Fall Journalism Talks Focus on War Reporting, International Free Speech, and Reproductive Rights

September 13, 2023

The Humanities Council’s Program in Journalism invites faculty, students, and staff to attend a series of fall lectures where distinguished visiting journalists and writers discuss their work and pressing issues of the day with faculty from various disciplines.

These lunchtime talks—informal discussions of recent articles and books —offer intimate looks inside the work of colleagues and an opportunity for dialog across disciplines.

The events will be held in 16 Joseph Henry House from 12-1:15 pm. Lunch will be provided. Registration is now open; space is limited.

Event details

Tuesday, September 19
No Ordinary Assignment: What it means to be a war correspondent
International correspondent Jane Ferguson (Journalism) has covered conflicts spanning from Iraq and Afghanistan to the Arab Spring and the invasion of Ukraine. Along the way, she has also reckoned with massive changes in the media industry and the massive changes in media. Join her in conversation with Kim Lane Scheppele (SPIA and University Center for Human Values) to talk about her bestselling memoir “No Ordinary Assignment,” which examines her life as a war reporter.

Tuesday, October 3
The Future of Hong Kong: Is free speech dead?
The widespread 2019 protests in Hong Kong, and the imposition of a sweeping new National Security Law the following year, irrevocably changed the fabric of this once open and free-wheeling society. Keith Richburg (Journalism), columnist for The Washington Post, will be joined by discussant Stephen F. Teiser (Religion) to discuss the state of journalism and independent media in Hong Kong and how journalists are learning to navigate this new normal.

Thursday, November 2
The Family Roe: The unknown woman at the heart of Roe v. Wade
The pro-choice movement viewed Jane Roe as an imperfect plaintiff. But she embodied the national ambivalence about abortion as no Gloria Steinem could, her life guided by the same cross-currents —sex and religion, gender and class— that have so long divided America. Join author and former Wall Street Journal journalist Joshua Prager (Journalism) to discuss his book “The Family Roe” with Elizabeth Armstrong (Sociology and SPIA).


Princeton’s journalism courses were inaugurated in 1957 by a bequest from former New York Herald journalist Edwin F. Ferris. They have since become some of the nation’s most respected journalism seminars—as well as some of the University’s most highly rated classes. In 2018 the faculty voted unanimously to approve transforming the seminars into a formal academic program. Visit the website to learn more about the Program in Journalism.

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