Freedom of the Press and Student Journalism: A Panel Discussion

Campus newsrooms are on the front lines of battles over free expression. Join us for a panel that brings together student journalists, legal experts and university faculty to discuss the legal rights, ethical responsibilities and practical realities facing student journalists today.

When: October 8, 3:30-5pm.

Where: CMU 226

About the Panelists

Morgan Bortnick is editor-in-chief of The Daily, UW’s student news outlet. She began in 2023 as the outlet’s politics beat writer, sharply focused on how local and state issues affected campus life. Morgan then served as the Daily’s news editor, covering key events, including the 2024 presidential election, and the legal and political battles concerning higher education launched from the beginning of Trump’s second term. Now as editor-in-chief, Morgan works to articulate the vision of the publication, establish its voice, and inspire its growing staff. She’s also building relationships with university news leaders around the country in an era that presents great challenges to and opportunities for student journalism. Morgan is a senior at the University of Washington and is pursuing a double major in Law, Societies, and Justice and Journalism and Public Interest Communication.

Piper Davidson is a fourth year UW student studying Journalism and Public Interest Communication. She previously served as the Editor-in-Chief of The Daily UW, and remains on staff as a reporter and arts + culture writer. Her reporting interests are centered around the economy and culture of Seattle’s art and food scenes, but she has significant experience writing, editing, and leading political coverage with a student focus.

Mike Hiestand is Senior Legal Counsel at the Student Press Law Center, where he works on the SPLC hotline and related projects. In 2013-14, Hiestand traveled around the country with free speech icon Mary Beth Tinker, teaching and speaking out on behalf of student press rights and free expression. “Tinker Tour USA” kicked off on Constitution Day at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia and logged just under 25,000 miles while speaking at schools, colleges, churches, a youth detention facility, courts and several national conventions. Hiestand, who grew up in Alaska, graduated from Bartlett High School in Anchorage and went on to Marquette University’s College of Journalism and Cornell Law School.

Matthew Powers is a professor in the Department of Communication and co-director of the Center for Journalism, Media and Democracy. He teaches classes in media ethics and research methods, and his current research explores the feminization of political journalism in the United States and journalists’ reactions to political and economic constraints in Turkey. Before going into academia, he worked as a professional journalist.

Host or Publisher UW Department of Communication