University News

Journalism and Democracy Topic of March 9 Journalism Day

March 3, 2009


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MACOMB, IL - - The importance of journalism to democracy is the subject of Western Illinois University's 13th Annual Spring Journalism Day for students Monday, March 9.

State Representative David Leitch (R-Peoria) will talk to this issue beginning at 3 p.m. in the University Union Sandburg Theatre. A question-and-answer session will follow his presentation.

Before running for office, Leitch was a reporter for the Peoria Journal Star and president of Local 86 of The Newspaper Guild labor union there.

Leitch, who was re-elected without opposition in November 2008, is in his 10th term in the Illinois General Assembly. He serves on the Committee of the Whole; Housing and Urban Development, for which he is the Republican spokesperson; Appropriations-Human Services; Environment and Energy; and Public Utilities. He is the Assistant Minority Leader in the House; and he is most active in efforts to reform education and the state's mental health system and in advocating for economic development and health-care issues.

Leitch's visit to campus is sponsored by the Western Society of Professional Journalists and the Visiting Lecturers Committee.

Posted By: University Communications (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
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