Buffalo, NY – The William H. Fitzpatrick Institute of Public Affairs and Leadership at Canisius University hosted a panel discussion titled "The Fourth Estate: Free Speech and a Free Press in America Today" on Tuesday, April 29, 2025.
Since the 19th century, Western governments and leaders have recognized the significant power of the press in the political process, with Edmund Burke even claiming that the press, which he labeled the "Fourth Estate," was the most important of all. As the framers of the U.S. Constitution addressed the demands of the nation's first states, they sought to protect the press and its power in the First Amendment, which guarantees not only the freedom of speech but also the freedom of the press. Nearly 240 years later, the powers enshrined in the First Amendment remain important in the life of the body politic.
The event featured a conversation between the following Canisius University alumni who are also distinguished members of Buffalo's journalism community:
Adam Zyglis '04 (pictured, right), the Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist for The Buffalo News. His cartoons are internationally syndicated and have appeared in many publications around the world, including The Washington Post, USA Today, The New York Times, and Los Angeles Times. In 2015, he was awarded both the Grambs Aronson Cartooning with a Conscience award and the Pulitzer Prize. Zyglis graduated summa cum laude from the Canisius University Honors program in 2004, with a major in computer science.
Emyle Watkins '20, an award-winning multimedia investigative journalist with experience in newspapers, TV, and radio. Currently serving as a disability reporter for Buffalo-Toronto Public Media (BTPM) her work has appeared on NPR's All Things Considered, UpFirst, and Morning Edition. Watkins has also appeared on BBC World News and BBC 5Live during breaking news. A Buffalo native, Watkins earned bachelor's degrees in multimedia journalism and digital media arts from Canisius University.
Natalie Faas '24 is a multi-skilled journalist at WGRZ-TV Channel 2 On Your Side in Buffalo. Before joining WGRZ, Faas worked at WHEC-TV in Rochester, NY as both a producer and multi-media journalist. She holds a bachelor’s degree in multimedia journalism and political science from Canisius University.
Moderating the panel was Maura Snyder, PhD, assistant professor of communications at Canisius University. Snyder is a communication scholar who studies the ins and outs of audience-media interaction, examining how people communicate with others about media, as well as how media impact unique audiences. A Pittsburgh, PA native, she completed her PhD in communication arts at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
The Fitzpatrick Institute of Public Affairs and Leadership at Canisius University provides an array of opportunities for Canisius students to develop leadership potential through close contact with and exposure to those who contribute to American public affairs and societal issues.
The Institute and the Fitzpatrick Lecture Series are named for William H. Fitzpatrick, a South Buffalo builder and longtime chair of the Erie County Democratic Party. His sons, Paul E. and Walter D. Fitzpatrick, endowed the Fitzpatrick programming at Canisius in 1958, in memory of their father. In 1962, the Hon. Harry S. Truman, 33rd president of the United States, inaugurated the Fitzpatrick Lecture Series at Canisius. Each year since, the college has hosted national figures in politics, government, academia, and media under the auspices of the Fitzpatrick family.
Canisius was founded in 1870 in Buffalo, NY, and is one of 27 Jesuit colleges and universities in the U.S. Consistently ranked among the top institutions in the Northeast, Canisius offers undergraduate, graduate and pre-professional programs distinguished by close student-faculty collaboration, mentoring and an emphasis on ethical, purpose-driven leadership.
