Journalism and Free Spirit

By Rachel Margolis

On July 9, 51 high school students gathered at the Newseum, the acclaimed media museum in Washington, D.C., to officially begin the Al Neuharth Free Spirit and Journalism Conference.

“This is your home,” said Jan Neuharth, the daughter of USA TODAY founder Al Neuharth. “And we welcome you to your home.”

It was true. We came from all different backgrounds and from all fifty states (plus D.C.). But we were all at home in the Newseum, where the First Amendment ruled supreme and communications media never slept, in the middle of the city where so much news is made.

Al Neuharth also founded the Freedom Forum, the foundation that is responsible for the Newseum. The Freedom Forum created the Free Spirit program—it’s motto, “Dream. Dare. Do.”—in his honor. Each year, it selects one high school junior from each state and D.C. who is interested in journalism and demonstrates “free spirit,” however he or she might define it. During an expense-paid trip to the nation’s capital, the Free Spirits meet prominent journalists and enjoy a media-oriented tour of Washington. Each participant also receives a $1,000 scholarship for college.

At the suggestion of my history teacher, Ms. Miller, I applied to the conference in February because of my longstanding interest in journalism and the media. To my surprise, I was accepted; I would represent Vermont.

The conference consisted of five packed, seamless days of media immersion. We got up each day around 6:00am, donned our business attire, breakfasted at the hotel, and headed off to a taping of NBC’s Meet the Press, or to the headquarters of USA TODAY. Over a luncheon buffet at the Newseum, we were treated to presentations by influential figures like news anchor Judy Woodruff, several Freedom Riders who participated in the Civil Rights Movement, and Al Neuharth himself. We also took part in workshops like “Media Ethics,” and “New Media and the Digital Journalist.” The latter introduced us to useful apps like Tumblr. We were even loaned iPod Touches so we could practice digital journalism throughout the conference.

Evenings, we toured the city’s monuments and memorials, had a dance party on a yacht on the Potomac, and sang controversial songs as part of a program called “Freedom Sings.” When we returned to the hotel at 11:00pm, we tended to the blisters on our feet before going to bed. Any Free Spirit would tell you that every blister was well earned and entirely worth it.

We explored all three branches of government, firsthand, from a media angle. First, we got a tour of the White House, where speakers including former White House press secretary Mike McCurry addressed the relationship between the media and the administration. Next, we went to a federal courtroom, where a U.S. District Court Chief Judge presided as we simulated a First Amendment case resembling Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier. We spent the following morning at the Capitol, visiting the Senate and House Chambers as well as the studios, briefing rooms, press galleries, and waiting areas where the press teams of Capitol Hill spend their time.

A unique part of the conference was meeting students from across the country. As “Rachel from Vermont,” I spent every bus ride with a different outgoing, interesting individual from a state I’d never been to. I told them that the Green Mountain State does indeed have good maple syrup, and they told me that Idaho really does live off potatoes, or that Hawaii is so relaxing, it’s difficult to hold serious meetings there. Yet we shared a passion for journalism: I met editors, sports writers, photographers, and broadcasters, all eager to compare journalistic experiences.

Freedom Forum leaders told us straight off that we would soon become a family, and they were right. As you might expect when you bring together 51 “free spirits,” things got a little chaotic at times. But every strong personality in the group appreciated this incredible opportunity, and getting to know them all was a highlight of the trip.

Imagine a group of people whose sole mission is to give you the best experience possible. They work tirelessly to take care of all the little things so you don’t have to worry about them. They leave no string un-pulled to provide you with incredible opportunities to learn. They offer themselves as resources to ensure your success in the future, and as a family you can connect with and turn to for the rest of your life. And they expect nothing in return but a lasting dedication to freedom and the First Amendment. These are the kinds of people I found running the Free Spirit program.

So I beg of you: if you are a junior who is interested in journalism and likes to Dream, Dare, and Do, apply to the Al Neuharth Free Spirit and Journalism Conference. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.