punished? It isn’t quite clear. The
David Ryfe. topic early in our students’ educational careers. We also wanted college campuses? entire question of how the First Amendment applies to digital
to offer the course as part of the General Education curriculum. Public universities are by definition government agencies, so space is complicated and difficult and the Court has not quite
By Michael McCurdy and Emily Weaver This course satisfies the Diversity & Inclusion requirement of any action they take to regulate expression automatically raises figured out its answers to all the questions raised.
the GEC. We wanted to do this because we feel these issues are a potential First Amendment consideration. Speech codes of the
SJMC majors are required to take Freedom of Expression, central not only to our students, but to all students. kind you allude began to be written in the 1970s and 1980s as Has the UI ever had its speech code challenged?
a course that “blends philosophy, history, political science, a way to help universities create a welcoming and inclusive en-
and legal studies into a semester-long meditation on the Many students go into this class thinking it will be mostly vironment for all students. However, some of them raise con- No, my understanding is that there has never been a court case
meaning of the freedom of expression.” We recently asked SJMC about the First Amendment. But it is so much more. The stitutional questions that are important to identify and discuss. brought against the University of Iowa harassment policy, which
Director David Ryfe, who teaches Freedom of Expression, to talk course starts with history even before 1776, going over prac- Personally, I like to end the class with such codes because they includes a speech regulation.
about the foundations of the course and why it is important— tices like Roman and common law. It almost felt like an Amer- are often the primary way that college students have experienced
perhaps now more than ever—to students. The conversation has ican history class through the lens of the First Amendment. First Amendment issues so far in their lives. What do you hope students take away from learning about
been edited for length and clarity. Why structure it like this? the First Amendment—its history and its evolution?
What types of restrictions on protected speech can a public
How long has Freedom of Expression been required for stu- We believe it is important for students to understand freedom of university impose? I hope students gain a greater awareness of how Americans have
dents in the SJMC school? expression in a broad context: philosophical, political, historical, There are certain kinds of reasonable restrictions universities argued over the First Amendment since the founding and how
legal. The history of this topic is vital as it helps us to understand are allowed to adopt. These include time-place-manner restric- these arguments shape the conversations we have today. I hope
Some version of this class has always been required for all JMC why Americans have always felt strongly about the freedom of tions on when, where, and how students and others may express students learn something about current issues surrounding the
students. It is just that the form and format of the class have expression, but also that they have thought about the term (and themselves, and also limits on how students may conduct them- First Amendment—why they are issues and how the court and
changed over time. At one time, it was a press law course. At the guarantees of the First Amendment) differently across gen- selves in learning spaces (i.e., the classroom). However, since the others have responded to them. And I hope to give students an
another, a media law class. Today, it is called Freedom of Ex- erations. Ideally, this helps students to place their own views, opportunity to challenge their own preconceived ideas of what
and contemporary views generally, in a historical context. the First Amendment means and should mean. Along the way, I
hope to train JMC majors to learn the basics of various areas of
media law (e.g., libel) so that they have enough knowledge of the
issues to begin working as professional communicators.

Michael McCurdy will graduate in Spring 2019 with a degree in
Journalism and Mass Communication and a minor in Cinematic
Arts. Emily Weaver graduated in Fall 2018 with a degree in Jour-
nalism and Mass Communication.

20 IOWA JOURNALIST WINTER/SPRING 2019 WINTER/SPRING 2019 IOWAJOURNALIST 21

“THERE’S NOTHING MORE IMPORTANT Minnesota has their own America Needs Journalists thing, and you just have to explain it. It’s interesting how many people don’t
THAN THE TRUTH, RIGHT?” they took it a step further and have like America needs activists, know what an opinion section is, and it’s really hard for them to
America needs artists, and stuff like that. decipher that from news. So that’s another thing that publica-
The Iowa Journalist sits down with Gage Miskimen, editor in chief of the tions really have to make clear.
University of Iowa’s 150-year-old newspaper, The Daily Iowan. What else can be done to defend the First Amendment?
First and foremost is just continuing to report accurately and Do you typically endorse candidates at the DI?
By Braxton Leonard for the DI, and it was also a good chance to partner up with fairly. I think that’s the one thing any journalistic publication Yeah, we did this week. So, for example, the DI and Iowa State
Raygun, a local t-shirt store, to do that. We’re in a time right should do. If you’re telling the truth and you’re showing different Daily—the paper from Iowa State University—have teamed up to
The Iowa Journalist sat down on the eve of the 2018 mid- now where journalism, at least in my eyes, is also more popular perspectives from all sides, then you can really do no wrong. I do an editorial endorsement, and our two papers endorsed the
term elections with the Daily Iowan’s Gage Miskimen, than ever with the current administration in the White House mean the best story is one where both sides are not happy with Democrat, Fred Hubbell. But we endorsed him based on the issue
who graduates this spring and hopes to move to D.C. to and the things that have been happening between politicians it. The other thing is local papers need to be doing more com- of higher education alone. So we had an angle and it had to do
cover politics for a news organization. Miskimen, who worked in general and the press. Yeah, there’s nothing more important munity outreach, like making good relationships with sources with tuition and college in general and making higher-ed a pri-
for the DI as a staff writer for three years before being named than the truth, right? So America Needs Journalists was just a in the community. That’s something that DI does with things ority. We thought that was pretty fair. All the other candidates we
editor in chief, is well-acquainted with the chaos of a newsroom shirt that made sense. It’s pretty bipartisan, and it’s supporting like our donut Fridays. We have sources come in to talk to us endorsed this year also ended up being Democrats. I don’t think
during election season. What we anticipated would be a brief the cause for journalists. and get to know us off the record, and we get to know them, that’s always the case, but that’s the way it worked out this year.
conversation about the DI’s “America Needs Journalists” t-shirts, because at the end of the day everyone in our community cares
quickly shifted to the strange, new climate for journalists in How have people generally received the t-shirts? How many about the community, and are doing jobs within that commu- Do you think the news media is generally headed in the right
today’s America. Journalism that is honest, fair, and accurate, have you sold? nity. They meet you and get to know that you’re a person and not direction?
Miskimen said, will always stand apart from “fake news” and just some vulture reporter or photographer. If they realize that It depends on the publication. Some are really taking advantage
“clickbait.” They’ve been doing really well, and they’ve been generating you’re doing your job they’ll trust you more, and the community of the whole clickbait thing. At the end of the day you have to get
extra revenue for the DI. Basically, if someone buys the shirts will trust you. So it’s just about making those relationships and eyes to your page, right? But personally, for me, I think the big-
Why did the DI start selling “America Needs Journalists” through the DI website, Americaneedsjournalists.com, 100% maintaining those relationship. But at the same time you have to ger papers like The Washington Post and The New York Times
t-shirts last fall? Was it a series of events or one specific thing? of the profit goes to us. If they buy the Raygun version, which keep them at a respectable distance because you have a job to do. really balance along the edge of tweeting things a certain way
looks a little bit different, I believe it’s 10% that goes to the DI. to get more views, and sticking straight to the news. And we do
To be honest, most of those decisions and the branding wasn’t Other colleges have made similar deals in their states. I know Has the DI faced any of the same scrutiny as other news that here, too. Some of our projects are more fun, so we want to
me; it was the DI’s publisher, Jason Brummond. But it was seen sources from readers in recent months? get eyes on those projects that people have worked so hard on.
as a good way—at least in my understanding—to raise money Not to the same effect. I mean, yeah, you have the “fake news” But I’m never going to go out of my way to intentionally get eyes
stuff every once in a while in Facebook comments. You have on something that isn’t a big deal. I’m not trying to trick readers
people accusing us of political bias when we write about [candi- or anything like that. I want to be pretty straight forward. What
date for Iowa governor] Fred Hubbell. The DI has traditionally you think you’re going to get—in that tweet or Facebook post—
been seen as a liberal source of news because Iowa City is a lib- is probably what you’re going to get. It’s just about being honest.
eral town. So much of the rest of Iowa assumes that the Univer- That’s what it comes down to.
sity of Iowa and college kids are all liberal and write about liberal
things and only care about that. But from my perspective, after Braxton Leonard will graduate in May 2019 with a degree in Jour-
being with the DI for four years, I think we do a pretty good nalism and Mass Communication and Sports Studies.
job of balancing it out. For example, this midterm election we’ve
written profiles and covered every single candidate in the races
we’re covering, and put in the same effort to meet with Republi-
can, Democratic, and libertarian candidates.

