MCLA Announces Fall 2025 Hardman Journalist in Residence

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NORTH ADAMS, Mass —  Massachusetts College Of Liberal Arts (MCLA) announce that Jodie Ginsberg will deliver the Hardman Journalist in Residence Lecture, "Defending Journalism in an Age of Rage," on Thursday, Nov. 13, at 7 p.m., in MCLA's Feigenbaum Center for Science and Innovation atrium. 
 
The lecture is free and open to the public.
 
Jodie Ginsberg is the chief executive officer of the Committee to Protect Journalists, a U.S.-based non-profit organization that defends press freedom worldwide. A journalist by profession, Ginsberg joined CPJ in 2022 from Internews Europe, where she was the chief executive officer. Ginsberg began her career as a graduate trainee with Reuters news agency, working as a commodities reporter before taking up a posting as a foreign correspondent in Johannesburg, South Africa, where she focused on the region's financial sector. She subsequently worked as Reuters' chief correspondent in Ireland, based in Dublin, and then bureau chief for the U.K. and Ireland. As bureau chief, Ginsberg managed coverage of the 2008 financial crisis, U.K. riots and 2010 general election, as well as overseeing the merger of the Thomson and Reuters U.K. newsrooms. In 2014, Ginsberg was appointed chief executive of London-based freedom of expression group Index on Censorship, which she led until 2020.
 
An internationally respected campaigner on issues of media freedom and freedom of expression, Ginsberg is a regular speaker on journalist safety and issues involving access to information. From 2020 to 2022, she was chief executive of Internews Europe, a media development nonprofit, and serves on the board of The Trust for the Bureau of Investigative Journalism and as a Council member of IFEX, the international network for freedom of expression organizations. Ginsberg earned her bachelor's degree in English literature from the University of Cambridge and a postgraduate diploma in newspaper journalism from City, University of London.
 
"An American journalist with international experience, Jodie Ginsberg actively works to protect journalists around the world," said Hannah Haynes, MCLA Professor and Communication and Intercultural Studies Department Chairperson. "Her experience as a journalist and advocate for freedom of speech engages with some of the most polemical issues of our time, making her an ideal candidate for the Hardman Journalist in Residence. Responding to MCLA students' interests, Ginsberg's keynote lecture will cover global topics impacting journalists today. Her visit includes a student-journalism workshop focusing on journalism ethics and careers in the field."
 
MCLA's Hardman Lecture Series presents in-depth discussions with some of the leading journalists of our time and is made possible through the Hardman Family Endowment.

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North Adams Restaurant to Closing in Two Weeks

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — A downtown restaurant announced on Wednesday that it will be closing.

In a Facebook post, Door Prize stated its last day of service is Saturday, Nov. 14.

"We are not making this decision lightly and wish there was another way forward," read the post by owners Bryan "Swifty" Josephs and Jenny Klowden.

"We feel great pride for our successes and for a wonderful year of serving our community. Now on to the next adventure!"

They also thanked their staff and patrons who enjoyed their food 

The restaurant opened over a year ago in Hotel Downstreet after Josephs and Klowden previously had a residence at Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, where they sold some of their signature dishes, as well as working in area restaurants, bringing their food to farmers markets and operating a catering business. 

The two named the restaurant after a John Prine song that they danced to at their wedding. Josephs described their fare as European comfort food, with one of their most popular dishes being pierogies. 

They also successfully renovated the covered porch outside the restaurant for dining, raising $7,000 through a Kickstarter

While their post did not allude as to why they are closing, iBerkshires has reached out for more answers. 

The 90-room hotel has reportedly been sold, with a closing expected by the end of the month. Owner Peregrine Group put the former Holiday Inn up for sale earlier this year after purchasing the property for $4.45 million in 2021. According to reports in The Berkshire Eagle, the cost of renovations to the 55-year-old property put a dent into revenues that limited the hotel's ability to cover obligations. 
 
It's not clear if this has anything to do with the restaurant, which operates as a separate entity.
 
"We are not looking for a public discourse on our business model or the closure," the Door Prize post states, inviting patrons to personally contact the Josephs or Klowden rather than comment on the posting. 

 

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