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Frank and Bethine Church Public Service Award Dinner

How Democracies Survive and Thrive in the 21st Century

Media Matters: A Journalist’s Perspective with Pulitzer Prize winner – Maggie Haberman

The words: freedom of the press on a scrap of paper atop the US constitution.

April 26th, 2023 @ Boise Centre on the Grove

National Recognition

Conversation with Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, Maggie Haberman

The Frank Church Institute invites you to a special evening with Maggie Haberman, New York Times White House Correspondent, Pulitzer Prize Winner, and author of the NYT and WSJ #1 bestseller Confidence Man. The event will take place on April 26, 2023, at the Boise Centre on the Grove.  Reception will be at 5:00 pm. Dinner will be at 6:00 pm.

One of the most influential voices in national affairs journalism today, Maggie Haberman opens audiences’ eyes with a remarkably informed perspective on the former President, based on their complex relationship and her history of covering him.  She examines his influence on key issues affecting all Americans and his battles with the American press.

Maggie Haberman, New York Times White House correspondent and CNN political analyst, has established herself as one of the country’s most respected journalists and reliable resources for expert commentary on current events and national issues. A seasoned veteran of political reporting, she covered City Hall for the New York Daily News, the 2008 U.S. Presidential campaign, and other political races for the New York Post, as well as national affairs as a senior reporter for Politico.

In 2018, Maggie and her team at the New York Times received the Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting for their coverage of the previous administration and alleged Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. Presidential campaign and the Aldo Beckman Award from the White House Correspondents’ Association.  Her stories on covering a contentious administration offer a revealing insider’s look at what is sure to be known as our country’s most explosive era of modern journalism.

Local Recognition

Frank And Bethine Award for Public Service

The Frank Church Institute is proud to award the 2023 Frank and Bethine Church local Award for Public Service to Betsy Russell.

Betsy Russell retired Jan. 1 as the Boise bureau chief and state government and politics reporter for the Idaho Press. She is the current president of the Idaho Press Club, and is also president and a founding board member of Idahoans for Openness in Government (IDOG).

She is a graduate of the University of California-Berkeley and holds a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University. She had been with the Idaho Press since 2018, and previously worked for nearly 27 years for The Spokesman-Review, including five years as the newspaper’s Idaho editor in Coeur d’Alene and 22 as its Boise bureau chief. She previously worked five years as a reporter and editor for the Idaho Statesman in Boise, and earlier worked as a reporter for several California newspapers. She is married with two grown children, and is an avid skier and windsurfer.

Frank and Bethine Church Endowed Chair of Public Affairs

Sam Martin headshot

Sam Martin is the Frank and Bethine Church Endowed Chair of Public Affairs in the School of Public Service at Boise State University. A scholar of public address and political communication, she has published three books about the American presidency, communication ethics, and conservative religious voters in the United States. Martin’s most recent book, Decoding the Digital Church: Evangelical Storytelling and the Election of Donald J. Trump was named Book of the Year by Word & Way. Her research has also been published in top journals including the Quarterly Journal of SpeechRhetoric and Public Affairs and Visual Communication Quarterly. Martin frequently appears as an expert commentator and consultant for news stories, and has appeared in USA Today, NPR, NBC, the Boston Globe, the Texas Tribune, and The Dallas Morning News, among others.

On behalf of the Frank Church Institute and the School of Public Service at Boise State University, Professor Sam Martin will engage Ms. Haberman in a conversation about the free press following her keynote address.

Schedule of Events : April 26th, 2023

TimeEvent
3:00 - 3:30 pmPRIVATE: Student meet-and-greet with Maggie Haberman
3:30 - 4:30 pmINVITE ONLY: Press meeting with Maggie Haberman
5:00 - 6:00 pmEvent Reception for reception ticket holders
6:00 - 7:00 pmDinner
6:30 - 7:00 pmPresentation of Frank and Bethine Church Awards for Public Service
7:00 - 8:15 pmKeynote Address by Maggie Haberman followed by conversation with Dr. Sam Martin
8:15 - 8:45 pmPaddle UP! for Experiential Learning
8:45 - 9:00 pmGiveaways!

Thank you to our sponsors!

Sponsor logos
Gold-level Sponsor: Charlie and Camille Tillinghast, Silver-level Sponsors: OCI, CDI, AJ and Susir Balukoff and Mariposa Labs, Bronze-level sponsors: David and Mary Peterman, Idaho Press Club, Don and Marcia Liebick, and Boise State University School of Public Service.

Frank Church Institute Executive Director

Monica Church headshot

Monica Carol Church is the Executive Director of the Frank Church Institute at Boise State University. Monica is a strong advocate for youth voices, democratic values, and the environment. Monica is a longtime Idaho educator and public servant. She sits on the boards of both the Frank Church Institute and the Andrus Center at Boise State.

Monica is also a member of the Sawtooth Society Board and the United States Global Leadership Coalition Idaho Delegation. As well, she is an Ethics Commissioner for the City of Boise where she lives with her husband Chad and their daughter Casey. As the granddaughter of Frank and Bethine Church and Cecil and Carol Andrus, Monica is passionate and committed to the Great State of Idaho.

If you have questions about the event, please email Monica at monicachurch@boisestate.edu

Former Recipients Include:

Award YearRecipient
2012Boise State University President Dr. Bob and Kathy Kustra
2013Vice President Joseph R. Biden, Jr.
2013Mayor of Boise David Bieter
2014Governor of Idaho and Secretary of the Interior Cecil D. Andrus
2016Secretary of Defense and Director of the Central Intelligence Agency Leon Panetta
2022Dr. Douglas Brinkley
2023Betsy Russell
2023Maggie Haberman
2024Gregory C. Carr
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