What steps do you take to ensure that the DI stays true to the
First Amendment, regardless of what readers say or think?

I guess preparation for consequence is something that I like to
think about. If we’re going to publish a certain political story or
ops column, I think in the back of my head “What’s going to be
the response to this tomorrow? What type of people are going
to be mad about this tomorrow? What type of emails am I going
to receive in the morning by the time I wake up? What kind of
phone calls am I going to get?” That’s just expected, getting that
type of feedback every once in a while. Most ops columns, out-
side of editorials, are the opinion of the individual that wrote it.
That’s what our policy is on the page and on the website. Usually,
when you tell a reader that, they’re still mad—but they get it,

22 IOWA JOURNALIST WINTER/SPRING 2019 WINTER/SPRING 2019 IOWAJOURNALIST 23

DRIVEN balance, truth and positivity. Why inspired you to write your new memoir “Driven”? mainstream publishing (unless you are a well-known author)
This book of essays was triggered by my 50th birthday. I wanted fits into urban/street fiction, Christian fiction and black erot-
The Iowa Journalist talks with SJMC Prof. What challenges have you faced being an African-American to look back at the choices I’ve made concerning my career and ica. This is a very real problem. African-American culture is so
Venise Berry about free speech and her writer and journalist? my love life. much more than that.
award-winning career as a journalist,
teacher, novelist, and, most recently, African-American journalists have a difficult time in the indus- I think we need to better understand
memoirist. try if they care about the African-American community. You are that one person’s free speech can hurt
interested in covering your community and making sure that another person.
positive stories get told, however, you don’t want to be limited to
doing nothing but black stories. Also, in covering the negative
stories out of the African-American community, you try to paint
a more balanced picture and tell the story in a way that moves
away from stereotypes.

By Charles Boyd Have stereotypes and racism affected your freedom of speech? You also write novels. Why branch out into fiction? As a journalist, what changes would you like to see concern-
Stereotypes affect everybody’s freedom of speech because peo- ing free speech?
Your career includes teaching, writing, research, criti- ple don’t listen like they should. Instead, they make judgments I’ve always loved to read fiction and I wanted to try my hand
cism, screenwriting, three novels and a just released based on who you are or what you look like. It becomes a serious at writing it. There are a lot of stories about African-American I think we need to better understand that one person’s free
memoir titled “Driven: Reflections on Love, Career problem when the stereotypes are mainly negative and there are culture that need to be told. speech can hurt another person. In her 1993 book, “Words That
and the Pursuit of Happiness.” What do you find most excit- very few positive images or messages to balance out the negative. Wound: Critical Race Theory, Assaultive Speech, and The First
ing about being involved in journalism? How did you claim free speech as your own? Have you experienced any limitations on your free speech, Amendment,” Mari Matsuda explains how free-speech guaran-
I was a teenager in the 1970s so growing up during the civil- and if so, how have they affected your career? tees should not apply to certain racial and sexual content, espe-
Working in the industry is unique because every day is different. rights and women’s equality movements made me a more ag- cially when it is offensive or assaultive.
There are different stories to cover and different people to meet. gressive and outspoken individual. I have to admit I learned how There are limitations right now in the publishing industry when
Teaching in the industry is rewarding because there are so many to say what I needed to say in a nice way, but I still get my point it comes to stories from and about African-Americans. I have Charles Boyd graduated in Fall 2018 with a degree in Journalism
talented students that I am able to help understand the impor- across and most of the time get what I want or need. had three agents tell me the only genre’s that they can sell to and Mass Communication.
tance of diversity in hiring and writing. I write what I believe is
important. For my creative and academic platforms, I focus on

24 IOWA JOURNALIST WINTER/SPRING 2019 WINTER/SPRING 2019 IOWAJOURNALIST 25

a school board meeting or a legislative hearing. We often cover How were you able to tell your story from the position of priv-
stuff the news side hasn’t yet. Over the years we’ve done our own ilege of having private health insurance but also advocate for
investigations on different topics, and in 2014 I was a Pulitzer those who are on Medicaid?
Prize finalist for editorial writing for a series of investigations on
job licensing in Iowa. I’ve had Type One Diabetes since I was 9 years old, so I’ve had
My advice to young journalists is to read good newspapers, like more than a dozen eye surgeries, I get shots twice a day, and
The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post. I spend a lot of time being a patient in the healthcare system.
I think that there is a lot of news now out there that isn’t very If I didn’t have my insulin and test strips and all the things to
well-written and when you’re young sometimes you don’t fully be alive covered by insurance, I don’t know what I would do. I
understand that. I think by reading good writing, young jour- mean, I wouldn’t be alive. You need insulin to stay alive as a dia-
nalists will be able to understand what makes good news and betic. The bottom line is whether you’re rich or not or you have
what good writing looks like. Medicaid or not you have to have health insurance that pays for
the treatment to keep you alive.

The Des Moines Register staff applauds editorial Can you explain a little bit about the Pulitzer Prize for edito- The thing that sparked my editorial pieces last year was that
writer Andie Dominick for winning the Pulitzer rial writing? Governor Branstad took the state-run Medicaid system and
Prize for editorial writing, April 16, 2018. handed it over to three for-profit insurance companies. This
In editorial writing, you can submit up to 10 individual pieces change impacted hundreds of thousands of people, and even
(Photo: Kelsey Kremer/The Register) for the Pulitzer Prize. All the editorials we submitted for me in though I wasn’t directly impacted by it, I knew that I very easily
2018 were on healthcare. The Pulitzer board can choose just one could have.
editorial to win, so the ones of mine that they chose were on the How much research is done for an editorial piece?
privatization of Medicaid.

MORE THAN A Why did you initially go into journalism? How do you write a compelling piece about something like There are times, let’s say, one of our investigative reporters does
MATTER OF I was an English major, actually my bachelor’s and master’s de- healthcare that isn’t necessarily as glamorous as the other all the heavy lifting and writes a big Sunday piece. I might read
OPINION grees are both in English at Iowa State. There was an ad for an things in the news? that piece, make a phone call, and create my own piece where
editorial writer position open at The Des Moines Register and they did a lot of the research.
Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial writer my dad said, “You should apply for this.” That was in 2001. I When I say Medicaid, people’s eyes glaze over. It’s not a sex scan-
Andie Dominick on the dos and don’ts didn’t study Journalism though, I mean I wrote for my school dal; it seems like a boring topic in comparison to all the other I’ve been reporting on Medicaid for three years, so I read a lot of
of powerful editorial writing. paper in high school, but I was an English major. But English news out there. But I’ve written on healthcare my entire editorial data and research regularly, but it just depends on your topic and
is a lot like editorial writing—they’re both essentially making a career. It’s complicated and it seems like a lot of people don’t the original reporting. I would say that editorial pieces actually
By Carly Koemptgen case for something. care about, but it’s such an important topic in Iowa. Everybody take longer than traditional reporting pieces because you also
knows it. I mean, Medicaid covers 700,000 individuals. So that’s have to develop your persuasive position. If you’re covering a
Andie Dominick of The Des Moines Register won What makes a great editorial? about ¼ of our state. It affects so many people. school-board meeting as a reporter, you’re just reporting what
the 2018 Pulitzer Prize in Editorial Writing for, in It needs to be persuasive, especially for people that may not agree happened. If you’re covering a school-board meeting as an ed-
the words of the Pulitzer Committee, “examining with your stance. You want them to think about your position. My advice for writing a compelling piece is to know the topic itorial writer, you have to decide who’s right and what people
in a clear, indignant voice, free of cliché or sentimentality, But it also should have a little bit of personality. By that I mean really well and talk to people. When you’re a journalist, you can think about it. In some ways, you’re not straight reporting,
the damaging consequences for poor Iowa residents of pri- the prose and the writing should be different than a straight sometimes have to call and ask people dumb questions or how you’re also trying to persuade. Some people think that editorial
vatizing the state’s administration of Medicaid.” An editorial news story. Ultimately, I think it comes down to whether or not something works. It may be boring, but you must put the time writing is just sticking an opinion on something someone else
writer for the Register since 2001, she was a 2014 finalist for it’s persuasive. in to understand the topic and be a good critical thinker. You has done, and sometimes that happens, but a lot of times it takes
the same award for her investigation of job licensing in the should also think about the implications of something. I will say, much more than that.
state. While she’s an Iowa State, not a UI graduate, the Iowa Do you have any advice for someone that is used to straight that can be really hard to do. When there’s this pressure to write
Journalist jumped at the chance to sit down with her and talk news and feature writing transitioning into editorial? about things like the best hamburger, putting time into the bor- Carly Koemptgen graduated in Fall 2018 with a degree in Journal-
about her career as journalist in the state, and what, in her There were several editorial writers at the Register when I started ing topics isn’t nearly as fun. ism and Mass Communication.
professional opinion, makes a good editorial writer—and a there, so they essentially trained me. Editorial writers, at least at
great editorial. the Register, do similar work to traditional journalists in terms My advice for writing a compelling piece
of original reporting. We’ll go to meetings, for example. I’ll go to is to know the topic really well and talk
to people.

