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FIRE’s Student Press Freedom Initiative is thrilled to announce that freelance investigative journalist  will keynote our third annual Free Press Workshop on June 14! The workshop brings college journalists together to learn about the First Amendment, media law, and using the law as a tool in reporting.

Sussman is based in New York and has written for a variety of publications. He serves as the lead reporter on “,” an investigative collaboration with MuckRock dedicated to publishing police misconduct files from departments throughout New York State. He has previously written for , , and . Sussman covers  and  as well as sexual misconduct. He has experience doing extensive public records reporting both domestically and .

This free workshop will bring together student journalists from across the country to learn how to assert their right to press freedom.

Sussman began as a student journalist at the University of Michigan, where he founded and directed The Michigan Daily’s investigative section, Focal Point. While at the Daily, Sussman  to break stories  about  allegations and the university’s use of  to silence former employees.

Sussman’s experience leveraging the law to build an impressive portfolio, first as a student and now as a professional reporter, makes him well-suited to speak to student journalists getting ready to embark on their own careers.

We still have a handful of spots available for student journalists who want to hear from Sussman, meet fellow journalists from other schools, and learn about using the law in their newsrooms. Make sure you register here. This conference is free for accepted students and includes meals and a $350 travel stipend. Additional travel scholarships are available by application. 

Our team is excited to hear what Sussman has to say to the next generation of journalists, and we look forward to welcoming students from across the country to Philadelphia this summer!