PCIM NEWS
Marcy Sutherland Promoted to Associate Director
We are pleased to announce that Marcy Sutherland has been promoted to Associate Directorof the Park Center for Independent Media.
An educator, program strategist, and equity-centered leader, Marcy brings experience spanning K–12 education, higher education, nonprofit leadership, and community development. Her work includes classroom teaching, instructional coaching, national and international program management, and community partnerships. Marcy has been with PCIM part-time since January 2025, as the Communications and Research Coordinator. From time to time, Marcy teaches for the Education Department here at Ithaca College, and continues to provide coaching services for local organizations, as well as schools and teachers nationwide. Marcy is co-host of the Happy Beyond 40 podcast. Read more about Marcy here.
Nolan Higdon Named PCIM Media Research Fellow
Additionally, we are thrilled to announce that Dr. Nolan Hidgon, author, political analyst, and lecturer at the University of California, Santa Cruz, has joined PCIM as a Media Research Fellow.
Nolan’s work focuses on the intersections of politics, media, technology, and education. A prominent voice in media criticism, he writes the Gaslight Gazette on Substack, and he’s a co-host of The Disinfo Detox podcast, co-host of Just Ask the Press, a KTVU political analyst and national judge for Project Censored. His work is the embodiment of critical media literacy with emphasis on independent media. We welcome Nolan to the PCIM Team!
Check out recent and popular posts on Nolan’s Gaslight Gazette, such as:
PCIM Distinguished Director Teaching Ithaca Seminar; Completes Next Book
PCIM’s Mickey Huff returned to the classroom for the fall semester. He’s again teaching “The Media and Me: An Introduction to Critical Media Literacy,” which is offered as part of the first-year experience for incoming students at the college. He is also wrapping up his 18th book with Project Censored, State of the Free Press 2027, coedited with Shealeigh Voitl. Each year, working with students and faculty across the US, the Project highlights the most significant independent media stories the corporate outlets missed or refused to cover. There will be a book release on campus later in the fall as well as a conference marking the Project’s 50th anniversary in October. More in the newsletter below!
PCIM FROM THE CLASSROOM TO THE COMMUNITY
PCIM SUMMER INTERNSHIP PROGRAM
This summer, PCIM supported a new cohort of student journalists, media makers, and independent-media enthusiasts through placements with organizations working across journalism, documentary film, public-access media, investigative reporting, media democracy, and community engagement.
The 2026 interns gained hands-on experience with independent and nonprofit media organizations while co
ntributing to projects that strengthen public access to independent information. Their placements included: The Assembly, Center for Cooperative Media, Boston Neighborhood Network, Hola Cultura, Reel Brooklyn Films, The Red Door Films, Waging Nonviolence, Ithaca Times, New Britain Progressive, In These Times, and Convergence Magazine, among others.
Read about our amazing 2026 PCIM interns here.
PCIM Student Cohort
Like last year, PCIM is building a new student cohort of independent media and critical media literacy ambassadors.
This year’s cohort will continue to serve as an important bridge between PCIM and the broader Ithaca College community. Ambassadors will engage with their peers, staff, and faculty to help raise awareness of PCIM’s mission, programs, events, and resources, while also encouraging thoughtful conversations about the role and impact of independent media.
Beyond promoting PCIM, the cohort will model the importance of critical media literacy—helping members of the campus community become more informed, engaged, and critical consumers and participants in today’s rapidly changing media environment. Through conversations, outreach, and participation in PCIM programming, ambassadors will have the opportunity to explore questions surrounding media ownership, representation, credibility, bias, misinformation, and the ways media shape our understanding of the world around us.
We are looking for students who are passionate about media, journalism, communication, social justice, civic engagement, or simply interested in helping their peers develop stronger critical media literacy skills. No specific academic background or prior experience is required—just curiosity, enthusiasm, and a willingness to engage with others.
If you are an Ithaca College student interested in becoming involved or would like to learn more about PCIM, please reach out to Marcy Sutherland at msutherland1@ithaca.edu.
We would also like to extend our sincere thanks to PCIM’s inaugural student ambassador cohort, Vivian Rose, Elle Wilcox, Jackie Vickery, Prakriti Panwar, and Ryan Johnson, for their contributions throughout the 2025–26 academic year. Their enthusiasm and commitment helped establish the foundation for this initiative, and we look forward to building on their work with our next cohort.
FALL 2026 EVENTS & PROGRAMMING
PCIM is planning a busy fall with public events, screenings, discussions, webinars, and conferences. Our fall programming will bring students, faculty, journalists, authors, media scholars, and community members together around critical media literacy, independent journalism, media censorship, academic freedom, intellectual freedom, social movements, and media democracy.
