The executive director of the Student Press Law Center (SPLC) will deliver the 2025 Future of the First Amendment Lecture at Augusta University on Tuesday, March 11, at 7 p.m. in the JSAC Roscoe Williams Ballroom on the Summerville Campus, located at 2500 Walton Way.
The annual Future of the First Amendment Lecture brings prominent advocates for free speech and press rights to Augusta University.
Previous speakers of the event have included CNN legal counsel Frank LoMonte, Freedom Forum Executive Director Gene Policinski and National Coalition Against Censorship Executive Director Lee Rowland.
This year’s event is co-sponsored by the Pamplin College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences and AU Libraries, with additional support from the AU Department of Communication, AU’s Student Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), the Phoenix, the Bell Ringer, Jag News and the Augusta Press.
Gary Green, who has led SPLC since April 2023, will present a lecture titled “Student Journalism IS Journalism: We Must Protect Their Rights.”
His talk will focus on the critical role student journalists play in countering news deserts, as well as the challenges and opportunities they face while working in university environments and beyond.
The Student Press Law Center, founded in 1974 and based in Washington, D.C., is a nonprofit dedicated to defending the First Amendment rights of student journalists and their advisers.
Green, who has spent his career advocating for press freedom and supporting young journalists, previously directed the Center for Sustainable Journalism at Kennesaw State University, where he oversaw “Youth Today and the Juvenile Justice Information Exchange.”
In 2021, he launched “Fresh Take Georgia,” a student-driven digital news service covering statewide and national issues.
Before joining SPLC, Green worked as a photojournalist for nearly 20 years, with roles at the Orlando Sentinel and Akron Beacon Journal.
He later transitioned into media education, serving as digital director at the University of Florida’s Innovation News Center and deputy news director for WUFT, an NPR and PBS affiliate. There, he managed award-winning news coverage across television, radio, web and social media platforms.
He also co-founded Free Take Florida, a statewide student-led news initiative.
Beyond his work in student journalism, Green has been a vocal advocate for press freedoms. He served as vice chair and board trustee for six years at Florida’s First Amendment Foundation and currently sits on the advisory board of the Florida Center for Government Accountability.
He holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Ohio University and a Master of Arts in Mass Communication from the University of Florida.
Following the lecture, Augusta University’s Student Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) will present several Champion of the First Amendment Awards to individuals who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to press freedom.
