On Nov. 14, NPR’s David Folkenflik ’91, Zubrow Distinguished Visiting Journalist in the College of Arts and Sciences, moderated a panel discussing “Free Press in a Free Society: U.S. Newsrooms on the Front Lines.” The panelists were Sewell Chan, editor-in-chief of the Texas Tribune and Suzanne Mettler, the John L. Senior Professor of American Institutions in the Department of Government (A&S).
“Free Press in a Free Society” is part of the Distinguished Visiting Journalist program in the College of Arts and Sciences and of Cornell’s Freedom of Expression theme year.
Folkenflik serves as NPR’s media correspondent. His stories and analyses are broadcast on multiple NPR programs, including All Things Considered, Morning Edition and Here & Now; he previously served as host of On Point. He was named one of the 50 most influential people in American media by Business Insider.
Chan worked at the New York Times in multiple roles and at the Washington Post before joining the Los Angeles Times as deputy managing editor and then editorial page editor. At the LA Times he oversaw coverage that was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for editorial writing in 2021. He joined the Texas Tribune as editor-in-chief in 2021.
Mettler's research and teaching focus on American political development, public policy and political behavior. She is particularly interested in issues pertaining to democracy (both democratization and backsliding), inequality and citizenship. Her most recent book is “Four Threats: The Recurring Crises of American Democracy.”