Charles Mitchell, an associate professor in the School of Journalism and New Media at the University of Mississippi and a member of the Overby Center panel of experts, discusses the challenges of interpreting laws and how they are applied to the United States.

The  consensus that there is a need for guardrails and limits on money and budgets to protect the competitiveness and integrity of college sports was the subject of a panel discussion at the Overby Center for Southern Journalism and Politics on Sept. 22. The “College Athletics: It’s a Whole New Ballgame” program explored the Protect College Sports Act.

John McClain, a veteran NFL writer and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, writes a brief history of sports in our first 250 years and notes the power of sports loyalties to unite us despite our differences.

In an exclusive Q&A with the Overby Center for Southern Journalism and Politics, Peter Imes shares how he addresses challenges in the newsroom, his method for transparency in journalism, his insights on the future of journalism, etc.

In the coming months, the Federal Communications Commission will decide whether to allow the eight local broadcast stations owned and operated by ABC to keep their licenses. The decision comes after the FCC took the rare step in April to direct the stations to submit renewal applications years before their licenses were set to expire. Katie Bernard, a rapid response writer, discusses FCC license renewal of ABC stations.

Ronnie Agnew, a longtime editor and news media executive and a member of the Overby Center panel of experts, writes about the decline of Black journalists and the importance of diversity in the newsroom.

Charles Mitchell, an associate professor in the School of Journalism and New Media at the University of Mississippi and a member of the Overby Center panel of experts, writes about the legacy of Dolly Parton and the history of feminism.

Robert F. Darden, professor emeritus in Journalism at Baylor University and a member of the Overby Center panel of experts, discusses the sacred, transcendent spaces of Memphis’ past. Darden explored the sites, which include the East Trigg Baptist Church, the original headquarters of the Church of God in Christ denomination, and the Lorraine Hotel.

Charles Mitchell, an associate professor in the School of Journalism and New Media at the University of Mississippi and a member of the Overby Center panel of experts, discussed the Voting Right Act and that the U.S. Supreme Court saw that creating racially safe districts has resulted not in unity, as intended, but in division that has manifested in myriad ways.

Terry Mattingly, writer of the national "On Religion" column for the Andrews McMeel Universal syndicate and "Rational Sheep," a Substack newsletter on faith and mass media, writes about membership decline in faith denominations.

Tony Pederson, managing fellow of the Overby Center for Southern Journalism and Politics and professor emeritus in journalism at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, writes about the Trump administration placing historic pressures on major news organizations through libel lawsuits and issuing subpoenas.

The rapidly changing world of college athletics will be the focus of a program on Sept. 17 at the Overby Center for Southern Journalism and Politics at the University of Mississippi.  “College Athletics: It’s a Whole New Ballgame,” will be co-sponsored by Mississippi Today, the state’s Pulitzer Prize-winning nonprofit news organization.

Carlos Sanchez, a freelance writer based in McAllen, Texas, writes about the controversy known as The Longoria Affair and how it helped launch Mexican American rights. The catalyst involved a young, decorated soldier named Felix Longoria who was killed in action in the Philippines just three months before World War II officially ended in 1945.

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.

The Freedom Forum's annual survey "Where America Stands,"  regarding awareness, understanding and support of the First Amendment, was the subject of a panel discussion at the Overby Center for Southern Journalism and Politics on April 29. The latest survey showed that while admiration for the First Amendment is widespread, understanding of its five freedoms is uneven. 

Charles Mitchell, an associate professor in the School of Journalism and New Media at the University of Mississippi and a member of the Overby Center panel of experts, discussed the U.S. Supreme Court decision that overturned Louisiana's congressional map.