Anderson-Ashby Lectureship on Public Policy Journalism

Laird B. Anderson, with the support of his wife Florence Ashby, has endowed the Anderson-Ashby Lectureship on Public Policy Journalism in the College of Social Sciences at Florida State University.

Since its birth in the fall of 2005, the lecture series has hosted distinguished speakers such as Joseph Galloway, co-author of We Were Soldiers Once…and Young; Kenneth Walsh, Chief White House Correspondent for U.S. News and World Report; Nick Kotz, author of Judgment Days and Lynne Olson, author of Troublesome Young Men. The College of Social Sciences looks forward to the Anderson-Ashby Lectureship Series giving students, faculty and the public access to insights on the relationships between public policy and journalism for years to come.

The journalists who give their time to speak do not simply lecture but further challenge smaller groups of students and faculty members by participating in discussions in classes and over lunch. By sharing their experiences with the FSU community, speakers provide students with tangible examples of how journalism has impacted public policy.

This lectureship supports Anderson’s philosophy that “all public policy issues, national and international, should not be controlled but enhanced by journalism- the environment, politics, war, all of it.” While paying homage to Anderson’s many past accomplishments, this lectureship also looks toward the future of journalism as it continues his mission of educating students about the fundamental importance of public policy journalism.