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STTHOERAYRTTEOLIFNG A still from Brian Ekdale’s As for op-docs, specifically, that was one of the types of videos After watching many NYT op-docs, I’ve noticed the video’s
2005 documentray film the Times made. In an op-ed or commentary piece you’re not voice or opinion is led by the people within the story com-
FROM MULTIMEDIA “10 Days in Malawi.” just reporting the news; you’re taking a stance by promoting an menting on the topic, rather than a “voice of god.” Is that the
TO OP-DOCS AND BEYOND argument. So I think what The New York Times originally had standard for most op-docs?
were short documentaries and then wondered, “What if we do
SJMC professor and award-winning filmmaker these but take a stance on them so they’re more opinion based, I think so, and I personally think that’s a more effective way of
Brian Ekdale on why we’re all digital storytellers now. or at least have an argument built into it?” So I think that’s where storytelling. It is a little pedantic when you have a person walk
the title op-docs originated. you through the story or you have Michael Moore who’s that
By Michael McCurdy When did the two forms of storytelling you’re interested in— central character that never leaves the story. When students
documentary films and multimedia—really start to converge? Initially, it sounds like op-docs mirrored the styles of docu- make videos, or when I watch videos, I much prefer the stories
Premiering in The New York Times opinion section in 2011, mentary filmmaking. But as the form has evolved, how has it to come out through whom they interview. I’m still OK if the
the visual storytelling mode of op-docs strives to start con- Film festivals have always been interested in short docs. What gained its own voice? storyteller has a point of view, but I think a more skilled video
versations through short films with a particular argument I think has changed is the format now has a lot more interest, producer can tell the story without having to tell it themselves.
or point of view. Since their inception, op-docs have skyrocketed and the Internet has a lot to do with it. As news organizations If you’re looking at when traditional print organizations went
in popularity, spawning a new genre of inexpensive, short doc- went online, places like The New York Times realized we can online and decided to do video, for the most part they looked at How has documentary filmmaking and op-docs played a
umentary films on social media and other more traditional me- continue to do written stories, but also do other types of mul- documentary rather than television news. They just made them role into what journalism students learn in your Multimedia
dia outlets. To gain insight into the meteoric rise of op-docs and timedia stories. So they started experimenting with video. Very into short, consumable bites. Op-docs within that are just doc- Storytelling class?
multimedia journalism, the Iowa Journalist spoke to SJMC Prof. quickly news organizations started producing videos very much umentaries that take an explicit point of view. Now, this is an
Brian Ekdale, a specialist in international media and award-win- inspired by documentary filmmaking. intellectual argument one can get in, but all documentaries take Eight years back, when there wasn’t a multimedia storytelling
ning documentary filmmaker in his own right who teaches Mul- some point of view. course, if you wanted to do video the only option was taking the
timedia Storytelling. broadcast course. Now broadcast video still has a place, But now
I remember one of the first op-docs I saw was about the ban on video is much broader; there are many other genres you can cre-
soda in New York. They were staking a claim and saying soda ate using video. That’s one of the things we’ve tried to do with
should be banned for these reasons. It was in the documentary Multimedia Storytelling. We’re going for short documentaries
style. So, they didn’t have to pretend they were an objective, dis- because that’s the type of video that’s easier transported online.
interested reporter, that they could actually make their voice and So you can do something for your local news site, but it’s not
opinions heard through what they were showing. you standing there with a mic in front of the camera. Though if
you want to work in front of the camera with the mic we offer
Tell me a little bit about the 2005 documentary you made in the broadcasting course. If you want to do other styles of videos,
Africa, “10 Days in Malawi.” I know it was screened at 11 film there’s a whole slew of genres you can choose from. I mean, now
festivals and won eight awards. I’m teaching a class for mobile video on social media. I think
what the popularity of online shorts and op-docs has shown us is
To take a long story and make it short, I had an opportunity to that there are other options out there other than television news.
do this video on medical missionaries in Malawi, and so I went
and shot footage for about two weeks then came back and edited How does the SJMC prepare students for the multitude of dif-
it into my documentary. When I was putting it together, I started ferent storytelling mediums in the field today?
questioning some of the decisions I made as people do who
make media. Instead of continuing to make media, I decided to It’s tough because if you’re chasing the tools, you’re chasing all
take the path of studying people who make media because I real- day. You don’t want to be left behind but you also don’t want to
ized some of my decisions in the course of putting together that spend your time constantly focused on the next thing. What we
video had an effect on the final product, which impacted how talk about as a faculty is that we’re doing our best if we’re teach-
people are represented and what messages are getting through. ing our students how to tell stories. What they will do eventually
So that’s the type of research I do now. I research media produc- is figure out what format that story’s going to be told on, how
tion in and about Africa. long the story will be, where it’s going to be published. But if
you understand the principles of a good story, it’s a matter of
So this desire to study media rather than creating it was a re- learning the technical skills for fitting those formats. Part of
sult of traveling to Africa for your film? what we’re doing in Multimedia Storytelling is introducing stu-
dents to the different story formats. By taking that course and
Yeah, up until I was working on that documentary, I thought I Journalistic Reporting and Writing at the same time, students
would be always working in video production, that kind of was learn what makes for a good story. “Alright, I’ve got a good story.
my career goal. Then I took that trip and became really inter- Now how am I going to tell it?” That’s the question we hope we’re
ested in international media. So when I tell people what I re- preparing our students to answer.
search I say, “media production, international media, and digital
media.” That documentary was really the starting point in my Michael McCurdy will graduate in Spring 2019 with a degree in Jour-
academic career, even though it was kind of a right turn from nalism and Mass Communication and a minor in Cinematic Arts.
my previous work.

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servatives who wanted to ban books at his school. He joined a
campaign to save an independent radio station that was going
off the air.

Around this time, he and his friend Kenan convinced their
school to put on a play production of the film “Harold and
Maude.” When he was a high-school sophomore, Mark Ruffalo
was a senior in the same theatre club. He credits those years in
the theatre with giving him the tools to be a teacher and en-
tertain a classroom. His theater background also spawned his
prankster alter ego, which a writer for The Des Moines Register
christened “Robo-Professor.”

It was Robo-Professor that jumped up in front of a room full
of reporters in 1997 to reprimand President Clinton for clearly
mischaracterizing comments made by rapper and activist Sis-
ter Souljah for political reasons. McLeod knew he would be
escorted out if he just started shouting from the audience, in-
terrupting the president’s speech. So he positioned himself in
front of the cameras in his Robo costume . . . and it worked. All
eyes were on him and the president had to acknowledge him.
Today, he says, there are different threats to freedom of speech
than there were in the 1990s.

