Cynthia Mitchell's Page

First Name:

Cynthia

Last Name:

Mitchell

Hometown:

Lexington, Ky.

School/Organization Name:

Central Washington University

Job Title:

Assistant Professor of Journalism

City:

Ellensburg

State:

Washington

My Story:

Got the journo bug in high school, spent 14 years at daily newspapers (The WSJ and Atlanta Constitution), then turned my career to the classroom, hoping to train the next generation of journos. Then the Knight Foundation FA study sent me screaming into the streets, so I've been trying to do what I can since to boost attitudes and knowledge about the FA. Sam kicked off our yearlong FA Festival at CWU w/ an incredibly inspiring daylong workshop that people are STILL raving about! I've steered clear of social networking for fear of the time suck, but THIS is worth wading in for!

My Ideal School is a Place Where:

Everyone knows and exercises their rights responsibly and keeps their minds OPEN!

My Religious Views:

Still pondering that one...

My Political Views:

Independent

My Favorite Freedom:

Press

My Personal Heroes:

(Oldest to youngest) James Madison, John Peter Zenger, Nelly Bly, Upton Sinclair, Edward R. Murrow, Katherine Graham, MLK, The Dali Lama, Danny Pearl, Nadine Strossen (ACLU prez), The Rev. Billy (performance artist & FA freedom fighter) Melissa Clark (braaave lifetime friend)

My Personal Motto:

Get off your ass and knock on doors...

My Favorite Journey:

Anywhere w/ my 7-year-old's hand in mine

Recommended Reading:

Where to start?!
teaching: bell hooks: Teaching to Transgress: Education as the Practice of Freedom
journalism: Kovach & Rosenstiel: The Elements of Journalism
fun riff on academia: Jane Smiley: Moo
Self help: Jon Kabat Zinn: Full Catastrophe Living

Recommended Web sites:

poynter.org for great journo inspiration and education
fac.org for all things FA
revbilly.org--web site of performance artist/FA Freedom fighter The Rev.Billy, also an activist against the corporatization/Wal-martization of our public space.

Quotable:

"The younger generation is supposed to rage against the machine, not for it. They're supposed to question authority, not question those who question authority." --Bill Maher, host, HBO's Real Time With Bill Maher, 2005