This webinar from CLA's Liberal Arts In Action series features Regina McCombs in dialogue with working photojournalists from Twin Cities media outlets.
On Friday, January 23, 2026, the Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication and the University of Minnesota College of Liberal Arts convened leading scholars, journalists and community voices for a series of panel discussions exploring how liberal arts expertise shapes our understanding of today's most pressing civic issues — from the role of the media and constitutional rights to the lived impacts of state-sanctioned violence.
In a moment marked by deep political polarization and urgent questions around immigration enforcement and public safety, this event interrogated how language, law, ethics and community narratives inform our response to current events. Panelists engaged in rigorous dialogue that bridged academic insight with real-world consequence to discover how the liberal arts help us make sense of conflict, community and our shared civic future.
This session was the second of four that took place that day. For details and links to video of all four, visit CLA's Liberal Arts in Action: Responding to This Historic Moment.
Beyond Documenting: The Role of the Photojournalist When Everyone is Recording
Chair: Regina McCombs (Hubbard School)
Panel: Ben Hovland (MPR News), Dylan Jacobson (KSTP-TV), Lewis Karpel (WCCO TV), Ellen Schmidt (MinnPost)
Photojournalists play a critical role covering law enforcement, protect, and immigration activities. The panel discusses the way that their work has changed with the widespread availability of digital recording devices and, in particular, this moment in time when everyone is documenting what is happening in the community. They also discuss the unique professional ethical roles and responsibilities in contrast to citizens activists and constitutional observers. Finally, they discuss their experiences as on-the-ground reporters in the present moment and compare it to their past reporting experiences, including 2020 civil unrest.
To view other journalism sessions from this Liberal Arts in Action webinar, visit: