Roger welcomes Ben Rothove, editor-in-chief of the Madison Federalist at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and Elsa Johnson, managing editor of the Stanford Review, for a conversation about their experiences as student journalists and fellows in TFAS’s new Campus Transparency Fellowship, a program created to bring accountability and openness back to higher education.

They discuss the challenges of reporting on controversial topics such as DEI mandates, antisemitism, and administrative overreach, as well as the personal costs of standing up for free expression on progressive campuses. Rothove recounts his investigation into a university-sponsored sex education program that linked to explicit content, while Johnson describes her yearlong investigation into Chinese Communist Party influence at Stanford. Together they reflect on the state of free speech in academia, the fallout from recent campus controversies and how young journalists can pursue truth with courage and professionalism.

The Liberty + Leadership Podcast is hosted by TFAS president Roger Ream and produced by Podville Media. If you have a comment or question for the show, please email us at podcast@TFAS.org. To support TFAS and its mission, please visit TFAS.org/support.

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