UC Berkeley to Host 'Press Freedom in Peril' Lecture

The Herb Caen Lecture series returns with a discussion on threats to press independence worldwide.

Published on Mar. 10, 2026

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The San Francisco Chronicle and UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism are hosting the annual Herb Caen Lecture on March 31, 2026, featuring a conversation about press freedom challenges with Jodie Ginsberg of the Committee to Protect Journalists and Jason Rezaian of the Washington Post, moderated by Chronicle Editor-in-Chief Emilio Garcia-Ruiz.

Why it matters

The event aims to highlight the growing threats to press independence and the safety of journalists reporting the news, both in the United States and globally. As press freedom faces increasing challenges, this lecture provides a platform to discuss the importance of protecting the rights of journalists to report without fear of reprisal.

The details

The lecture will be held at the North Gate Hall Logan Multimedia Center at UC Berkeley, starting with a reception at 5:30 p.m. followed by the conversation at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $10. Ginsberg, the CEO of the Committee to Protect Journalists, and Rezaian, the Washington Post's director of press freedom initiatives, will discuss the global landscape of press freedom and the personal experiences they have faced in defending journalists' rights.

  • The Herb Caen Lecture series returns this spring on March 31, 2026.
  • The event will begin with a reception at 5:30 p.m., followed by the conversation at 6:30 p.m.

The players

Jodie Ginsberg

CEO of the Committee to Protect Journalists, a nonprofit that tracks and documents violence against journalists and defends the right of journalists to report the news safely and without fear of reprisal.

Jason Rezaian

Director of press freedom initiatives for the Washington Post, and a former opinion columnist and Tehran bureau chief for the Post who was arrested and wrongfully jailed in Iran in 2014, remaining captive for 544 days.

Emilio Garcia-Ruiz

Editor-in-Chief of the San Francisco Chronicle, who previously worked at the Washington Post for nearly two decades and served as the managing editor for digital, where he directed the paper's digital strategy.

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What’s next

Tickets for the event are available now and can be reserved online.

The takeaway

This lecture series highlights the critical importance of press freedom and the ongoing challenges journalists face in reporting the news safely and without fear of reprisal, both in the United States and around the world.