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Friday, March 29, 2024

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.

Spring Renewal: A View from the Porch

Maybe because I am getting older, the winters seem to stretch out as I wait for warmer temperatures and the green of leaves and grass. And somewhere in the back of my mind is the knowledge I have far fewer springs ahead of me than behind. Still, we now have our spring. And with the return of a warm sun and soft breezes, I have returned to my porch.

Arguments Against Gun Violence: Why Do We Bother?

Why do I bother? Why does anyone bother? The senseless rampages that continue to claim dozens of victims, including children, go on and on. It is clear the country simply does not care. We are a nation of the armed. Gun sales continue to rise. And there is no meaningful effort to stem the tide. In point of fact, it really does not matter.

What I Learned at a Funeral about the Power of Love

My dear friend, Ellen, died in December 2021. Hers was a long fight with cancer. She survived far longer than doctors had predicted. And until the end, she remained active and lively.

Can We Ban Social Media?

I am a social media troglodyte. Except for Facebook, I am reclusive on nearly all social media platforms. That is especially true when it comes to TikTok. I have always been this way.

Journalists Are Courageous First Responders, Too

When the world takes that unexpected right turn that changes the course of history, they run to the danger. We expect that of the best known, most respected first responders — police, firefighters, EMTs, the military. But journalists are first responders, too.

Trump Indictment and a Clash of Values

Donald Trump has done so many things worthy of criminal prosecution, my temptation is to yawn and look away.

There Is No Divorcing Your Team

My dear wife Carla is getting a divorce. Not from me. She is divorcing Gonzaga basketball. We go through this ritual every March when the Zags fall short of the long-sought national basketball championship as they did again Saturday night. “I’m done,” she will say. “Burn the T-shirts.”

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