KMECMLEBORDEW “I sort of see my office as a museum of weird pop culture, things to voice his critiques about how intellectual-property laws con- “Never in my lifetime have I seen a president refer to the news
SELLS HIS that strike me as strange,” says McLeod. “I have a whole collec- strain creativity and freedom of expression. He used the trade- media and journalists as the ‘enemy of the people,’” says Mc-
SOUL tion of religious action figures.” And there on the wall is G.I. mark to carry out these “pranks.” Leod. “And that’s of grave concern to me and others because it
Jesus, Eve, and St. Clare, the patron saint of television. He even He started by threatening to sue AT&T over their use of the is actually journalists who are the ones responsible for helping
By Rachael Hovde has a three-inch Captain Moroni doll. “I think it’s legitimate to phrase in one of their commercials without his permission. It our democracy to thrive by voicing dissenting points of view or
see the absurdity in life while taking things very seriously.” cost him $50 to hire a lawyer, he says, and send a cease and de- making dissenting points of view through their reporting.”
He did theater with Mark Ruffalo. He righteously heck- This is the very core of Kembrew McLeod. He is genuinely tick- sist letter. He then tipped off The New York Times. The Grey All kidding aside, McLeod has always felt the need to promote
led President Bill Clinton. He has written multiple New led by little odd nothings, but never stops wanting people to care Lady broke the story and it soon trickled down to smaller pub- free speech and educate others about its fundamental role in
York Times bestsellers and his office can only be found about the dignity and rights of mankind. At the UI, he teaches lications and TV news. Irony is his calling card. “I’ve spent too American society. “My favorite thing about the First Amend-
with an invisible map and Nicholas Cage’s expertise in such Music in America, which covers music from the Civil War up much time, travel, and money trademarking freedom of expres- ment is that it allows for all kinds of expression to continue to
matters. He just finished his latest book about the underground to the present. He hopes to get students to think about the his- sion,” he told one media outlet. “I don’t want anyone using it persist even against adversity, even against social pressures to
pop scene in New York aptly titled, “The Downtown Pop Un- tory of media industries, sheet music to streaming. It also covers without my permission.” censor oneself,” he explains. “I think it created the foundation
derground.” the intersection of music and culture, like technological shifts “My message was spread far and wide because I found a creative for all of the great things that have happened in this country.”
alongside the debasing history of black-face minstrel perfor- way to make that statement in a way that’s more powerful than Our country may have “come up short in protecting the ideals
When you walk into SJMC Prof. Kembrew McLeod’s office, you mances. Megyn Kelly just got fired for not understanding the just a letter to the editor.” espoused in the First Amendment,” he says but its very existence
are greeted with an abundance of toys and oddities. You can’t stop unfortunate history of minstrel performance. If she had only “has created a space for new ideas and new forms of thought and
staring at the giant robot costume standing in the corner and taken McLeod’s class. expression to emerge.”
what you believed to be a Pee Wee Herman doll looking your way. McLeod sells his soul. Quite literally, he has metaphorically
The man sitting at his desk is reserved and doesn’t seem to match packaged his soul. It has been repackaged over the years in var- Of course, he didn’t start at this level of protest. When he was Rachael Hovde is graduating in Spring 2019 with a degree in Jour-
the eclectic and maniacal sense of humor that cultivates his room. ious forms, from key chains to cereal boxes. And, for the right 14, he wrote letters to the editor protesting the religious con- nalism and Mass Communication with a certificate in writing.
price, keen customers can also purchase his self-esteem, conve-
niently kept for your convenience in travel sized Tupperware. I think it’s legitimate to see the absurdity
He has a prankster alter ego. in life while taking things very seriously.
“As a kind of prank, I tried to register the phrase ‘freedom of
expression’ as a trademark with the United States Patent and
Trademark Office, thinking that there was no way that they
would give someone exclusive control over the phrase ‘freedom
of expression,’ but as you can see…” He then used it as a platform

30 IOWA JOURNALIST WINTER/SPRING 2019 WINTER/SPRING 2019 IOWAJOURNALIST 31

SJMC student Samantha
Austwick gets some
valuable on-air time with
The Daily Iowan’s state-
of-the-art Panasonic 3ccd
newsroom camera.

Samantha Austwick, DITV news reporter.

SMILE... In January 2018, the DI and its offshoot, Daily Iowan TV, kicked the newsroom each Thursday during football season was great know the most. The newsroom camera allows our print report-
their multimedia world up a notch with the addition of a Pana- for my clips. I was pretty nervous before my first time going live, ers to practice getting comfortable in front of the camera and
YOU’RE ON THE sonic 3ccd camera in the newsroom. The newsroom camera al- but after a few weeks my nerves went away completely.” Hensley add another dimension to their work.”
NEWSROOM lows print reporters to tell their stories verbally, many for the said. DITV news director, Mackenzy Cooper, said the newsroom
CAMERA first time, and get some valuable real-world experience in front DITV streams a live newscast every weekday morning at 8:30 in camera is helping shape The Daily Iowan’s identity in an age of
of the camera. the studio located next to the DI newsroom. DITV sports direc- 24-hour news broadcasts, live streaming and op-docs, where
Always innovating, the student-run This, says DITV Managing Technical Director Jacob Geunther, tor, Lucy Rohden, said the addition of having beat writers from multimedia is king.
Daily Iowan has kicked its multimedia has enabled the paper and DITV to make their content stronger, print report live on the newsroom camera has contributed to the “It really reminds our audience that DITV is part of The Daily
world up a notch with live newsroom while giving their reporters an opportunity to learn a new skill. quality of the newscast. Iowan,” said Cooper, “Before the newsroom camera, I think a lot
updates from print reporters. “We wanted to find an alternative setting to give our viewers “It really helps news and sports anchors in the studio because of people didn’t realize that we are one single news organization.
more variety, something to make our studio look larger,” said they are reading several news stories in every newscast,” ex- The newsroom camera has provided us with more opportunities
By Taylor Van Fleet Geunther. “The newsroom camera adds an angle unlike one plained Rohden. “They don’t really have time to go very in to collaborate with each other and has raised the credibility of
we’ve ever had.” -depth in researching each story, so by having different Daily our content.”
In its 150th year, The Daily Iowan is making changes within the When it was first introduced into the DI newsroom in the Adler Iowan beat writers report live during the show, it allows us to The Daily Iowan has dedicated the last 150 years to serving Iowa
newsroom that take the publication to a whole new level. As with Journalism Building, it took a while for reporters and editors to provide more information for our viewers.” City and the University of Iowa community, and with the addi-
major dailies across the country, the UI’s award-winning news- get familiar with the new technology—and comfortable in front According to Rohden, having the Panasonic 3ccd camera in the tion of a state-of-the-art newsroom camera and the newspaper’s
paper—known affectionately as “the DI”—has taken the plunge into of the camera. But by the start of the 2018 fall semester, the cam- DI newsroom is crucial for reporters who want to pursue a ca- embrace of multimedia technology, it’s in a perfect position to
multimedia with live video updates from their newsroom that ap- era had become a regularly utilized tool among DI and DITV reer in journalism or communications. serve the university, the students, and the community for many
pear regularly on Daily Iowan TV’s morning newscasts. staffers. “Every person in this industry who writes will tell you the most years to come.
Daily Iowan Sports Editor Adam Hensley appeared on the news- important thing outside of writing, is that you need to be more
room camera every Thursday morning during the Fall 2018 se- comfortable on camera,” she said. “Most of the people you see Taylor Van Fleet graduated in Fall 2018 with a degree in Journal-
mester to discuss news surrounding the Iowa football team. “I on ESPN and other news stations are senior writers because they ism and Mass Communication.
think that my on-camera speaking ability really grew, and doing

32 IOWA JOURNALIST WINTER/SPRING 2019 WINTER/SPRING 2019 IOWAJOURNALIST 33

San Francisco 49ers Colin Kaepernick (7) and
Eric Reid (35) kneel during the national anthem

before an NFL football game, Sept. 12, 2016.
(AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

