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An expert on communications law and the First Amendment, Roy Gutterman is director of the Newhouse School’s Tully Center for Free Speech.

He is a graduate of the Newhouse School and the Syracuse University College of Law.

Gutterman worked as a reporter for the Cleveland Plain Dealer covering local and state government, crime, legal issues and general news. He later clerked for a New Jersey Superior Court judge and practiced business and general litigation. He also holds a courtesy appointment at the College of Law.

He writes and speaks on media law, free speech, the intersection between courts and journalists and legal education issues. He has delivered lectures at the Communication University of China in Beijing, Fudan University in Shanghai, National Chengchi University in Taipei and Lomonosov Moscow State University in Russia.

Gutterman was head of the AEJMC Law and Policy division from 2019-20, and is program director for the Burton Foundation for Legal Achievement.  He sits on the Freedom of Information Committee for the Society of Professional Journalists and the faculty committee for the Government Accountability Project in Washington, D.C.

At Newhouse, Gutterman was the 2009-10 director of the Carnegie Legal Reporting Program. He also works with the Society of Professional Journalists student chapter and serves on academic integrity committees.

As an undergraduate, he worked at The Boston Globe; The Courier-News in Bridgewater, N.J. The Post-Standard in Syracuse; and The Daily Orange. While in law school, he served as editor-in-chief of the law review.

His book, “L.Rev: the Law Review Experience in American Legal Education” (Academica Press 2002), is in law school libraries around the world.

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Sam Fisher recently retired as president/CEO of the Illinois Press Association/Foundation. He is a graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism. Prior to joining the IPA Fisher spent 34 years with Shaw Media with over 25 years as a publisher of daily and weekly newspapers in northern Illinois.

Fisher is a past board chair of the Illinois Press Association and currently serves as a board member of the Illinois Press Foundation. During his career, Fisher has been active in protecting public notices and advancing sound legislation to preserve the newspaper’s role in the public notice process.

Fisher and Lori Frick reside in Princeton, Il. Fisher has a daughter, Meg who is a junior at Augustana College; a daughter, Brooke (Tim) Miller of Woodstock, GA; and a son, Ben, of Princeton. He also has two grandsons.

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Karen Florin takes great pleasure in serving as a cheerleader for her co-workers and engaging with members of the community while working on the company’s digital strategy and long-term sustainability. She writes a weekly news column, organizes events, hosts a podcast called “The Storyline,” and raises funds for special projects.

Florin was a reporter for 25 years, focusing most recently on the court system. She was a longtime member, and co-chair, of Connecticut’s Judicial-Media Committee. In 2018, she was named Journalist of the Year by the New England Newspaper Association. She cherishes the Liberty Bell award bestowed on her by The New London County Bar Association in 2019.

She lives in Old Lyme with her husband Robert and their pets.

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Chris Crockett is the publisher at MaineStay Media, a newspaper group on the coast of Maine that includes The Ellsworth American, Mount Desert Islander, Courier-Gazette, Republican Journal, Camden Herald, and the Free Press. Chris has worked in newspapers for over 25 years, launching the newspaper’s digital initiatives and leading the advertising and sales teams before stepping into the role of publisher in 2020.

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Brendan McQuaid is the current President of the New Hampshire Press Association.  His day job is serving as President and Publisher of the New Hampshire Union Leader, the only statewide newspaper.  A third-generation newspaperman, McQuaid was born and raised in the Granite State.  He lives in Manchester with his wife and two basset hounds.

A lawyer, journalist, academic, and advocate, Traci Griffith currently serves as the Racial Justice Program  Director for the ACLU of Massachusetts. Her transition to the staff of ACLUM comes after serving the organization on the National ACLU Board of Directors, on the Executive Committee, and as the National  Board Secretary.  

Her previous career as an Associate Professor in the Communications Department at Simmons University and as Chair of the Media Studies Department at St. Michael’s College in Vermont focused on First  Amendment law and ethics, as well as Race and Gender representation in media. She continues to teach as an adjunct at Simmons and also runs a cultural competency training business.  

Traci is a former correspondent and national editor for the Associated Press and continues to pursue journalism with recent work that includes a 4-part series with New England News Collaborative on racism in New England, Titled, NENC/America Amplified Special: New England’s Abolitionist History at Odds  With Racist Realities · New England News Collaborative.

She holds University degrees from Notre Dame Law School, an M.S. in Journalism from Florida A&M, and a BA in Political Science from DePaul. 

She lives in Cambridge with her son Jaden and her 4-pound chihuahua Bessie. 

Jim Rotche is a top-performing professional accomplished in revenue development, finance, marketing, and operations.  He is a high-energy leader who motivates and inspires, fosters collaboration, and instills shared vision and purpose in alignment with aggressive business goals.

Jim has extensive experience in the media industry currently serving as President Of Advantage Informatics and publisher of their newspapers. Advantage Informatics helps extend local journalism by providing hyperlocal content in your community’s voice. The bulk of Jim’s career was at the Chicago Tribune, most recently serving as Publisher/GM of 39 local publications.

While at the Tribune he spent several years as the Director of Business Development, Joint Ventures, and Acquisitions leading strategies for maximizing new revenue growth and profitability across key business areas within the organization. Considered a corporate entrepreneur, Jim has brought in millions from new revenue streams.  He accomplishes this by identifying opportunities, developing effective monetization strategies, creating partnerships, and launching new product development initiatives.

A native of Chicago, Jim holds an MBA in marketing and finance from California State University- Fullerton and a BA from Michigan State University.