📰 Old School Catalyst: Keeping Student Journalism Alive | Palm Court Podcast S3

The Palm Court Podcast returns for Season 3, diving deep into the history and future of student journalism at New College! Hosts Mike Palmer, Grant Balfour and Megan Cytron welcome the Old School Catalyst crew: former faculty advisor Maria Vesperi and former student editors Isaac Tellechea and Sophia Brown. They are also joined by a recorded contribution from former Catalyst editor Gaby Batista. This episode chronicles the journey of the student newspaper, the Catalyst, from its early days to its necessary shuttering and serving as the inspiration for the independent nonprofit, Old School Catalyst. Discover how the changing political climate and administrative turnover at New College moved these journalists to build an external platform to continue their vital work and protect student free expression. Journalism in Crisis: Maria, Isaac and Sophia discuss the incredibly stressful and compressed experience of covering the COVID-19 pandemic and the rapid political "takeover" of New College starting in spring 2023. Covering events with nuance while being directly affected made for an invaluable, challenging journalism education. The Birth of Old School Catalyst: After realizing the campus environment would no longer sustain student journalism, Maria and the team worked with alumni, pro bono attorneys and organizations like PEN America to incorporate the paper as an independent Florida nonprofit. Learning by Doing: Isaac Tellechea details the current editorial process, emphasizing student agency and the "rolling deadline" approach for publishing stories like the recent exposé focusing on New College's free speech concerns. Beyond New College: Sophia Brown emphasizes that Old School Catalyst aims to be a resource for student journalists nationwide. Old School Catalyst is not just a campus paper—it's a critical experiment in preserving academic freedom and the independent student press in an increasingly challenged higher education landscape nationwide. Connect and Support Old School Catalyst: Read & Subscribe: Find all their published articles and subscribe to their newsletter at oldschoolcatalyst.com. Connect: Follow them on Instagram @OldSchoolCatalyst. Get Involved: If you are a student journalist facing similar barriers, reach out and share your story! Like, Follow, and Share the Palm Court Podcast! Share this episode with anyone interested in journalism, New College, or the future of free speech in higher education. 00:00 Welcome to Season Three 00:38 Introducing the Old School Catalyst Crew 01:40 Maria Vesperi's Journey in Journalism 05:19 Reviving the Catalyst at New College 08:02 Isaac Tellechea's Experience with the Catalyst 13:46 Sophia Brown's Role and Reflections 18:39 Challenges and Achievements of the Old School Catalyst 22:25 Challenges of Running a Student Newspaper 23:17 Encouraging Student Reporters 25:03 Story Selection Process 27:08 Current Coverage and Editorial Decisions 27:39 Mission and Broader Impact 30:39 Navigating Journalism in a Challenging Environment 39:20 Reflections and Future Aspirations 39:42 Gaby Batista's recorded message 48:37 Final Thoughts and Closing Remarks Shownotes: St. Pete Times was ⁠a journalism innovator⁠ The Catalyst goes back⁠ to 1965⁠ ⁠Reagent ⁠was one of several not-quite replacements in the 1980s  USF Oracle still ⁠covers news⁠ ⁠Fall 2020⁠ was a ⁠tough time⁠ Older alums remember the⁠ Anthro Lab⁠ as “The Barn” Maria Vesperi ⁠stepped down⁠, sort of Brad Thiessen is now ⁠Florida Poly’s provost⁠ ⁠Alaska Miller⁠, outspoken cog-sci student ⁠News structure⁠ Brown spoke at ⁠two 2023 commencements⁠ Alex Levy’s ⁠message to student journos⁠ Chloe Rusek’s⁠ attempt to interview Corcoran⁠ Sophia Brown’s ⁠bookstore series⁠ Florence Fahringer’s and Andy Trinh’s ⁠Childcare Center item⁠ WSLR ⁠reports⁠ on ⁠NCF⁠⁠ Taylor Lorenz⁠ & ⁠Drop Site News⁠ PCP Callbacks: ⁠Sophia Brown/PEN America⁠, ⁠Kathryn Joyce⁠, ⁠Steven Walker⁠