Estlow International Center for Journalism and New Media

Democratic Engagement in a Digital Environment

The importance of journalism's role as a watchdog on power has remained consistent, but the practice of journalism is evolving. As media industries find new forms of expression and experimentation in emergent digital environments, the Estlow Center aims to be a leader in studying how journalism can enhance civic engagement and uphold human rights for all.

We do this by participating in and providing support for research, teaching, networking and recognizing media professionals who are working to advance a better understanding of journalism's many forms. Together with collaborators and affiliates from around the world, we strive to understand what these emergent digital environments mean for our collective lives together and for the future of democratic engagement.

 

anvil award

What We Do

The Estlow Center hosts lecture events and secures external funding for the sponsorship of research projects, which bring researchers, professionals and students together for learning opportunities. Each year, Estlow works with industry professionals and academic leaders to select the Estlow lecturer and recipient of the Anvil of Freedom Award. 

DU Campus

Hear from those who contribute to journalism and democracy.

Learn About the Estlow Lecture

Lynn Schofield Clark, Estlow Director

Lynn Schofield Clark is a professor and director of the Estlow International Center for Journalism and New Media at the University of Denver and coauthor of Young People and the Future of News (Cambridge University Press 2017). Her research focuses on how the everyday uses of media shape how people experience their social identities in the context of widening income inequality in the U.S. Clark has served as the director of the Center since 2006.

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Estlow Research Teams

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    Young People and News

    Exploring how young people relate to civic life and to the news media. 

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    Journalism and Activism

    Researching how digital spaces shape communication power.

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    Multicultural Journalism

    Focusing on how the newsroom can better reflect the diverse communities journalism serves. 

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    Journalism and Technology

    Developing the Open Book Classroom Model.

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"I've had a very highly satisfying life and the secret is to treat people as an equal."
— Edward Estlow, 2013

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The History of the Estlow Center

Established in 2000, The Estlow Center has embraced a commitment to democracy through research initiatives, awards programs, and outreach and education programs.

DU alumnus Edward W, Estlow, a journalist for the Rocky Mountain News and later president and CEO of the E.W. Scripps Co., first joined the DU Board of Trustees in the 1980s. Thanks to an endowment, DU was pleased to celebrate excellence in journalism by welcoming its first Estlow lecturer in 1992. In 1997, the Anvil of Freedom Award was established to recognize the Estlow lecturer's leadership and commitment to the First Amendment.

DU campus

Support emergent journalism practices by donating to the Estlow Center Fund.

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Estlow International Center for Journalism and New Media