Wednesday, Oct 1, 2008
Roberts,
the first speaker in the newly created Whitman Pioneer Medica Visiting
Journalist Series, will speak about “The First Amendment and the News Media
Revolution” at 7 p.m. in Maxey Auditorium. The lecture is free and is open to
the Whitman and
A Harvard
graduate and an experienced journalist who has produced and presided over
award-winning work at positions including managing editor at the San Francisco
Chronicle and executive editor at the Santa Barbara News-Press. Roberts is
well-known for his journalistic integrity and recently received PEN
Robert’s
reputation as a defender of journalistic ethics stems from a 2006 conflict at
the Santa Barbara News-Press. Socialite Wendy McCaw bought the newspaper and
attempted to choose its content in a manner that news editors and reporters
felt unduly compromised the neutrality and credibility of the paper. Roberts
was one of the first of five editors to resign in protest. The controversy has
continued, with the added element of a $25 million lawsuit between Roberts and McCaw.
The
News-Press controversy has drawn national and international attention,
particularly on issues of individual ownership of news outlets by people
without journalists' credentials, the role of daily newspapers in contemporary
communities, the modern role of unions, and the limits of corporate legal
restrictions on reporters and other employees, competing news outlets and
community members.
In 2008
filmmaker Sam Tyler released the documentary “Citizen McCaw,” which spotlighted
the News-Press controversy. At its premiere in
Roberts is
the author of “Never Let them See You Cry,” a biography of California Senator
Dianne Feinstein. He is the publications director and student mentor for the
Daily Nexus, the independent student newspaper of the
End
CONTACT: Kim Sommers, Editor-in-Chief, Whitman Pioneer
sommerka@whitman.edu
Or
Lenel Parish,
parishlj@whitman.edu