Steven A Smith

Steven A. Smith is clinical associate professor emeritus in the School of Journalism and Mass Media at the University of Idaho having retired from full-time teaching at the end of May 2020. He writes a weekly opinion column. Smith is former editor of The Spokesman-Review in Spokane, Washington. As editor, Smith supervised all news and editorial operations on all platforms until his resignation in October 2008. Prior to joining The Spokesman-Review, Smith was editor for two years at the Statesman Journal in Salem, Oregon, and was for five years editor and vice president of The Gazette in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He is a graduate of the Northwestern University Newspaper Management Center Advanced Executive Program and a mid-career development program at Duke University. He holds an M.A. in communication from The Ohio State University where he was a Kiplinger Fellow, and a B.S. in journalism from the University of Oregon.

We Are Broken

Most of us may be tempted to ridicule Congressional freshman Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia) for her insane QAnon loyalties. But those of us who remain somewhat rooted in the real world need to take her, and the threats she poses, far more seriously.

Got The Shot

Late last week, at the Deaconess Health Education Center, a nurse volunteer administered the first dose of the Moderna vaccine that will eventually protect me, mostly, from COVID 19.

“Politics Is Local”

Half the country breathed a sigh of relief at noon Wednesday. My social media feeds blew up with visceral expressions of that relief – emotional, heartfelt, teary.

Political Genetics

Is there a genetics to politics?

Binging Through the Mayhem

Last week, while rioters were ripping at the fabric of democracy and the coronavirus pandemic was ravaging the land, the big question in our house was this: Will Daphne and the Duke consummate their love and, if so, how many times per episode?

The Danger of Trump’s Social Media Silence

So, I am nervous. In some ways a silenced Trump is more frightening, more dangerous.

Testing Journalism Values

Journalism is a values-driven profession.

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