Frank LoMonte, who for nearly 10 years was director of the Student Press Law Center in Washington, D.C., will visit the University of Central Arkansas as part of the Artist in Residence series Sept. 11 -14.
Frank LoMonte, director of the Joseph L. Brechner Center for Freedom of Information
Besides various class presentations, LoMonte will present a public lecture on “Freedom of Information in the Age of Evolving Technology” in Stanley Russ Hall room 103 at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 13.
All events are free and open to the public. No tickets are required.
“Frank LoMonte is one of the strongest advocates of freedom of information and student press law,” said Dr. Polly Walter, associate professor of Journalism and a faculty sponsor of LoMonte’s visit. “The UCA Journalism program is excited to bring him to campus to share his experiences and knowledge with our students and the community.
“This is a perfect opportunity for anyone interested in journalism, legal issues affecting the press and the student media. ”
LoMonte is a professor of Journalism at the University of Florida and heads the college’s Joseph L. Brechner Center for Freedom of Information.
“We are pleased to welcome Professor LoMonte to our campus early in the semester, especially during a time when attacks on journalism and journalists have become a common occurrence,” said Dr. Gayle Seymour, associate dean of UCA’s College of Fine Arts and Communication.
During his nine years at the SPLC, LoMonte was involved in a number of initiatives and programs, including spearheading the “New Voice” movement to protect students and educators from institutional retaliation for their journalistic work. The “New Voices” movement has resulted in improved legal protections for students and faculty in a number of states across the country.
He also led the SPLC’s effort to create original investigative reporting that focused on issues of school and college transparency, including the 2015 “Campus Insecurity” series published in The Columbus Dispatch that garnered national awards from the AP Managing Editors and the Society of Professional Journalists.
During the residency, LoMonte will visit several Journalism and Public Relations classes in Win Thompson and Stanley Russ halls. On Wednesday, Sept. 12, his schedule includes:
- 9 a.m. to 9:50 a.m. Advanced Reporting, Win Thompson Hall, room 331.
- 10 a.m. to 10:50 a.m. Public Relations Management, Win Thompson Hall, room 206.
- 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Media Law and Ethics, Win Thompson Hall, room 331.
- 1 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. Media Law and Ethics, Win Thompson Hall, room 206.
- 3 p.m. to 3:50 p.m. Student Media, Stanley Russ Hall, room 109, “Importance of Student Media and the First Amendment.”
On Thursday, Sept. 13, he will be speaking at
- 9:25 a.m. to 10:40 a.m. Beginning Reporting and Press Photography in Stanley Russ Hall, room 112.
- 12:15 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. Beginning Reporting and Writing for Electronic Media, Stanley Russ Hall, room 109.
- 1:40 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Student Media, Stanley Russ Hall, room 103, “Right to Gather News.”
On Friday, Sept. 14, he will be featured speaker at the Arkansas College Media and Arkansas High School Media Day for students and faculty advisers. His speech, titled “The State of Student Press Law”, is set for 11 a.m. in Reynolds Performance Hall on the UCA campus and is free to the public.
Several workshops will also be offered from 10 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. in Stanley Russ Hall for those attending the event, including one on Fake News, online and broadcast journalism. A roundtable discussion with UCA media graduates now in the workforce and those about to graduate is also planned.
High school and college journalism students and advisers from across the state are invited to attend the workshops and LoMonte’s lecture.
For more information, contact Walter at (501) 450-5606 or pollyw@uca.edu.
The Artist in Residence program is funded by UCA’s arts fee and is administered by the College of Fine Arts and Communication. For more information about the program, call the Office of the Dean, College of Fine Arts and Communication, at (501) 450-3293 or e-mail jdmiller@uca.edu.
The UCA College of Fine Arts and Communication includes the School of Communication with Communication, Journalism, Public Relations and Writing, as well as the Departments of Art, Music, Film, Theatre and Creative Writing. The college’s primary mission is the preparation of the next generation of artists, educators and communicators. For more information about CFAC, visit www.uca.edu/cfac or call (501) 450-3293.
