Former USA Today editor and founder Ken Paulson will speak at Iowa State April 11

Ken Paulson, distinguished editor, lawyer, and president and CEO of the First Amendment Center, will speak at Iowa State University about how the generational shift in news and information consumption — along with a digitally driven society — will reshape journalism, free expression and democracy.

His talk, "Re-booting America: News for a New Generation," will be at 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 11, in the Memorial Union Pioneer Room. It ispart of the 10th anniversary of Iowa State's First Amendment Day Celebration, and is free and open to the public.

As one of a team of journalists, Paulson founded USA Today in 1982. He served as the editor or managing editor of newspapers in five states, hosted the Emmy-honored television program "Speaking Freely," and was an early advocate of making newspaper content available online. Paulson is the president of the American Society of News Editors.

Paulson has drawn on his background as both a journalist and lawyer to promote First Amendment issues for more than threedecades. He is the founder of 1 for All, a national campaign on behalf of the First Amendment that was launched on July 1, 2010, with support from more than 1,100 news, arts and religious organizations. For the past 12 years, he hasbeen a regular guest lecturer at the American Press Institute (API), speaking to more than 5,000 journalists about First Amendment issues. He recently was honored with the API Lifetime Service Award.

In 2007, Paulson was named fellow of the Society of Professional Journalists, the highest honor the organization "bestows upon a journalist for extraordinary contributions to the profession."

Paulson is a graduate of the University of Illinois College of Law and the University of Missouri School of Journalism. He has served as an adjunct professor at Vanderbilt University Law School, and is a member of both the Illinois and Florida bars.