School of Journalism and Mass Communications and National Press Club present forum Oct. 8

The University of South Carolina’s School of Journalism and Mass Communications and the National Press Club, the world's leading professional organization for journalists, will present a forum addressing the future of the news media at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 8 in the university’s Law School Auditorium. The forum also will examine the topic of how to protect journalism’s core values.

Admission is free and open to the public. The World Affairs Council of Columbia is an event co-sponsor.

"The First Amendment, Freedom of the Press and the Future of Journalism" will be discussed by a panel of leading South Carolina journalists and journalism educators: Mark Lett, editor of The State newspaper; Barry Ahrendt, director of marketing and programming for WIS Television; Dr. Augie Grant, a University of South Carolina professor of media and technology; and Charles Bierbauer, dean of the university’s College of Mass Communications and Information Studies and a former CNN senior Washington correspondent.

The panel will be moderated by Gil Klein, a veteran national correspondent for Southern newspapers, past National Press Club president and director of the club's Centennial Forum Project.

This forum is part of a nationwide conversation the National Press Club is holding during its centennial year to look at where the news business is going and what news consumers should be demanding.

"We are pleased to team up with a leading Southern journalism school to look at these crucial issues during a tumultuous time for journalism," said NPC President Sylvia Smith.

"The First Amendment is sacrosanct to journalists and all Americans. Freedom of the press is inscribed in our hearts and minds," said Dean Bierbauer. "The future of journalism is the piece very much in flux these days, due to the advances in technology and the evolving media environment. But we should not be content to think that journalism has no future."

The event will begin with a preview of the club's centennial documentary, "A Century of Headlines," which follows the history of American journalism through the lens of one of its leading institutions. Since its founding in 1908, the National Press Club has been at the center of key events by offering newsmakers a neutral venue to express their views to the news media. Everyone who attends this forum will get a copy of the documentary.

For more information, call 803-777-4105.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL PRESS CLUB:

The National Press Club is the world's leading professional organization for journalists. Founded in 1908, the Club has 3,700 members representing most major news organizations. Each year, the Club holds more than 2,000 events including news conferences, luncheons and panels, and more than 250,000 guests come through its doors. On the web at www.press.org.

For two centuries, the University of South Carolina’s scholarship, research and outreach efforts have contributed to the greater good of society. With 39,000 students on eight campuses and more than 350 degree programs---including law, engineering, public health and medicine---and 240,000 alumni, the University is improving the lives of individuals in South Carolina and around the world. South Carolina has received the highest research designation awarded by the Carnegie Foundation, and the University’s undergraduate international business program is ranked best in the nation in U.S. News & World Report.