Sandra Chance named McClatchy Professor in Freedom of Information
The executive director of the College’s Brechner Center for Freedom of Information has been named the McClatchy Professor in Freedom of Information.
Professor Sandra Chance has been a faculty member at UF since 1993 and the Center’s executive director since 2002. The Brechner Center is a division of UF’s College of Journalism and Communications
The McClatchy Professorship in Freedom of Information was made possible by a $600,000 gift from the McClatchy Company, a leading newspaper and Internet publisher dedicated to the values of quality journalism, free expression and community service. The gift is expected to be matched with $400,000 from the State of Florida matching gifts program.
Based in Sacramento, Calif., McClatchy owns 12 daily and 16 community newspapers. McClatchy will become the second-largest owner of newspapers in the United States when it completes its purchase this summer of Knight Ridder Corp.
McClatchy’s purchase of Knight Ridder will add two Florida dailies to its list of newspapers, the Miami Herald and Bradenton Herald.
McClatchy’s newspapers and websites value and strongly support First Amendment rights.
“First Amendment values have been at the heart of the McClatchy Company since its founding nearly 150 years ago, and we are proud to make this contribution to help ensure that they are well understood and well protected for the next 150 years,” said Gary Pruitt, chairman, president and CEO of McClatchy. “Free people cannot exist without free speech and freedom of information. Those values are under stress today, but their importance has never been greater.”
Chance has been recognized nationally for her teaching, research and scholarship related to freedom of information issues. She was named the 2004 National Journalism Teacher of the Year by the Scripps Howard Foundation, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, and the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication. She earned the bachelor’s and J.D. degrees from UF, and she teaches undergraduate and graduate media law classes.
“Freedom of information is a cornerstone of our democracy,” Chance said. “FOI laws protect the public’s right to know what our government is doing. They help protect against government waste, abuse and corruption. The need for education about the importance of FOI has never been greater. The McClatchy Professorship will help us significantly in meeting this need.”
“We are very grateful to the McClatchy Company for this generous gift,” Dean Terry Hynes said in announcing the appointment. “The professorship enables us to extend and deepen the impact of the College’s work in freedom of information.”
Posted: May 15, 2006
Category: College News
