On our 300th episode we're joined by Cate Charron. Cate is in her 2nd year as a First Amendment reporter for The Indianapolis Star. This is one of five such positions across papers in the USA Today Network, owned by Gannett. It's sponsored by The Freedom Forum's Local Press Initiative and Journalism Funding Partners.

Cate has worked for other newsrooms in Indiana, and rose as high as editor-in-chief at the Indiana Daily Student at Indiana University, from which she graduated in 2022.

Cate talked to us about what a First Amendment reporter does, provided examples of the stories she's written, and shared how her work is a collaborative effort with the other first amendment reporters.

Example of coverage: Intellectual diversity story

https://www.indystar.com/story/news/education/2026/09/15/indiana-colleges-see-increase-in-professor-intellectual-diversity-complaints/91709774007/

Cate's salutes: The student journalists at The Cornell Daily Sun, Mirror Indy, and Indianapolis Star accountability and investigations editor Tony Cook

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