The First Amendment Coalition today announced the election of veteran journalists Ricardo Sandoval-Palos, public editor of PBS, and Edward Wasserman, professor and immediate past dean of the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism, to its board of directors.
Sandoval-Palos serves as the independent internal critic within PBS, reviewing commentary and criticism from viewers and ensuring internal standards are met. He joined the public broadcasting organization following a long career as an investigative reporter and editor, with leadership roles at NPR’s Morning Edition, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, nonprofit news sites InsideClimate News and 100Reporters, and major newspapers in California and Texas.
Wasserman just stepped down as dean of UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism, a position he held since January 2013, and is now a full-time faculty member with a specialty in media ethics. He helmed the venerable journalism program after a decade as the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation professor of journalism ethics at Washington and Lee University, which followed a 25-year career as a journalist, editor, and media executive.
“Ricardo and Ed join FAC at an auspicious time, as we expand our programs and staff to aggressively meet the extraordinary demand for government accountability, transparency and the fundamental rights of free expression and a free press,” said FAC Executive Director David Snyder. “We will benefit from the experience, wisdom and skills they bring to FAC’s crucial mission, which is more important now than it has been in many years.”Sandoval-Palos and Wasserman join a 24-member board composed of working and retired journalists, lawyers, publishers, executives and community leaders.
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