SPORTS, RACE, many of them minorities, to check their He’s published dozens of academic and solidarity and power, they were nearly Vietnam War, I asked Oates, why do you
AANMDENTDHME FEINRTST First Amendment rights at the door—or mainstream articles on sports figures and stripped of their medals. Their quiet pro- see such opposition, compared to protest
Why do we expect athletes, many of them minorities, in this case the locker room? how they’re portrayed in the media. In test was also in support of a group called carried out by a nation, like the boycott of
to check their First Amendment rights at the door— Maybe it’s because in the U.S.—unlike in America, he says, “there’s an idea of sports the Olympic Project for Human Rights, the 1980 Olympics by the U.S.? The Carter
or in this case the locker room? other countries—sports are inextricably as existing somehow separately from pol- which worked to fight racial discrimina- administration even had Ali campaign in
intertwined with patriotism. Most Amer- itics, which is either naive or disingenu- tion in the sporting community. African nations in hopes of them joining
By Camas Leeson So why is it that in the age of the internet, icans can remember their first baseball, ous.” While they didn’t lose their medals, they the boycott against the Soviets.
with people’s politics and opinions on dis- football, or basketball game. They stood When it came to NFL star Colin Kae- were targeted by unsympathetic media “I think a lot of it stems from a sense that
As long as there have been ath- play for all the world to see in nearly every up, removed their hats, and faced the flag pernick’s kneeling during the national outlets and members of the Olympic athletes are overly entitled,” says Oates.
letes, there have been protests on form of social media, we still expect our while the anthem was played. Most of us anthem, to protest police brutality and Committee. Smith never ran in an inter- “We have all seen someone’s Facebook
or near the field of play. I’m sure athletes to be somehow apolitical? To put grow up with this ritual as something we in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter national event again. Carlos waited years post, or a meme, bringing up the fact that
some discus thrower had a gripe or two it another way, why do we expect athletes, assume is natural and universal, but that’s movement, Americans—as with many so- to compete again, but he was well past his a teacher’s salary is $30,000-$50,000 while
with the system in Ancient Greece that he not the case. cial issues—were divided. That’s not sur- prime. someone who bounces a ball for a living
made clear at the first Olympics in 776 BC. “It occurs in very few places actually,” says prising, says Oates. “Some strongly sup- More recently, Smith and Carlos' protest makes millions without asking ‘Well, why
SJMC Prof. Thomas Oates (PhD ’04), sur- port the causes that athletes are drawing has been recognized as a brave attempt to is that?’ The claim is not meant to draw
rounded by sports memorabilia in his of- attention to,” he says. “While others may bring social injustice to light and has been any attention to real-life disparities, but to
fice in the Adler Building on the UI cam- not agree with the grievances made by honored in print and film as well as with disempower the people who occupy these
pus. “The United States is exceptional, not athletes, but support their right to protest a statue at San Jose University portraying positions of prestige in sports in some
unique, but exceptional in that way.” under the First Amendment.” the two men on the Olympic podium. way.”
Oates teaches two sports-related courses: Five decades ago, at the 1968 Olympics, When it comes to protests carried out “Again,” says Oates, “you have to recog-
The Business of Sports Communication when gold medalist Tommy Smith and by individuals, like Muhammad Ali’s re- nize that there are very powerful people in
and New Media and the Future of Sport. silver medalist John Carlos raised their fusal to sign up for the draft during the these organizations—owners, executives,
gloved fist in the air in a salute to black league officials—that are largely invisible,

34 IOWA JOURNALIST WINTER/SPRING 2019 WINTER/SPRING 2019 IOWAJOURNALIST 35

John Carlos, left, and Tommie Smith We must learn from our struggles.
pose for a photo in front of statue
that honors their iconic, black- - Roger Thurow (BA '79), finalist for the 2004 Pulitzer Prize in
gloved protest at the 1968 Mexico International Reporting and author of "The Last Hunger Season:
City Olympic Games on the campus A Year in an African Farm Community on the Brink of Change"
of San Jose State University, Oct. 17,
2018, in San Jose, Calif.
(AP Photo/Tony Avelar)

usually remaining in the shadows, unnamed, unremarked upon. Obama administration, and President Obama’s response was CNLOATSESS IN MEMORIAM
You also must recognize that these organizations have hundreds different from President Trump’s. By trying to tamp them down,
of employees who make league policy, signing TV and ad con- Trump may actually have encouraged the protests. “It’s reason- 1980S 1930S
tracts that generate billions of dollars, which is what makes these able to speculate that the president’s pressure had something
player contracts so valuable.” to do with their response.” The NBA, says Oates, has handled Vishwas Gaitonde (BA ’89) published his short story Paul J. Farmer (BA ’39)
So, what has changed from the protests by athletes in the 1960s similar issues in a more proactive manner, inviting players and “Faith” in the Fall 2018 issue of the literary journal Santa Velva E. Severson (BA ’39)
in comparison to today’s protests like Black Lives Matter? In their representatives to discuss their concerns with owners and Monica Review. The issue marks the journal’s 30th anni-
general, not all that much. Today, when it comes to Kaepernick managers both on and off the court. versary of publication, and at the launch event on Oct 14, 1940S
and other NFL players kneeling during the national anthem, 2018, Gaitonde was invited to read from his work.
says Oates, “The topic is the same, the context is a little differ- In May 2018 the NFL announced new rules that required play- Barbara R. Greene (BA ’43)
ent, but the grievance that is being raised, in the minds of the ers and team personnel on the field to “stand and show respect John Bohnenkamp (BA ’88), sports editor of The Hawk- Carol G. Thompson (BA ’48)
people protesting, has not been addressed and still needs to be for the flag and the Anthem.” There was immediate pushback eye, took first place in the Football Writers Association of Virginia B. Flynn (BA ’49)
addressed.” from players and the league was forced to suspend that rule in America writing contest in the game-story category for Mary Hamblin Ovrom (BA ’49/MA ’50)
Just like Smith and Carlos used the medal ceremony at the ’68 July. Pending an agreement with the players’ union, the league Iowa’s 55-24 win over Ohio State in the 2017 season. Alan W. Trick (BA ’49)
Olympics as a platform for their message, explains Oates, Kaep- returned to the old rule that states players “should” stand for the
ernick used the national anthem as a “flashpoint” to draw atten- anthem. 2000S 1950S
tion to the Black Lives Matter movement.
Something that is different is today’s political climate. There’s no That’s the kind of compromise that would be nice to see in pol- Alexander Solsma (BA ’2011) was named the Director of Jack H. Dyer (BA ’50)
doubt that past protests by athletes like Ali, Smith and Carlos itics. But, as Oates points out, politics is not sports, and often Communications for the historic Basilica of Saint Mary Norman W. Buck (BA ’57)
were harshly criticized, and sometimes accompanied by death operates on a more cynical level: “The presence of those protests in Old Town Alexandria, Va., in August 2018. The parish James Chimbidis (BA ’56)
threats. But direct calls by the U.S. president for Kaepernick and is actually beneficial in some ways for some politicians. Do they was established in 1795, which makes it the oldest Roman
other NFL players who protest to be “fired” is something new. really want to see them end? Probably not. That’s not to say that Catholic parish in Virginia. 1960S
It’s worth pointing out that the NFL protests started during the they don’t legitimately make them angry. They probably do. But
they also probably see that anger as politically useful.” Sue C. Lewarne (BA ’64)
Jerome T. Fitzhenry (MA ’65)
Camas Leeson graduated in Fall 2018 with a degree in Journalism Thomas E. King (BA ’64/MA ’72)
and Mass Communication and in History.
1970S

David L. Grimm (BA ’70)
John C. Avery (BA ’72)
Terry L. Lane (BS ’78)

1980S-1990S

Chris D. Baker (BA ’85/MA ’92)
Jason S. Freeman (BA ’95)

