Rebooting America: News for a new generation

March 21, 2008 -- Ken Paulson, J.D., the editor and senior vice president of news for USA Today and usatoday.com, will discuss the role of the newspaper in today's Internet-savvy society at 4 p.m., Wednesday, April 2 in Graham Chapel.

Prior to joining USA Today in 2004, Paulson was executive director of the First Amendment Center at Vanderbilt University. There, he drew on his background as a journalist and lawyer to promote a greater understanding of the First Amendment. His syndicated column, "Inside the First Amendment," appeared in newspapers nationwide. Paulson also hosted "Speaking Freely," a weekly half-hour television program about the First Amendment and the arts.

A reporter and editor with Gannett newspapers for 18 years, Paulson served as executive editor of the Suburban Newspapers in Westchester County, N. Y. He also served as the executive editor of Florida Today and editor of the Green Bay Press-Gazette in Wisconsin. The Society of Professional Journalists named him a fellow in 2007.

A 1975 University of Missouri graduate, Paulson earned his bachelor's degree in journalism. Following his studies at Mizzou, he attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where he earned his law degree and specialized in First Amendment law. While in school, he kept his journalism skills honed by working on the Daily Illini. Paulson is a member of both the Illinois and Florida bars.