"Defending The Fourth Estate: Reviving local journalism and why it matters" 

A free and independent press is a cornerstone of a thriving democracy. Yet, as local newsrooms shrink and shutter, what can we as citizens do to protect the fourth estate? Join the Billings League of Women Voters and Montana Free Press for a conversation about the state of journalism today, with a special lens on reporting in Montana. Alexis Bonogofsky (writer, creator of East of Billings) and Claire Overholt (Membership and Events Manager, Montana Free Press) will present about the role of the press, the importance of reliable reporting, the state of local news, and what nonprofit newsrooms bring to today's information landscape. Time for questions and discussion to follow.  This is a free event.

Alexis Bonogofsky is a rancher, organizer and freelance writer who lives and works along the Yellowstone River in southeastern Montana on her family's ranch. She currently manages the Sustainable Ranching Initiative for the World Wildlife Fund. For eleven years she managed the Tribal Lands Partnership Program where she worked with Montana tribes and inter-tribal organizations on energy efficiency and renewable energy projects, bison restoration to tribal lands, protection of sacred and historical sites, and wildlife conservation. In 2014 Alexis was awarded a Cultural Freedom Fellowship from the Lannan Foundation.

Claire Overholt supports Montana Free Press' development work through fundraising and events management. Born and raised in Colorado, she has lived and worked in eastern Montana since 2014, including in childhood literacy as an AmeriCorps volunteer, Tribal natural resources field work, environmental education, and fundraising and events coordination for Montana non-profits. Now based in "The Magic City" of Billings, she can most often be found on a bike ride, at the library, or co-managing the small regenerative farm Stone Soup Garden.