Ken Paulson
Kenneth A. Paulson is a First Amendment enthusiast, with a specialization in journalism and music.
He was formerly a dean at Middle Tennessee State University and the former editor-in-chief of USA Today. Paulson had been with USA Today since the newspaper launched in 1982, and served as editor-in-chief from 2004 to 2009.
Paulson edited Gannett Company newspapers in Wisconsin, New York, New Jersey, and Florida, which led to a personal connection with Gannett president Al Neuharth, founder of the Freedom Forum. He later led the Freedom Forum's First Amendment Center and its Newseum. In addition to the bachelor's degree in journalism he earned from the University of Missouri, he has a J.D. degree from the University of Illinois College of Law.
On September 26, 2018, Paulson testified before the United States House Committee on Education and Labor about how First Amendment rights were expressed on college campuses. During his testimony, Paulson said that he "didn't believe there’s an epidemic of suppression or intolerance in the nation’s universities," instead saying that most students were concerned about “paying for school, staying in school and making good enough grades to get a job when they leave.”
