Category Archives: Eric Freedman

Eric Freedman is the director of Michigan State University’s Knight Center for Environmental Journalism

Knight Center director publishes new book on international journalism

Global JRN coversmallerEric Freedman is a co-editor of a new book on challenges facing international journalism. Critical Perspectives on Journalistic Beliefs: Global Perspectives was just published by Routledge.

It provides case studies, many incorporating in-depth interviews and surveys, that examine such issues as journalists’ attitudes toward their contributions to society; the impact of industry and technological changes; culture and minority issues in the newsroom and profession; the impact of censorship and self-censorship; and coping with psychological pressures and physical safety dilemmas.

The book also highlights journalists’ challenges in national and multinational contexts. International scholars, conducting research within a wide range of authoritarian, semi-democratic and democratic systems, examined journalistic practices in the Arab World, Australia, Bangladesh, Bulgaria, China, Denmark, India, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Mexico, Russia, Samoa, South Africa, Taiwan, Turkey and the United States.

Freedman’s co-editors are Robyn S. Goodman, a professor of Communication Studies at Alfred University, and Elanie Steyn, an associate professor and head of Journalism in the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Oklahoma. Goodman earned her Ph.D. at MSU’s College of Communication Arts & Sciences.

Do we trust the press?

Eric Freedman

Eric Freedman


In an era of “fake news” finger-pointing and the continuing proliferation of blogs, social media, hacking, disinformation and economic distress in the traditional – legacy – news industry, what do Americans think about their press?
Knight Center director Eric Freedman writes about that and related questions in a Domemagazine.com column that draws from a new Gallup/Knight Foundation survey, “American Views: Trust, Media and Democracy.”
Here are two of the troubling findings from the survey, as Freedman writes in “Too Much Information? Not Enough Trust.”

  • Half of those surveyed – down from 68 percent a generation ago – expressed confidence that they’ve got enough sources of information to separate facts from bias in news reports.
  • Two-thirds asserted that most news media “do not do a good job of separating fact from opinion.”

The column concludes: “While the citizenry believe the news media still have an essential role in our democratic society, the press must strive to convince them that it’s fulfilling that responsibility.”

Three high schools win journalism-environmental science grants from the Knight Center

By Eric Freedman

The Knight Center is awarding $2,000 grants to three Michigan high schools for collaboration between their journalism and environmental science classes.

The winning projects were selected in the center’s third statewide competition.

The Knight Center also matches the schools with professional journalism mentors to work with the students and teachers for guidance and advice on the projects.

The grants go to: Continue reading

Visiting Chinese journalists discuss storytelling

Xiaofei Dang from China International Publishing Group presents her study on Chinese social media at the VIPP Academic Forum.

Xiaofei Dang from China International Publishing Group presents her study on Chinese social media at the VIPP Academic Forum.

Six Chinese journalists visiting MSU gave a presentation called “Traditional Media vs. Social Media: Impacts on Storytelling” as part of the Visiting International Professional Program 2017 Academic Forum.

They also premiered a 10-minute video about their fall semester professional development experience at MSU.

Program participant Zhang Xiaotong moderated the presentation. Knight Center director Eric Freedman served as discussant.

The other presenters and their topics were:

  • Dang Xiaofei: Social Media in China
  • Zhong Lei: How China Utilizes Social Media on the International Stage
  • Zhai Huixia: Importance of Traditional Media
  • Zhang Tingting: Importance of Photos in Online News
  • Hu Yajuan: Observations on U.S. Traditional Media

The participants work for Beijing-based China International Publishing Group, a publisher of books, magazines and websites “with a mission to introduce China to foreign countries.” During their stay in East Lansing, they sat in on some J-School classes, took VIPP courses and visited the Lansing State Journal and WKAR.