Author Archives: Dave Poulson

Alum producing wildlife programming for new Smithsonian video service

Anisa and Ava Peters.

Anisa and Ava Peters.


Knight Center alum Anisa Peters is the coordinating producer at Smithsonian Earth, a newly launched subscription service that streams nature and wildlife programming for Video On Demand devices like Apple TV and Roku.
Peters is involved in developing short-form stories, writing, field producing and post-producing.  She also works with the director of digital media on maintaining existing relationships with Smithsonian’s partners and exploring new partnerships.
“It’s an exciting time for Smithsonian Networks,” Peters said. “Hopefully there are enough people out there that are as passionate about nature as I am, and will subscribe to our app.” Continue reading →

Knight Center faculty member discusses geography tools to explain the environment

Knight Center Senior Associate Director David Poulson describes how journalists use digital geography tools to report on the environment.

Knight Center Senior Associate Director David Poulson describes how journalists use digital geography tools to report on the environment.


It’s a challenge to conceive of a news community consisting of parts of eight states and two provinces.
But an orbital camera can snap it all in the same frame.
Satellite imagery was among the digital geography tools for journalism that David Poulson demonstrated recently at Michigan State University’s library.
Continue reading →

Knight Center director speaks at Yale about cyber-dissent

Knight Center Director Eric Freedman

Knight Center Director Eric Freedman recently spoke about cyber dissent at Yale Law School’s Center for Global Legal Challenges.


Knight Center director Eric Freedman recently spoke at Yale Law School’s Center for Global Legal Challenges.
His talk, “Suppressing Cyber-dissent and the Limits of Human Rights Activism,” addressed how new communications technologies provide tools for almost anyone to become a publisher or broadcaster to disseminate news, information and opinion – even politically dangerous news , information and opinion. Those technologies also provide tools for authoritarian regimes to identify and punish cyber-dissenters.
He said experiences in the former Soviet Union, China, Saudi Arabia and elsewhere demonstrate the limited impact of efforts by human rights and free expression NGOs to effectively protest or reverse regime measures to silence cyber-critics, raising serious questions about how to increase their effectiveness.
The guest lecture was part of the Foreign Affairs in the Internet Age series organized by the Yale Law School Information Society Project.

Knight Center director’s book on environmental crises in Central Asia released

bookEnvironmental Crises in Central Asia: From Steppes to Seas, from Deserts to Glaciers has just been published by Routledge as part of its Studies in Environmental Communication and Media series.

The editors are Knight Center director Eric Freedman and Mark Neuzil, a journalism professor at the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota and a past guest speaker at the Knight Center.
The book explores an array of environmental challenges in a strategically crucial part of the globe, including the impact of climate change on glacial melt, desertification, deforestation, destruction of biodiversity, hazardous wastes, water quality and supply, energy exploration, air and pesticide pollution, and environmental diseases.
Continue reading →