For the first time, the National Press Club, the world's leading professional organization for journalists, is taking its programs across the nation to help promote the First Amendment and freedom of the press and to look at where the journalism profession is heading.

As part of its 100th birthday celebration, the Club is hosting forums in cities and journalism schools to present its centennial documentary, "A Century of Headlines," and to organize panels of leading journalists to talk about preserving the core values of the profession while facing the changing dynamics of the business.

"For a century, the Club has provided a neutral forum in Washington for national and international leaders to talk to the world through the news media," said Club President Sylvia Smith. "With this program, we want to extend our reach across the nation to encourage a public discussion about the role of the news media."

Each event begins with the Club's documentary, which follows the history of American journalism through the lens of one of its leading institutions. Copies of the video are available free of charge to anyone attending the event.

After the documentary, the focus shifts to the future with a panel discussion that ends with questions from the audience. The panels draw from top management people and leading reporters in print, broadcast and the Internet, as well as from scholars from journalism schools and media advocacy groups.

Gil Klein directs the project and serves as the moderator for the panels.

Each of the panels is being videotaped and excerpts are posted on this Web site. At the end of the year, Klein will put together clips of the panels to present a video on the findings of the tour.

Events

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Sponsored by

The National Press Club's Centennial Forums are sponsored by Aviva, USA, one of the fastest growing life insurers in the United States. Aviva has also contributed to the distribution of 12,000 copies of the Club's centennial documentary, "A Century of Headlines," as an educational outreach and public information program to journalism schools, libraries, communications professionals and community organizations throughout the United States. Aviva is dedicated to building more financially secure tomorrows in American communities and worldwide.