Pressing matters: The importance of a free press

Friday, DECEMBER 15
‍11:45 am - 1:00 pm
IN-PERSON and virtual EVENT
Plymouth congregational church
4126 Ingersoll Ave, DES MOINES

pRESENTERS:
Carol Hunter
Executive Editor of The Des Moines Register

Erin Murphy
Des Moines Bureau Chief of The Gazette in Cedar Rapids
President of Iowa Capitol Press Association

Ty Rushing
Senior Editor of Iowa Starting Line
Co-founder and President of Iowa Association of Black Journalists

Join us at Crossroads in December for a discussion on the importance of a free press. Our panel consists of longtime and respected journalists from some of Iowa’s top print and online media outlets. Carol Hunter, Erin Murphy, and Ty Rushing will share why a free press matters in our democracy, and the challenges they face in today’s political climate.
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There are three ways to attend Crossroads. Registration is required for all three:‍

• Attend in person (with lunch) by CLICKING HERE. Four bag lunch sandwich options are available: turkey, roast beef, ham salad (new offering!), and vegetarian. You must pre-order and pay for your lunch by 12:00 PM on Wednesday, December 13. Late orders or walk-in requests for lunch will NOT be available.
• Attend in person (no lunch) by CLICKING HERE. There is no cost for this option, but we do need your RSVP to ensure we have enough seating.
• Watch via YouTube by CLICKING HERE. This presentation will be livestreamed on our YouTube channel.

About our presenters:
‍Carol Hunter, executive editor of The Des Moines Register, has been with the Register since 2004, previously serving as opinion editor, politics editor, and news director. She has supervised award-winning politics coverage in five presidential caucus cycles. She also supervises the Ames Tribune and Iowa City Press-Citizen newsrooms in Iowa, as well as the Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Argus Leader. A 1979 graduate of the University of Kansas School of Journalism, she previously was top editor of the Press-Gazette in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and the Courier-News in Bridgewater, New Jersey.

Erin Murphy is the Des Moines Bureau Chief for The Gazette in Cedar Rapids. He has covered Iowa politics and government for 12 years; before The Gazette, he covered the beat for Lee Enterprises’ five newspapers in Iowa, and prior to that for the Telegraph Herald in Dubuque. A Wisconsin native, Erin graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. He started his career and spent his first dozen years in newspapers as a sports reporter.

Ty Rushing is a Kansas City, Kansas, native who made a name for himself as an Iowa journalist. He broke barriers as the first Black reporter and/or editor at eight Iowa print publications across the state. Throughout this journey, Ty has written about everything from agriculture to race relations to disastrous taco festivals. Recently, he wrote, produced, and directed an Emmy-nominated documentary film for Iowa PBS. Ty resides in the Des Moines area. He is the co-founder and president of the Iowa Association of Black Journalists and serves as the senior editor of Iowa Starting Line.
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Crossroads is a monthly gathering of the Interfaith Alliance of Iowa in Des Moines.