Dreaming of a Free Press (2022)
Director: Joe Gosen
Producer and soundtrack composer: Brian J. Bowe
A free and responsible press is the cornerstone of a strong and healthy democracy, but global declines in press freedom demonstrate that it remains a fragile institution. Dreaming of a Free Press examines the state of journalism from the perspective of emerging Tunisian and American journalists, who represent the future of the field.
Dreaming of a Free Press follows a collaborative project between U.S. and Tunisian journalism faculty and students aimed at strengthening press freedom in the aftermath of Tunisia's 2011 revolution. The project began in 2019, when students and professors from Western Washington University traveled to Tunisia to work with counterparts at the Institute for Press and Information Sciences. The students took part in discussions about the role of journalism in society and worked on reporting projects in the in the run-up to the 2019 Tunisian presidential elections. In 2022, the Tunisian delegation traveled to Detroit to participate in an international journalism and mass communication conference. While there, they interviewed scholars and professionals about the state of press freedom around the world.
Dreaming of a Free Press provides a look into the challenges and opportunities facing the future of journalism worldwide and the role journalism education plays in bolstering this fundamental right. The film was the recipient of the 2023 Creative Research Award from the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication’s Visual Communication division. The project was made possible by a grant from the U.S. Department of State.
The Death of an Imam (2011)
Director: Geri Alumit Zeldes
Producers: Brian J. Bowe, Salah D. Hassan and Geri Alumit Zeldes
Soundtrack composer: Brian J. Bowe
On October 28, 2009, FBI agents shot and killed Imam Luqman Ameen Abdullah in a Dearborn, Michigan warehouse. It was the first killing of an American Muslim religious leader by the U.S. government. This short documentary examines the news reporting associated with the shooting. It explores the issues at the core of the incident: The allegations of a terrorism conspiracy, the use of FBI informants, and Muslims in the mainstream media.
This documentary was directed by Geri Alumit Zeldes and co-produced by Brian J. Bowe, Salah D. Hassan and Geri Alumit Zeldes. The project was created at Michigan State University and was made possible through a grant from the Social Science Research Council. The film won the King Family Foundation Best of Festival Award at the Broadcast Education Association’s Festival of Media Arts and was nominated for a regional EMMY award.