It’s been a busy time, but with lots of fun, challenging and thought-provoking activities!
My academic year started with an opportunity to explore campus free speech issues as a fellow with the National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement at the University of California. Twenty-five fellows from the U.S. and Canada met to discuss “Advancing the Mission of Higher Education in a Polarized Environment.” I met lots of interesting, creative First Amendment warriors and made wonderful contacts for my classes and scholarship.
I continue to advise Western’s SPJ chapter, which has been very active this year. They’re a bit modest in their report – They’ve had many interesting program meetings, dealing with a range of relevant issues, including local politics, inclusive writing, public records cases and professional development. Three officers attended the national conference in Las Vegas in fall 2023 and some of the speakers who Zoomed into meetings were people they’d met at the conference, such as Joshua Johnson, former NPR host and creator of “Night Light” podcast. Officers organized several tours of local media (often hosted by Western alumni). Many more Western SPJ members went to the Region X conference in Seattle. They hosted a visit from former WWU SPJ Chapter president David Cuillier, who was back on campus to receive an alumni achievement award from the Foundation for WWU & Alumni.
Western students and alumni helped out at the Washington Coalition for Open Government annual Sunshine Breakfast in March 2024 and got a behind-the-scenes tour of T-Mobile Park. Attending: Bella Neff, Sam Kristofferson, Peggy Watt, Desiree Erdmann, Maylis Laverne.
I’m back to advising Klipsun during the academic year, after Joan Connell’s retirement. It’s been great working with creative, motivated editors and writers. One of my favorite sidelights is doing “guerilla distribution” for Klipsun. I keep a couple of issues with me and leave them on ferries, at medical offices (with permission), at bus stops and other random places. My favorites were giving one to a fellow airline passenger and to an author at a book signing. I’m proud of the work the Klipsun staff does and want to share their work.
I’m still on the board of the Washington Coalition for Open Government, which is stepping up its alerts of challenges to Washington’s previously robust access laws. We produced a comprehensive update: Your Right to Know, a special report on the erosion of public access to government information in Washington state, published in February 2024. Journalists and open government advocates should check it out. Last spring, WashCOG gave me the James Andersen Award for my work with the Coalition (but there’s still plenty to do!).
It gives me great joy to hear from Western alumni and learn the paths they have taken. This year, I appreciated visits from several alumni; we had lunch and caught up! Our alumni are using their journalism skills in a wide variety of pursuits and (sometimes) publications. Former Klipsun EIC Paolo Mottola shared his experience and insights with the Klipsun writers, telling how he puts his reporting and storytelling skills to work as a VP at REI.
It’s great to have a plan, but always watch for unexpected opportunities! Tech publications – heck, the tech beat – barely existed when I was studying at Western, but that specialty provided wonderful opportunities for the bulk of my journalism career. It’s so rewarding to see what our alumni are exploring.
Western’s SPJ officers talked with high school journalists at the Washington Journalism Education Association in spring 2024: Julia Hawkins, Sophie Cadran, Jack Glenn, Peggy Watt.
It’s been a busy year. We’re glad to be back on campus and having activities and meetings in person – but Zoom has also proved handy for remote participation. We’ve welcomed a number of alumni back to campus – in person or virtually – to talk with classes.
Former Klipsun EICs Ciara O’Rourke and Paolo Mottola met in person with Klipsun staffers last summer. Ciara is a freelancer and a regular contributor to such news organizations as PolitiFact and Texas Tribune. Paolo is director of studios and media for REI Co-op. Joining us virtually was Shelby Rowe Moyer, an editor with Nei-Turner Media Group in Wisconsin.
We welcomed some non-journalist guests, too; a surprise one was Bellingham Mayor Seth Fleetwood, who came to the JOUR 307 Reporting class last spring to see students’ Public Records project presentations. We’d covered him at City Council meetings all quarter, but those were still virtual – so it was nice that he visited in person (even though the students didn’t know he was joining us!).
I was awarded academic leave for fall 2022 to focus on an ongoing research project studying journalists who enter public office. This builds on a research assignment I did as a Western undergrad (OK, in senior seminar!) and involved interviews with journalists-turned-politicians and examination of changes to the professional ethics policy of the Society of Professional Journalists.
After taking advantage of the ease of attending conferences virtually, I finally attended one in person, flying to Washington, D.C. in October 2022 to attend the Society of Professional Journalists’ MediaFest. Two officers of Western’s SPJ Student Chapter, Jacob O’Donnell and Joshua Solorzano, also attended and we had a great time at the conference and sightseeing. The chapter picked up a regional award for their outstanding programs.
Peggy Watt (center) stands between two Western SPJ Chapter members, Jacob O’Donnell (left) and Joshua Solorzano at MediaFest in Washington, DC. // Courtesy of Peggy Watt
I continue to volunteer with the Washington Coalition for Open Government, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization focused on promoting government transparency through educational programs and the occasional amicus brief or lawsuit – which also relates to the Mass Media Law class. I help with communications and maintain the WashCOG website. At an Open Government Town Hall conference last fall, alumni Asia Fields and Erasmus Baxter shared their public records tips.
The other journalism students I regularly meet are still in high school, because I volunteer with the Washington Journalism Education Association. After a couple years of virtual conferences, we’re back doing in-person workshops. I give tips on “A high school journalist’s guide to legal snooping” with information about the Public Records Act and Open Public Meetings Act. I also help judge their contests; WJEA always lets me set up a table of materials about Western and its Department of Journalism, so maybe we’ll see some of them in Bellingham soon as future alumni.
