May 1-2 – The National Press Club in Washington DC is hosting a two-day series of panel discussions . And, yes, they will be looking at the attempted destruction of USAGM.
Thursday, May 1
12:00 p.m. | Free Austin Tice
Debra Tice, mother of journalist Austin Tice — abducted in Syria and still held captive — joins Washington Post Executive Editor Matt Murray to share the latest on efforts to bring Austin home. Tice remains the only American journalist currently detained abroad.
Cost: $35 per person (lunch included)
1:30 p.m. | Press Freedom at Home: Confronting U.S. Challenges
National Press Club President Mike Balsamo leads a high-level conversation on the escalating threats to press freedom in the United States — from courtroom battles to coordinated online harassment campaigns against journalists, and the growing infringements on independent newsgathering.
Cost: Free
3:00 p.m. | Saving VOA, RFE/RL, and RFA: Why it Matters
Paul Beckett, former Assistant Editor at The Wall Street Journal, who led the Journal’s efforts to secure Evan Gershkovich’s release, moderates a vital discussion on the existential threat facing Voice of America, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and Radio Free Asia. He’ll be joined by journalists from each outlet to examine what’s at stake for global reporting and the journalists risking their lives to deliver the news.
Cost: Free
4:00 p.m. | Supporting Exiled Journalists
Jason Rezaian, Director of Press Freedom Initiatives at The Washington Post and Chair of the Press Freedom Center Advisory Board, joins Bill McCarren, Director of the Press Freedom Center, to host a powerful panel with exiled journalists Mohammad Mosaed and Ksenia Mironova. They will discuss rebuilding careers in exile, and how the Press Freedom Center is helping to support displaced journalists around the world.
Cost: Free
6:30 p.m. | Covering Russia: Reporting at the Front Lines
Moderated by Amanda Bennett, former CEO of the U.S. Agency for Global Media, this panel will feature the editorial team from the Barents Observer, an independent Arctic news outlet reporting on the tense Russia-Norway border region. Founder Atle Staalesen, editor Thomas Nilsen, and a reporter joining remotely from exile will share their firsthand experiences reporting from Norway after fleeing Russia. A cocktail reception will follow.
Cost: Free (both panel and reception)