Highlights include programming during the 6th Annual Ithaca is Books Festival; a screening of Bombshell, a documentary about the use of atomic bombs and US control of the narrative about its aftermath; a Constitution Day webinar on academic freedom and constitutional rights in the Trump era; events for Banned Books Week, a program marking the 15th Anniversary of Occupy Wall Street, and the 50th anniversary of Project Censored conference in October. Planning for the next Izzy Award cycle will also begin in November culminating with the Izzy Fest 2027, April 14-15 at Ithaca College. Check out our upcoming events below and please visit us online at PCIM Events for updates, more details, and additional programming.
SEPTEMBER
September 10–13 — Ithaca is Books Festival (PCIM is a co-sponsor again this year)
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Sept. 10 — Reframing & Demystifying AI: Critical Lenses for Teaching and Learning | Clark Lounge, Campus Center, Ithaca College @ 1pm with PCIM Media Research Fellow Nolan Higon | See event details here
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Sept. 10 — An Evening with Project Censored: 50 Years of Censored News, Attacks on Freedom of Expression, and Threats to Academic Freedom | Autumn Leaves Books, Ithaca Commons @ 6pm Mickey Huff hosts a roundtable with media scholars and authors Robin Andersen, Mischa Geracoulis, and Nolan Higdon | See event details here
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Sept. 11 — The Judgment of Gender: How Women are Centered and Silenced in Pop Culture | An author event with Allison Butler at Buffalo Street Books, Buffalo St @ 3pm | See event details here
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September 16 — Bombshell Screening | Cornell Cinema @ 6pm, cosponsored by the Reppy Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies, part of the Einaudi Center for International Studies | See event details here
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September 17 — Constitution Day Webinar: Academic Freedom and Constitutional Rights in a Time of Crisis | Zoom @ 4pm CT co-sponsored by the Illinois conference of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) and Project Censored, a nonprofit that promotes critical media literacy, independent journalism, and civic engagement. Mickey Huff hosts and John K. Wilson moderates a discussion between legal and politics scholars Geoffrey Stone and Valerie C. Johnson
A recording of this event can be seen here (as of 9/24/26)
OCTOBER
October 5–9 — Banned Books Week
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Oct 6 — Panel discussion on Banned Books Week with Mickey Huff, Catherine Michael, Jennifer Spitzer, and others at Ithaca College | Room TBD, Ithaca College @ 1 pm | Event details will be posted here soon
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October 8 — 15th Anniversary of Occupy Wall Street: Mickey Huff moderates a conversation with Prof. Michael Levitin, a co-founding editor of The Occupied Wall Street Journal, author of Generation Occupy: Reawakening American Democracy; and Chris Faraone, independent journalist and author of 99 Nights with the 99 Percent |Room TBD, Ithaca College @ 10am | Event details will be posted here soon
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October 22–24 — Union for Democratic Communications & Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Project Censored | Ithaca College all weekend | See program details here
NOVEMBER
November 1 — Izzy Award Planning & Nominations 
- Planning for the next Izzy Award cycle
- Nominations will open later in November, so stay tuned!
- SAVE THE DATE for Izzy Fest 2027: April 14-15 at Ithaca College
FEATURED INDEPENDENT MEDIA OUTLETS AND MEDIA LITERACY RESOURCES
Each newsletter, PCIM shares independent media outlets and critical media literacy resources with our readers in an effort to broaden our media habits and diversify our information diets. This time, we call attention to the outlets that hosted interns this summer:
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Boston Neighborhood Network (BNN) is a community media organization serving Boston residents through television, digital media, education, and production resources. Its mission is to connect, inform, and empower people who live, work, and study in Boston through diverse community media programming.
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The Center for Cooperative Media works to strengthen local journalism and support an informed society in New Jersey and beyond. Based at Montclair State University, it connects hundreds of local news and information providers, supports collaborative reporting, and conducts research on the future of local journalism.
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Convergence Magazine is a publication focused on organizing, movement strategy, and social, economic, and environmental justice. It works with organizers and activists to produce articles, podcasts, and videos that share grassroots experiences, encourage strategic debate, and strengthen collective practice.
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Hola Cultura is a nonprofit media and cultural organization that serves as a bridge between Latine and non-Latine communities. Founded in Washington, D.C., it produces bilingual journalism and storytelling covering subjects including arts, humanities, culture, and environmental justice, and has expanded its coverage to the Boston area.
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In These Times is an independent, nonprofit magazine founded in Chicago in 1976. Its journalism focuses on democracy, economic justice, labor, social movements, and political and economic issues, combining reporting, analysis, investigations, and commentary.
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Ithaca Times is an alternative weekly newspaper serving Ithaca and the surrounding Finger Lakes region. Founded in 1978, it covers local news, government, arts and entertainment, sports, business, politics, and community life.
