Project Censored's "State of the Free Press" 50th Anniversary

The 50th Anniversary celebration of Project Censored's "State of the Free Press"

with Mickey Huff, Andy Lee Roth, Shealeigh Voitl, and friends

Highlighting the year’s most significant independent journalism—including reports on toxic chemicals, climate disinformation, and union victories—Project Censored’s State of the Free Press 2025 illuminates issues and raises voices that the establishment press have throttled.

State of the Free Press 2025 shows how independent journalism can promote civic engagement and reconnect people who have otherwise lost interest in sensational “news” that distracts and polarizes us.

Balancing critical analysis with optimistic vision, the book’s diverse contributors champion press freedom and critical media literacy to hold the powerful accountable and promote a more just and inclusive society.

State of the Free Press 2025 is a joint production of The Censored Press and Seven Stories Press.

Mickey Huff is the director of Project Censored and president of the nonprofit Media Freedom Foundation. Since 2009, he has coedited the Project Censored yearbook. He is also coauthor of United States of Distraction (City Lights, 2019) and Let’s Agree to Disagree (Routledge, 2022). Huff is professor of social science, history, and journalism at Diablo Valley College where he chairs the journalism department.

Andy Lee Roth is associate director of Project Censored and coordinator of the Project's Campus Affiliates program. His work has appeared in YES! Magazine, In These Times, and scholarly journals.

Shealeigh Voitl is Project Censored’s associate director. She first began her research with the Project at North Central College alongside Steve Macek, co-authoring the Déjá Vu News chapter in the State of the Free Press 2022 and 2023, and the Top 25 chapter in SFP 2023. In addition to her contributions as a recent co-editor of the yearbook series, and work with the Campus Affiliate Program and on other Censored Press titles, Shealeigh helped develop the State of the Free Press 2024 Teaching Guide, the Project’s Beyond Fact-Checking: A Teaching Guide to the Power of News Frames, and The Project Censored Show’s forthcoming segment Frame-Check. Her writing has also been featured in Truthout, The Progressive, and Ms. Magazine. She lives in Chicago.

To learn more about Project Censored visit their website.

This event made possible by support from the City Lights Foundation