36 IOWA JOURNALIST WINTER/SPRING 2019 WINTER/SPRING 2019 IOWAJOURNALIST 37

Fall 2018 IWP writers in residence and staff. “Paul Engle ran the Writers’ Workshop for a quarter of a cen- came one of the few places where writers from the West and
Co-founder Hualing Nieh Engle(front, third from tury,” explains Merrill. “And when he and Hualing started the Soviet bloc countries could meet and share ideas. After the Cold
right) and to her right Director Chris Merrill. IWP, their idea was to bring really good writers from around the War and in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks it was cru-
world to Iowa for a period of time, give them the space to read cial for the IWP to find new ways to engage with the rest of the
TCHOEMWESOTROLDIOWA collaborate with writers from different genres and artists, and and write and interact with writers from other lands. That basic world. “We are very much involved with reaching out to the Is-
interact with American audiences and literary communities framework remained the same, but our mission has expanded lamic world,” says Merrill.
A half century of cultural diplomacy at across the U.S. over the years.” But that core mission, cultural diplomacy, is always evolving and
the International Writing Program. “Their main priority should be their writing,” says Merrill. “And Of the hundreds of writers who’ve traveled to Iowa for the IWP, expanding in new ways. “A key strategic priority is to counter
I hope that during the course of the residency they write a lot of many have gone on to win the highest literary awards in their disinformation that is a part of our lives today,” says Merrill.
By Jazmen Wade new pages.” But he also encourages them to converse about “all home countries. Impressively, two Nobel Prize winners (Orhan With claims of “fake news” and “alternative facts” challenging
manner of things—literary, political, social, and cultural.” Pamuk of Turkey and Mo Yan of China) were in the Fall Resi- our concept of truth and grasp on reality, we need people who
In an increasingly complex and often cynical world, Chris When the 12 weeks end, he hopes they have a “better view of dency years before they won the literary world’s highest honor. can go beyond the headlines and reveal our common humanity.
Merrill, the director of the University of Iowa’s International what writing can be and what their place in the literary world The IWP writers in their totality, says Merrill “have given us a “Writers are uniquely suited to do that because we are in the
Writing Program for the past 18 years, may be the last un- is.” He also hopes they gain a “more complex understanding of much more interesting and complex picture of what the world business of truth telling.”
abashed optimist on the planet. With all the information—and this country, and that it becomes a springboard for ever greater is made up of. It’s hard to measure success but each day I get With free speech under assault in new ways in the U.S., many
disinformation—zipping around our 24/7 wireless world, Merrill literary work from them.” email and alerts about writers from our program doing well in writers here are realizing how necessary it is to defend our free-
believes writers are “uniquely suited” to “counter disinformation.” In 2017, the IWP celebrated its 50th birthday with a series of so many different parts of the world. It’s thrilling to see what the dom of speech and First Amendment rights from those who
Why? Because they are in the business, he says, “of truth telling.” panel discussions, readings, and a gala fundraiser. The IWP was writers have done with their time here.” would silence creative expression or dissent. Merrill says its been
Merrill has headed the IWP since 2000. Each year he welcomes founded in 1967 by Paul Engle and his wife Hualing Nieh En- Unlike in the U.S., where writers tend to specialize in one genre— “humbling” and “instructive” for American writers to be in con-
about 35 writers—many of them well-known in their home gle, a Chinese novelist, fiction writer, and poet. Engle, who died nonfiction, fiction or poetry, for example—writers that visit the tact with writers at the IWP “who face that grave threat every day.”
countries, others just starting their career—to participate in the in 1991 at the age of 82, was a Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and IWP are generally more eclectic, explains Hugh Ferrer, assistant They show us, he says, “how important it is to keep up that fight.”
12-week IWP Fall Residency program. That’s more than 600 in longtime director of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. IWP director. “It’s not in the least uncommon for the IWP to Another form of cultural diplomacy is teaching new generations
the past 18 years—a lot of writers, a lot writing. The IWP got its start when Hualing suggested they invite a group host poet-journalists, novelist-screenwriters, engineers or law- about the art and tradition of writing. Since 2008, the IWP has
While on the UI campus, they meet other writers, workshop of writers from around the world to share their work at the Uni- yers who are also translators and novelists, literature professors reached out to younger writers, hosting a cultural-exchange pro-
their pieces, and hone their literary talents. They also have the versity of Iowa. When the program first began there were only 12 who write short stories and a regular newspaper column.” Many gram called Between the Lines for international writers between
opportunity to share their work through readings and lectures, writers in residence. Since 1967, over 1,500 writers from more of the visiting writers, he says, “have published poetry, prose, the ages of 15 and 18. What began with young writers visiting
than 150 countries have taken part in the IWP Fall Residency. drama, and journalism.” Iowa from just a few countries, has grown to include 60 nations.

Cultural diplomacy is—and always has been—one of the main Now, explains, Merrill, the IWP is expanding “to create distance
goals of the IWP, which has a longstanding relationship and re- learning classes and massive online courses.” The most recent
ceives funding from the U.S. Department of State and the Bu- online course, he says, had more than 10,000 students sign up.
reau of Education and Cultural Affairs (ECA). Founded in 1961, They know that Iowa—and Iowa City, which was designated
the ECA “works to build friendly, peaceful, relations between a UNESCO “City of Literature” in 2008—is synonymous with
the people of the United States and the people of other countries writing, says Merrill. “What we are doing is sharing some of the
through academic, cultural, sports, and professional exchanges,” magic of this City of Literature, with readers, and writers around
according their government website. the world.”

The IWP has been doing just that—through the art of writing— Jazmen Wade graduated in Fall 2018 with a degree in Journalism
for more than half a century. During the Cold War the IWP be- and Mass Communications and a certificate in Writing.

A key strategic priority is to counter
disinformation that is a part of our lives
today ... Writers are uniquely suited to
do that because we are in the business
of truth telling.

38 IOWA JOURNALIST WINTER/SPRING 2019 WINTER/SPRING 2019 IOWAJOURNALIST 39

IAWTPAWLEROITFETRWS O guage. She and her friends would eagerly Salah Badis has graced Iowa City with
get together to discuss stories they’d read. his witty presence in this year’s In-
They quickly exhausted the books avail- ternational Writing Program all the
able to them. She calls this time in her life way from the beautiful city of Algiers, Al-
“a period of charging herself with the en- geria. He speaks of Algiers with admira-
ergy of the printed word.” tion, it being a main source of inspiration
for a large portion of his writing. He won’t
International Writing Program participants Haifa Abu Soon, however, she became less content reveal his age, but his brown eyes reveal
Al-Nadi and Salah Badis on their journey as writers with just reading—she wanted “her voice an old soul concerned with his people and
and the talents that brought them to Iowa. back,” and began to write. While writing the world.
her first short stories, “a spark deep inside
By Claudia Prescher who soaked up her stories and responded was lit.” That flame has never gone out. His first book of poetry, “Ship Weariness” and meaning behind the music, who the “People should
with praise and awe. She continues to write and is obsessed was published in 2016. The compilation of artists were and more.”
Now that I am older, I realized what Yet, as talented as she was as a storyteller, with the joys of language. poems was inspired by the Barbary Cor- Salah has enjoyed his time in Iowa City, write, they should
happened. I was rejected. I was si- the writer had another dream. From a Since that pivotal time in her life, Haifa sairs era (17th-19th century) when Algiers spending his days working on his next paint, and make
lenced. I wanted my own voice.” very young age, she longed to become a has kept a personal dictionary and en- was overtaken by pirates, becoming the book at his favorite coffee and book shop movies. Society can
Haifa Abu Al-Nadi, a fiction writer, singer. But in the sixth grade that dream courages her students at the university most powerful city on the Mediterranean in Iowa City, Prairie Lights. Beyond Iowa, be changed by a lot
screenwriter, and translator from Jordan, was taken from her. As she recounts in in Amman where she teaches to do the Sea. Salah’s other pieces revolve around his he has found the time to visit New Or-
tears up as she reflects on her past and the her heart-breaking short story “On the same. Her love of words in Arabic and En- country’s history and the effects of French leans, Pittsburgh, and Chicago. He has ”of things.
events that led to her love for words and Body,” Haifa was prohibited from singing glish has led to her career as a writer and colonization on his family in the second found the experience of working with 27
writing. Humble and gracious in a light when she reached puberty. accomplished translator. She writes both half of the 19th century. He recounts the other writers from all different countries In the future, Salah plans to continue writ-
maroon hijab, her brown eyes dance along Her dream, when it was still ripe, she says, poetry and fiction, mixing her true-life series of events through the eyes of his to be rewarding and especially commends ing in Algeria. In terms of making a dif-
different emotional tangents with each was taken away. Heartbroken and angry, experiences with imaginative inspiration. family members to convey the true emo- the workshops offered here. ference through writing, he is convinced
story she tells. she turned to the library for comfort and More recently, she’s delved into screen- tions experienced by his country’s people In general, he says, the U.S. has much that it will take more than himself to
Haifa’s journey as a writer and as an advo- became immersed in reading and lan- writing as well, cowriting the film “A Man during these times of hardship. more to offer in terms of workshops, make change, and encourages others to
cate for women began at a young age. Her in Red,” which centers around the 2005 Although Salah claims that he became publishers, and classes for aspiring au- take up the arts.
talent was clear to her family and peers terrorist bombings of three popular hotels a writer “because he is lazy” and “all thors. Juxtaposing Arabic countries with
in Amman, in which more than 50 people a writer needs is a laptop,” each of his the States, he and many of the other IWP “People should write, they should paint,
were killed. pieces are incredibly profound. His short writers believe it is much more difficult and make movies. Society can be changed
But in her poetry and stores, there is a stories and poetry are historically and to become a journalist or novelist in the by a lot of things—I cannot change it
glint of humor and rebelliousness. She culturally insightful. For someone who U.S., a country that has seen exponential alone,” says Salah.
tells me a recent poem titled “Proposi- jokingly claims to be lazy, the writer growth in Journalism and the media for
tions," seemingly about a man holding a graduated from university with a degree over a century. Claudia Prescher is graduating in Spring
cup of coffee, is actually a parallel to her in political science and journalism and Careers in journalism and media have 2019 with a degree in Journalism and Mass
take on how a man treats a woman. has been published in Arabic newspapers only become democratized in countries Communication with a certificate in Entre-
in 22 countries. He is French and Arabic like Algeria within the last few decades, preneurship.
“You can get them anywhere you like in but speaks English to an impressive de- meaning that the writing profession is less
many shapes and sizes and colors,” she gree as well. In addition to newspaper concentrated. For Salah, this means the
chuckles. “Then when he is done, he can journalism and translation, the writer is competition to become published slight.
put them on the side or the edge of the the founder of an online magazine called
street and just move on. He can drink Nafha, which publishes pieces on cul-
them hot he can drink them cold… ture, the arts, music and literary reviews
doesn’t matter.” and creative writing.
As passionate as he is about his historical
“I was silenced. and cultural roots in his writing, Salah
makes the majority of his income as a
I wanted my own music critic and a musical archive analyst.
“I work with, for example, European art-
”voice. ists that are interested in studying Egyp-
tian music from the '50s,” says Salah.
“Because they cannot understand the lan-
guage, they will send me musical archives.
I will then be able to tell them the stories

