No Title 1260

Supplement to “WKU’s World Class Journalism & Broadcasting School”

Western Kentucky University offers myriad events for journalists and aspiring journalists throughout the year. One of the events that Pam Johnson, director of the School of Journalism and Broadcasting, is proudest of is First Amendment First, which the SJ&B sponsored with the Office of the Provost’s American Democracy Project in April 2005.

During the event—a celebration of First Amendment rights—educators, philosophers, and professionals in journalism encouraged students to embrace freedoms granted to them as journalists.

The event brought many notable journalists to Western’s campus, including Elizabeth Bumiller, White House correspondent with the New York Times, former publisher of The Courier-Journal Barry Bingham Jr., former chairman of NBC Julian Goodman, executive director of the First Amendment Center Gene Policinski, and photojournalist Molly Bingham.

David Yalof with the University of Connecticut was also on hand to discuss a research project for the Knight Foundation concerning high school students’ opinions of their First Amendment rights. The study found that three of every four students do not think about the First Amendment or say they take its rights for granted.

“This was a truly synergistic project,” says Johnson. “We had all these national professionals come in and students were able to learn and interact with them.”

To read the Kentucky Living February 2006 feature that goes along with this supplement, click here: WKU’s World Class Journalism & Broadcasting School