FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT Justin Silverman | 774.244.2365 | justin@nefac.org
The New England First Amendment Coalition is pleased to announce its incoming class of fellows for the 2014 New England First Amendment Institute. These journalists — representing print, online, radio and television news organizations — will gather in Dedham, Mass., from Nov. 16-18 to learn the latest investigative reporting techniques.
Martin Kaiser, editor and senior vice president of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, will provide the keynote address at the fourth annual institute. Faculty includes Carol Leonnig of The Washington Post, Anna Schecter of NBC News, Megan Twohey of Reuters, Michael Kirk of PBS and David DesRoches, formerly of the Darien Times, among many other elite reporters and media attorneys.
“We received an enormous amount of interest this year from many talented New England journalists,” said Justin Silverman, NEFAC’s executive director. “The selection process was very difficult, but I’m thrilled with this chosen class and I look forward to a very productive institute next month.”
Here are this year’s fellows:
Connecticut
- Jason Bagley | truthinadvertising.org
- Kelly Catalfamo | The Day
- Jennifer Swift | New Haven Register
- Tess Townsend | The Day
Maine
- Jon Chrisos | CBS13/FOX 23
- Nell Gluckman | Bangor Daily News
- Peter McGuire | Forecaster Newspapers
- Michael Shepherd | Kennebec Journal
Massachusetts
- Sean Driscoll | Cape Cod Times
- Beryl Lipton | muckrock.com
- Priyanka McCluskey | The Boston Globe
- Alexa Mills | The Boston Globe
- Alex Ruppenthal | Medford Transcript
- Eli Sherman | Waltham News Tribune
New Hampshire
- Emily Corwin | New Hampshire Public Radio
- Alyssa Dandrea | The Keene Sentinel
- Nora Doyle-Burr | Valley News
- Kerry Miller | Eagle Times
New York
- Rosa Flores | CNN
Rhode Island
- Randal Edgar | The Providence Journal
- Paul Grimaldi | The Providence Journal
- Janine Weisman | Newport Mercury
Vermont
- Taylor Dobbs | Vermont Public Radio
- Abby Ledoux | Milton Independent
- Allison Teague | Commons News
This year’s institute will feature public records training, best practices to avoid legal trouble, federal FOIA workshops, database analysis, and effective interviewing techniques, among many other topics.
“Each year our fellows take this knowledge and become more enterprising journalists,” Silverman said. “They benefit, their newsrooms benefit and the public benefits.”
Many organizations who share NEFAC’s mission are sponsoring this year’s institute. In addition to generous contributions by the Robertson Foundation and Jim and Cathy Stone, sponsors and contributors include the Sigma Delta Chi Foundation of the Society of Professional Journalists, the Academy of New England Journalists, the Hartford Courant, the Plymouth Rock Foundation, Boston Beer Company, and the New England Newspaper & Press Association.
NEFAC was formed in 2006 to advance and protect the Five Freedoms of the First Amendment, including the principle of the public’s right to know. We’re a broad-based organization of people who believe in the power of an informed democratic society. Our members include lawyers, journalists, historians, academics and private citizens.