40 IOWA JOURNALIST WINTER/SPRING 2019 WINTER/SPRING 2019 IOWAJOURNALIST 41

The author interviews Common before his Before the lecture, however, Common requested to speak with Flow down the cheeks of my black LGBTQIA+ community who
Oct. 6, 2018, UI Lecture Committee talk at 30 African-American campus leaders. Proud to be one of them, are boxed up and thrown out the window of acceptance and onto
Hancher Auditorium. I listened intently as he spoke directly to us about the challenges the streets of fearful hatred.
and triumphs of being black in today’s America.
ARE YOU READY FOR GREATNESS? “Attending a predominately white institution,” he said, “you’ll A body riddled black and blue.
have to have a seat at the table. Never show that you fit the stereo-
In an unforgettable visit to the UI campus, Common—the Academy Award and types of how blacks are portrayed,” but instead make the most of I wish the hating will stop (war!) and the battle with us I know
Grammy-winning musician, actor and best-selling author—weighed in on free your “intellect” and “keep climbing the ladder of success.” As a that Black Lives Matter, and they matter to us These are the things
speech, greatness, and being “that divine vessel that lets the art flow through.” successful artist, Common passionately explained how he needs we gotta discuss The new plantation, mass incarceration
to be a voice for the African-American community in the coun-
By Adhel Jok try, not only through his music, but also through social activism. In physics, matter is physical substance in general, as distinct from
“When I look at black culture across the country, we’re usually mind and spirit. In black bodies, matter is fighting a battle every-
It may seem strange to ask a hip-hop artist and actor about his the ones not getting the same opportunities,” he said. “When I day, As distinct from white Americans. They hate us but we love
views on free speech. But Common is no ordinary hip-hop see what we are going through, I can’t help but feel responsible them, Because love is the only thing that can overcome hatred, The
artist or actor. to speak up.” only thing that matters.
Known for his activism, thoughtful lyricism and diverse musical When I asked him about what he thinks free speech is as a black
compositions, Common is a three-time Grammy winner, and man in America, he answered honestly and passionately: As we write our new story, we have to write it in love...despite the
the winner of an Academy Award and Golden Award for the “Free speech for the black man should be exactly what it is for ev- battles we face every day...Our battles start within ourselves.
song “Glory” co-written with John Legend for the 2014 motion ery other human being in this country and, really, on the planet.
picture “Selma.” Free speech should be our right to be able to say what we think Battle of the new Jim Crow, When they enslave my black brothers
His acting performance as the minister and civil rights leader and what we feel. You have that right, but I believe that morally in prisons, When they dismiss the pain of black women in health
James Luther Bevel also won him the 2015 NAACP Image you should want to say something that is not just to down other care. Health care--more like health despair. They’re unaware of our
Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor, putting him in the human beings. … But sometimes that happens. And within that prayer,
same company as acting greats Denzel Washington, Morgan process it still should be a person’s right because then they’re
Freeman, and Don Cheadle. given a choice. You got the choice: either you’re going to be good But we have a cross to bear, and it’s Love.
As if that weren’t enough, Common is also an accomplished and use your words for good, or are you going to be an asshole
poet and author of the critically acclaimed autobiography “One and use your words to do dumb stuff. I think free speech is nec- Serve those who are underserved, who are overlooked . . .
essary, and as black men we have to embrace it, and know that
it’s our right, and use it in the wise ways that our ancestors did.” I love them even though they Hurt me, even though they Stole my
I’ll leave you with Common’s wise words that flowed lyrically body and rained pain upon me. But they will never steal my soul,
that evening and still echo in the hearts and minds of all who They will never Hide my blackness away from me again. I’m writ-
attended. ing the story now, and Blackness is greatness.

Deep within the confines of my blackness, I find my maimed heart,
burned White hot from their Black fear. Fear; I fear no more, For
I am a black warrior, And my soul is strong enough to Heal my
wounded heart.

Day It’ll All Make Sense,” a New York Times Best Seller and a *** Serve those who are underserved, who are overlooked.
book the poet Maya Angelou called “a magnificent memoir”
about growing up and learning to love not hate on the Southside I’m broke but my heart is full. I earn my keep in my love and sup- My heart is full, Heavy with compassion for The black souls
of Chicago. port of others. I earn my keep in the ink I splatter between the blue trapped in a white world. I will help them build their spine, For as
SJMC Professor Venise Berry, herself the author of three best- lines that box in my thoughts. long as they have one, They can stand tall against the wickedness
selling novels and the newly released memoir “Driven: Reflec- of the world. Pecunious pride.
tions on Love, Career and the Pursuit of Happiness,” was in-
strumental in getting Common to the UI campus to speak to You have to be that divine vessel that lets the art flow through. When you speak something into existence, you start attracting it.
students as part as the 2018 UI Lecture Committee series.
On Oct. 6, 2018, before a packed Hancher Auditorium, Com- Flow down the cheeks of my black sisters who are beaten by sex- I love them even though they Hurt me, even though they Stole my
mon spoke on “Greatness." But his main theme was about serv- ism, sexual assault, diminished health care, domestic abuse. A body and rained pain upon me. But they will never steal my soul,
ing others. Below are excerpts from that lyrical night, which wasteland of a body. They will never Hide my blackness away from me again. I’m writ-
wasn’t your typical lecture but a poetry-filled exploration of ing the story now, and Blackness is greatness.
what is to be a black man in today’s America, and how to never Flow down the cheeks of my black brothers who are stolen from--
stop striving for greatness—no matter what color you are where their future gone, their incarceration imminent--my black broth- Are you ready for greatness?
you come from. ers who are pulverized by the system and whose bodies are used as
targets for white police officers who walk into their homes and then Adhel Jok graduated in Fall 2018 with a degree in Journalism and
accuse them of a crime. The body of a slave. Mass Communication.

