The Overby Center for Southern Journalism and Politics is funded through a grant from the Freedom Forum, a foundation dedicated to educating people about the importance of a free press and the First Amendment. The Center's mission is to create better understanding of the media and politicians and the role of the First Amendment in our democracy.
The Overby Center will feature programs, multimedia displays and writings that will examine the independent and interrelated relationships of the media and politicians - past, present and future. Because many leaders in media and politics have come from the South, the Overby Center will pay special attention to Southern perspectives.
The Center is named for Charles L. Overby, editor of the Daily Mississippian at Ole Miss from 1967 to 1968, executive editor of The Clarion-Ledger in Jackson from 1982 to 1984, former vice president/news of the Gannett Co., former member of the management committee of USA TODAY, and now chairman, chief executive officer of the Newseum. The world's most interactive museum, the Newseum will open on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C., in 2008.
The Newseum will offer visitors 15 theaters, 14 galleries and two broadcast studios. Selected work and content from the Newseum will be featured at the Overby Center.
Please note: If your student or faculty organziation is not listed here and would like to be featured on the website, please e-mail here at the j-department so that we can inform students as best we can.