Chuck Plunkett advocates for greater public awareness and support of quality local news.

Why you should listen

Chuck Plunkett directs the CU News Corps journalism program for undergraduate and graduate students at the University of Colorado Boulder.

Prior to serving as The Denver Post’s editorial page editor, Plunkett served as its politics editor. As a reporter, he led the newsroom's coverage of Denver's hosting of the Democratic National Convention in 2008. Prior to his move to Colorado in 2003, Plunkett worked at The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review and his hometown paper, The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. He studied at Syracuse University's MA program for creative writing and holds an MFA in creative writing from the University of Pittsburgh.

The National Press Club awarded Plunkett its John Aubuchon Press Freedom Award for the "Denver Rebellion," in which he helped orchestrate an editorial section of The Denver Post that cast light on the erosion of journalism at the expense of readers and for the profit of the global hedge fund overseeing The Post. Colby College bestowed its Elijah Parish Lovejoy Award for courage in reporting and writing -- a prize that includes an honorary doctorate. The Colorado ACLU, the University of Denver and others also praised the effort with awards.

Chuck Plunkett’s TED talk