Today's front pages from around the South, presented by the Freedom Forum.
Major League Baseball's warning to several San Francisco Giants pitchers who wrote Bible verses on their Pride Night caps is fueling online debate about the limits of free expression in professional baseball.
Jared Schroeder, an associate professor at the University of Missouri School of Journalism and a member of the Overby Center panel of experts, writes that human decisions are being made about what AI tools do and act. AI tools are challenging people to determine what limits should be placed on them by individual citizens and the government to protect the nation.
Jared Schroeder, an associate professor at the University of Missouri School of Journalism and a member of the Overby Center panel of experts, writes about AI-generated videos influence on voters’ opinions in the midterm elections this year.
Major League Baseball's warning to several San Francisco Giants pitchers who wrote Bible verses on their Pride Night caps is fueling online debate about the limits of free expression in professional baseball.
Jared Schroeder, an associate professor at the University of Missouri School of Journalism and a member of the Overby Center panel of experts, writes that human decisions are being made about what AI tools do and act. AI tools are challenging people to determine what limits should be placed on them by individual citizens and the government to protect the nation.
Jared Schroeder, an associate professor at the University of Missouri School of Journalism and a member of the Overby Center panel of experts, writes about AI-generated videos influence on voters’ opinions in the midterm elections this year.
Robert F. Darden, a professor emeritus in Journalism at Baylor University and a member of the Overby Center panel of experts, writes about the complex relationship between 4th of July-styled patriotism and Black gospel music.
R.J. Morgan, an instructional professor in the School of Journalism and New Media at the University of Mississippi and director of the Mississippi Scholastic Press Association, discusses scholastic journalism education and the Columbia Scholastic Press Association. He received the CSPA James F. Paschal Award for excellence in scholastic press leadership, which he says is somewhat of a lifetime achievement award for a scholastic press director.
Terry Mattingly, a member of the Overby Center panel of experts, discusses the growth in worship attendance for churches and urges people to keep asking questions about why attendance is growing or shrinking. Mattingly writes the national "On Religion" column for the Andrews McMeel Universal syndicate and "Rational Sheep," a Substack newsletter on faith and mass media.
Southern Views & Current Topics
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About the Overby Center
The Overby Center for Southern Journalism & Politics explores the current intersection of media and politics in the American South and supports the principles of the First Amendment.
An independent center based on the University of Mississippi campus, it is an affiliate of the Freedom Forum in Washington, D.C.
Overby Center Events
“Overby Center hosts screening of documentary on Soggy Sweat’s Whiskey Speech”
Tuesday, March 4, 2026 — The Overby Center for Southern Journalism and Politics hosted a screening of the documentary film "The Whiskey Speech: Soggy Sweat, Prohibition & The Power of Storytelling" on March 24 in the Overby Center auditorium. The film is directed and produced by David Crews, a member of the Overby Center Board of Trustees. Crews participated in the program along with Charles Overby, chairman of the Overby Center.
UP NEXT —
"Free Speech and Free Press: From National Trends to Ole Miss.”
April 29, 2026 —
The Overby Center will host a program by the Freedom Forum on Wednesday, April 29, "Free Speech and Free Press: From National Trends to Ole Miss.” The program will explore attitudes on First Amendment freedoms both nationally and locally. The program will begin at 5:30 in the Overby Center auditorium. Details of the program will be announced soon.