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New Britain Progressive is a volunteer-run community newspaper covering news and public affairs in New Britain, Connecticut. Published by the nonprofit New Britain Independent Newspaper, Inc., it emphasizes community-focused reporting, journalistic integrity, and providing a forum for local voices.
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Reel Brooklyn Films is an independent documentary production company focused on stories about communities, social systems, and people affected when those systems fail. Its work explores subjects including environmental issues, social justice, politics, and inequality through documentary filmmaking.
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The Assembly is an independent, digital-first news organization focused on in-depth reporting about power and place in North Carolina. Launched in 2021, it covers topics including politics, courts, higher education, culture, health, and accountability, with an emphasis on ambitious, deeply reported stories about the state.
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The Red Door Films is an independent film and television production company founded by filmmaker Matia Karrell. The company produces feature films, documentaries, and television projects, including Coming Home, a documentary about the Women Airforce Service Pilots of World War II.
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Waging Nonviolence is a nonprofit media organization providing original reporting and analysis about social movements around the world. Its coverage emphasizes grassroots organizing, nonviolent movements, and the ways ordinary people and communities build power and pursue social change.
ABOUT PCIM
Launched in 2008 with a generous endowment from the Park Foundation along with the first director Jeff Cohen, also the founder of FAIR.org, the Park Center for Independent Media (PCIM) is a national center for the study of independent media– focusing on news outlets that create and distribute content outside of corporate systems. This includes employing a critical media literacy analysis of the overall news media ecosystem that looks at the unique role of independent media outlets within it. Throughout history, technological and social upheavals have given rise to independent media to amplify marginalized voices, often around some of the most contested issues. Today, independent media are growing amid crisis and conglomeration in so-called mainstream journalism alongside online sources and new forms of media production and distribution.
The center’s mission is to engage students and media producers across the county in conversation about career paths in independent media, and financially viable ways to disseminate accurate news and information in the public interest that is often not covered in the establishment press. The center examines the impact of independent media and media (il)literacies on journalism, democracy, and political culture.
The PCIM Team
Mickey Huff is the Distinguished Director of the Park Center for Independent Media and Professor of Journalism at the Roy H. Park School of Communications at Ithaca College. Huff continues to serve as the third Executive Director of Project Censored and as President of the nonprofit Media Freedom Foundation. He is the coauthor and coeditor of twenty books on media censorship, propaganda, critical media literacy, and press freedom. Huff is the co-founding cohost and executive producer of the nationally syndicated public affairs program, The Project Censored Show, which airs on more than 60 stations across the US. He is also Professor Emeritus of Social Science, History, and Journalism at Diablo Valley College in the San Francisco Bay Area, where he taught since 2000, was chair of the History and Journalism departments, helped co-found the Social Justice Studies program, and chaired the Revitalization of the Journalism Department before joining Ithaca College in 2024. Learn more here.
Marcy Sutherland (IC alum ‘02) is the Associate Director for PCIM. Marcy is an educator, program strategist, and equity-centered leader with experience spanning K–12 education, higher education, nonprofit leadership, and community development. From classroom teaching and instructional coaching to managing national programs and community partnerships, her work is grounded in collaboration, relationship-building, and social impact. Marcy is passionate about mentorship, educational equity, and helping organizations align mission-driven programming with meaningful community engagement. She is a Steering Committee member for Human Rights Education USA which is a project of the Center for Transformative Action (CTA) at Cornell University. Marcy is also co-host of the Happy Beyond 40 podcast. Learn more here.
Nolan Higdon is Media Research Fellow at PCIM, an author, political analyst, and lecturer at the University of California, Santa Cruz, whose work focuses on the intersections of politics, media, technology, and education. A prominent voice in media criticism, he writes the Gaslight Gazette on Substack, and he’s a co-host of The Disinfo Detox podcast, co-host of Just Ask the Press, a KTVU political analyst, and national judge for Project Censored. Learn more here.
Todd Schack is an Associate Professor of Journalism at Ithaca College and has worked with the center since its inception. Schack’s research focuses on media studies, and journalistic genres such as immersion, music, food, travel, and graphic nonfiction.
Special thanks to those who have worked with PCIM in the past, including former directors Jeff Cohen and Raza Rumi, as well as Maura Stephens, Brandy Hawley, Hannah Brooks, Jeremy Lovelett, Vivian Rose, Elle Wilcox, and Jackie Vickery.
Events & Speakers
PCIM regularly invites leading voices in independent media to engage on topics of their expertise. PCIM also collaborates with Project Censored and Project Look Sharp throughout the year.
For more information on the Park Center for Independent Media at Ithaca College (PCIM), visit
https://www.parkindymedia.org/ and www.ithaca.edu/indy, or contact pcim@ithaca.edu.
The PCIM Newsletter is edited by Marcy Sutherland.