42 IOWA JOURNALIST WINTER/SPRING 2019 WINTER/SPRING 2019 IOWAJOURNALIST 43

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF BY DAY, As if trying to run a digital-first magazine isn’t hard enough, WAYS TO PROMOTE
FEMINIST PODCASTER BY NIGHT Cleveland did a complete 180 in her writing topics: shifting from FREE SPEECH ON CAMPUS
city news to technology. She had an iPhone, but all of a sudden
By Emily Weaver Lucky for Cleveland her time at the paper was about to come to she had to become well-versed in the newest models and latest CALL ATTENTION TO YOUR SCHOOL’S
an end and she would finally be living her dream: working at a apps. SPEECH CODES.
Donna Cleveland (BA ’11) knew she always wanted to magazine. She had always been attracted to the glossy pages, the “Anytime you write an article you have to become a mini expert
work in the magazines. But what she didn’t know was graphics, the photos, the artwork, the thrill of working with a and do a bunch of research,” she said. “A lot of people can just As of 2016, about half of all American universities and
that her love for podcasting would fuse her two greatest creative team to put out a full-color publication. figure out their phones, but to write with authority requires a lot colleges maintain policies that violate students’ free speech
passions: feminism and storytelling. In 2013 she found just that, and was named editor in chief of more research than you might think.”
After graduating from the UI with a degree in Journalism and iPhone Life magazine, a popular consumer magazine founded In addition to being editor in chief of iPhone Life, Cleveland rights. Being aware of these problematic policies is the
Mass Communication, Cleveland kick-started her career at the in Fairfield by Hal and Rita Goldstein over 20 years ago. launched a podcast called Women + Radio in July 2018. It’s a about them on your campus.
local paper, The Ledger, in Fairfield, Iowa, a town of 10,420 souls passion project, she explained, dedicated to exploring and chal-
in south-central Iowa. lenging beliefs about women and their role in society. WRITE AN OP-ED.
The idea was born from her admiration of NPR’s Invisibilia pod-
iPhone Life editor in chief cast. She became obsessed with Invisibilia’s creative storytelling By voicing your opinions on any issue, you can ignite
Donna Cleveland (BA '11) and in-depth research. muscles. Op-eds are an awesome platform for urging
knows the secret to success: Women + Radio releases a podcast a month, generally touching
make deadlines your friend. on issues millennial women are facing in today’s society. Cleve- your school to adopt the Chicago Statement or to
land says she wants to raise people’s understanding of the issues, eliminate restrictive (and possibly unconstitutional)
What Cleveland didn’t know when starting at the paper was how Switching from a daily to a consumer magazine had its chal- with an eclectic blend of storytelling and experts. free speech zone policies. Check out how to submit your
much daily news there actually was in Fairfield. She spent most lenges, as did taking on the role of editor in chief. Cleveland says Her first three episodes have dealt with such issues as redefining op-ed to a campus newspaper or professional publication.
nights at community events and city-council meetings looking the biggest lesson she’s learned is the importance of staying on what a woman’s role is in the house; why we desexualize women
for story ideas. What was already a small town, felt a lot smaller. top of daily operations and scheduling your time. when they become mothers; why single moms face some of the START AN INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER.
Just about everyone knew she was a reporter. “The key to success here has been to come up with structured greatest challenges of parenthood.
“A lot of people started to know me and would come approach deadlines,” she said. “And I’ve become a huge fan of spread- “I’m just getting started,” said Cleveland. “It might be hard to Does your school have an independent, student-run
me and say hi,” said Cleveland. “I was in constant dialogue with sheets! We are constantly tracking projects and it helps a lot.” really gain a bigger following, but I’m enjoying doing it.” newspaper? If not, start one! Independent newspapers
the community.” Switching to digital has been the biggest obstacle for iPhone Life, In addition to her podcast, Cleveland freelances longer form sto- don’t have to deal with issues of administrative oversight
At the time local publications were starting to make the shift but it's been crucial to the magazine’s success. The staff of the ries when she can find the time. A 2016 trip to India not only and censorship, which makes them an excellent place to
from print to digital and Cleveland found herself on a team at magazine used the digital switch to reinvent itself. It’s now a dig- sparked a diet makeover, but led to a video project and story
The Ledger that had been cut down from 15 to three. ital-first publication, offering e-newsletters, digital subscriptions about Climate Healers, a nonprofit conducting a pilot project to have an open conversation on campus.
“I got burnt out of the daily deadlines of the newspaper. If any and podcasts. bring cleaner cookstoves to rural Rajasthan.
one of us were out for any reason the paper wouldn’t go out. So, “The challenge is figuring out who your customer is, making When it comes to advice for aspiring journalists, Cleveland has BRING A SPEAKER TO CAMPUS.
it was extremely lean and they had to work whoever they hired sure your product fits them, and trying to grow,” she said. three tips: accept that most publications are digital first now; be
really hard,” she said. open to multimedia, people want to consume content in numer- free speech or due process issues on your campus.
ous ways; and always say yes to different opportunities. Alternatively, think about bringing politically diverse
If you’re just getting started, she also recommends self-publish-
ing, whether it is on YouTube, Medium, a blog or podcasting. Use speakers to campus so that you and your campus
social media, she says, to get noticed and advance your career. community have the opportunity to hear from a variety
When it comes to the future of journalism, Cleveland is an op-
timist. “There are a lot of exciting opportunities out there,” she of perspectives on important topics.
said with a smile. “I feel more optimistic about going into jour-
nalism now than ever before.” ORGANIZE A PROTEST.

Emily Weaver graduated in Fall 2018 with a degree in Journalism One tried and true way to make your voice heard on
and Mass Communication. campus is to lead or take part in a protest. Time and
again, college campus protests have led the charge for
44 IOWA JOURNALIST WINTER/SPRING 2019
social change.

WINTER/SPRING 2019 IOWAJOURNALIST 45
*Courtesy of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (F.I.R.E.)

CAN YOU TELL The hope is that students will be equipped
FFAROKEMNREEWASL? to engage with news when they come
across it and not accept it at face value.
A peek behind the scenes of Prof. Melissa Tully’s “We don’t have the time in our lives to
new seminar, Fact Check: Debunking Hoaxes, evaluate every single thing,” but can we
Conspiracy Theories and Fake News. evaluate the reliability of sources cited
and the evidence provided to back up
(Unsplash/Kayla Velasquez) By Morgan Ramsey they spend most of their time learn- news stories, said Tully.
ing about contemporary examples
Fake news. Fake news. Fake news. that are spread through websites like First-year seminars like Fact Check
As journalists, we often wish those Reddit and 4Chan and popularized are open to any major. Students can
two words would just go away. on mainstream social-media sites like come into the class without any prior
Sadly, they won’t. Facebook and Twitter. journalism experience. It’s targeted to
So, we must realize that, in the immor- “Most of my research is in what I call a general audience, explains Tully, it’s
tal words of the management guru John news-media literacy,” says Tully, “so media literacy for students across the
Spence, “You cannot change what you this class really connects to the work board.
refuse to confront.” I do thinking about how we can pro-
That could very well be the subtitle for mote critical engagement with news “I have nursing students in there, I have
SJMC Prof. Melissa Tully’s new first- and information—and then translate criminology students in there, students
year seminar: Fact Check: Debunking what we know into actual action.” with open majors,” she says. “So, I’m
Hoaxes, Conspiracy Theories and Fake Tully hopes to promote a concept she learning about how some students don’t
News. Tully’s timing couldn’t be better. calls “the skeptical way of knowing.” consume news at all—or they consume
In a political environment often hostile Toward that end, students read and content that is kind of news, like news
to the news media, and with bots and discuss Bill Kovach and Tom Ros- adjacent.”
political and foreign operatives often enstiel’s recent book “Blur: How to
generating real “fake news” on social Know What’s True in the Age of In- Students, she hopes, are learning to think
media and other outlets, Tully hopes to formation Overload” The book pro- more critically about an author’s pur-
teach students how to be critical and dis- vides crucial historical context for to- pose of writing an article and whether
cerning readers of today’s news. day’s “fake news” while also providing or not his or her claims are true. While
“This idea of ‘fake news’ has gained a lot a “how to” manual for conscientious most may not become ravenous news
of attention in the past two years,” said consumers of news and information. consumers, she hopes they’ll apply les-
Tully. “So, I think it’s important that we Students learn to vet the evidence sons learned in class to their daily news
address it in a classroom setting in which presented by all news sources—main- consumption.
we can talk about it in a more thoughtful stream and not-so mainstream—and
and nuanced way.” to approach the news as a much more For instance, students are taught to
Tully and her class of first year stu- skeptical thinker. Tully hopes to pro- look at the URL of a story or post
dents discuss pre-internet news mote critical thinking and skepticism and determine if it’s actually a link to
hoaxes and conspiracies to situate while reading the news without be- The New York Times or USA today
the current “fake news” moment in a coming cynical. or whatever it claims to be. Too of-
longer history of popular fakery. But ten their fake stories pretending to be
from a reputable site.

“It’s little things like that,” she says, that
will help her students sort fake from
real news. “I’m hopeful that even if it
doesn’t happen right away, that as they
go through college or just kind of think
more about what’s important to them,
they can start cultivating a news diet—
and hopefully these things we talked
about become more a part of their reg-
ular lives.”

Morgan Ramsey graduated in Fall 2018
with a degree in Journalism and Mass
Communication.

WINTER/SPRING 2019 IOWAJOURNALIST 47

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