Events planned March 31-April 1
Investigative journalist Jerry W. Mitchell
The University of Central Arkansas will host investigative journalist Jerry W. Mitchell for a two-day residency Tuesday, March 31, and Wednesday, April 1, with events that highlight investigative reporting, journalism ethics, and the pursuit of truth and accountability.
Mitchell’s residency will feature a series of student-focused conversations with journalism classes as well as the public presentation “Truth on Trial: An Evening With Journalist Jerry Mitchell.” Most events will take place on the UCA campus and are open to the public and free of charge, with no tickets required for entry.
The full schedule for Mitchell’s residency is as follows:
Tuesday, March 31
- 10:50 a.m.-12:05 p.m., Student Event: Q&A with Beginning Reporting class, Stanley Russ Hall 102.
- 12:15-1:30 p.m., Student Event: Q&A with Media Law and Ethics class, Stanley Russ Hall 109.
- Time and venue TBD, dinner with journalism faculty and students from the Society of Professional Journalists.
Wednesday, April 1
- 11-11:50 a.m., Student Event: Q&A with International Reporting students, Stanley Russ Hall 102.
- Noon-12:50 p.m., Student Event: Q&A with News Editing students, Stanley Russ Hall 102.
- 3-3:50 p.m., Student Event: Q&A with Student Media Outlets (newspaper, yearbook, television station), Stanley Russ Hall 103.
- 7-8 p.m., Public Event: “Truth on Trial: An Evening With Journalist Jerry Mitchell,” Stanley Russ Hall 103.
Jerry W. Mitchell is a Pulitzer Prize finalist, MacArthur “Genius Grant” recipient and author of “Race Against Time: A Reporter Reopens the Unsolved Murder Cases of the Civil Rights Era.” During his distinguished career at The Clarion-Ledger in Jackson, Mississippi, Mitchell’s relentless and meticulous reporting helped lead to the long-overdue convictions of notorious Ku Klux Klansmen responsible for some of the most notorious racially motivated crimes in American history, including the 1963 bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, the assassination of civil rights leader Medgar Evers and the Mississippi Burning murders.
Mitchell is also the founder of the Mississippi Center for Investigative Reporting, a nonprofit organization dedicated to inspiring and training a new generation of investigative journalists. Guided by a deep commitment to justice, his work combines rigorous reporting with powerful storytelling to uncover truths long buried by silence and indifference.
More information about the residency is available by contacting Dr. Donna Stephens at donnals@uca.edu.