University professor advocates for student journalist rights

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Malaika Desrameaux/Staff Writer

Karla Kennedy served as a journalism teacher with Miami Dade County Public Schools for 17 years and moved on to earn her Ph.D. from the University of Florida in 2011. More importantly, she is an advocate for student journalist rights.

Image retrieved from LinkedIn.

Kennedy joined the University in 2015 as an adjunct instructor for the School of Communication + Journalism. She teaches Media Law and Ethics, Multimedia Production and Writing Fundamentals at the University.  

Through her work, Kennedy reveals her passion for First Amendment freedoms. She co-authored publications focused on free speech including “Judicial Erosion of Protection for Defendants in Obscenity Prosecutions?: When Courts Say, Literally, Enough is Enough and When Internet Availability Does Not Mean Acceptance.”

After earning her doctorates in Scholastic Journalism and First Amendment, The University of Oregon School of Journalism and Mass Communication hired her as their scholastic journalism outreach coordinator to create programs for high school journalists, recruit diverse students and research. Her students have gone on to practice media law, write for newspapers and work at ESPN.

Kennedy hopes create an environment where her students can learn the importance of journalism, democracy, community and voice.

“In my class, I’m going to teach you, I’m going to set the bar high and I’m going to challenge you. I want you to be creative, I want you to be innovative, I want you to be different, and I want you to know why you should be all of those things,” said Kennedy.  

 She is also involved with the Student Press Law Center’s New Voices America movement. The group aims to provide nationwide free speech protections to student journalist in public high schools and colleges.

In January, the department appointed Kennedy as a full-time instructor, course coordinator and director of SCJ’s Writing Fundamentals course.  Her work will focus on improving student writing.

“If you want someone that is going to be real, if you want someone that has a strong desire to help you, not hold your hand, but to really help you sharpen your skills and challenge you, then that is who I think I am as an instructor,” said Kennedy.

 

Feature Image retrieved from Flickr.

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