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Ken Paulson is director of the Free Speech Center, former dean of the College of Media and Entertainment at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) and former editor-in-chief of USA Today, where he remains a columnist writing about First Amendment and media issues. He is the host of “The Songwriters,” a television show on PBS, featuring interviews with Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame inductees. Paulson is a board member of the Hall of Fame. Paulson’s areas of expertise include: The First Amendment Paulson founded the Free Speech Center at MTSU in 2019. He was executive director of the First Amendment Center at Vanderbilt University and served as the center’s president and CEO before that. Paulson speaks widely on First Amendment issues and has been quoted extensively in media outlets including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA TODAY, ESPN, CBS Evening News and Newsweek. Paulson has testified before Congress as a First Amendment expert. He has a juris doctorate and is a member of both the Illinois and Florida bars. Paulson was the host of the Emmy-honored television PBS program "Speaking Freely.," As the author of "Freedom Sings," he created a multimedia show celebrating the First Amendment that has toured campuses for the past 20 years. His “The Bill of Rights: The Remix” has been in residency at the Country Music Hall of Fame since 2017. Paulson teaches Mass Media Law and Free Expression, the Media and the American People at MTSU. Journalism Throughout his career, Paulson has drawn on his background as a journalist and lawyer, serving as editor or managing editor of newspapers in five states. He was on the team of journalists who founded USA Today before moving on to manage newsrooms in N.Y., Wis., N.J., Fla., and finally USA TODAY. He and his colleague John Seigenthaler spoke to more than 5,000 journalists and media professionals about the importance of a free press. Popular Music Paulson has written professionally about music over four decades, beginning at the Chicago-based Environs Magazine. He currently hosts the NPT show “The Songwriters” as well as the “Americana One” radio show and podcast. He created “Music Matters,” a radio feature that celebrates songs with impact. Paulson is a member of MTSU’s Recording Industry faculty and teaches History of the Recording Industry. Paulson is a member of the Tennessee Entertainment Commission and a former member of The Mayor’s Music Council in Nashville. Honors He was named fellow of the Society of Professional Journalists, "the highest honor SPJ bestows upon a journalist for extraordinary contributions to the profession." He has received the Robert S. Abbott Memorial Award for Meritorious Service in Mass Communications from the Southern Regional Press Institute. He was elected to the University of Illinois’ Illini Publishing Hall of Fame. Paulson was honored with the American Press Institute Lifetime Service Award. He has received the Missouri Honor Medal for Distinguished Service in Journalism. He is a graduate of the University of Illinois College of Law and the University of Missouri School of Journalism.