Who is a Journalist Now? Panel Discussion

Recently, the Justice Department secretly obtained records of the phone lines of Associated Press reporters, including their home phone lines; and a Fox News correspondent was named  “a criminal co-conspirator” for, in the words of his boss, “simply doing his job as a reporter.” With these cases in mind, the New Jersey Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists seeks to address the importance of journalists and journalism in society on Sunday, November 17 from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. at the Montclair Public Library.
The event will include a panel discussion, a debate and two brief film presentations. A question and answer session will follow each segment and the audience will be encouraged to speak their minds. The panel includes Jonathan Alter, award-winning author, reporter, columnist and television analyst; Thomas Healy, author; Loretta Weinberg, NJ State Senate Majority Leader; Dr. Uchenna Ekwo, Former Chair, Nigeria Union of Journalists and President of the CMPI; Merrill Brown, Director of Montclair State University’s new School of Communication and Media; Peter Szekely, The Deadline Club and The Newspaper Guild; Heather Taylor, The Citizens Campaign; and Ronni Riech, The Star-Ledger.
To allow attendees to pursue their thoughts after the event, Watchung Booksellers will sell The Center Holds:  Obama and His Enemies by Jonathan Alter and The Great Dissent: How Oliver Wendell Holmes Changed His Mind—and Changed the History of Free Speech in America by Thomas Healy. Partial proceeds from these sales will be donated to the Montclair Public Library Foundation.
Sandwiches, snacks, and soft drinks will be served. This event is free and open to the public, and the library is handicapped accessible. To RSVP or for more information, visit bit.ly/InviteNov17 or email nov17spj@gmail.com.