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.

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.