John Yarmuth, Kentucky’s 3rd District Congressman met with members of the local student press for an exclusive student-only press conference at the Romano Mazzoli Federal Building in downtown Louisville.
- Congressman John Yarmuth calls on Julian Wright (10), who asked Yarmuth about President Barack Obama’s recently released birth certificate.
Before he opened the floor up for questions, Mr. Yarmuth spoke to the students about why he believed in the media. As the founder of Louisville Today magazine and the Louisville Eccentric Observer (LEO), Yarmuth was very familiar with the importance of the media.
“A vibrant, inquisitive, relentless press is essential to the function of a democracy,” Mr. Yarmuth said. “All you have to do is review recent history going back the last ten years, and you know very clearly how important the media are.”
A student from Fern Creek High School asked about what Mr. Yarmuth would say to the next JCPS superintendent. “I would hope the school board, when looking for the next superintendent, would find someone who not only was a good educator, but a good politician as well,” Mr. Yarmuth said.
The students’ questions also strayed away from what was happening locally, with questions concerning Obama’s recently released birth certificate, EPA funding, The Obama administrations efforts in Libya, and the upcoming World Press Freedom Day.
Tyler Sherek (12) was at the press conference as a videographer for Manual AM. “I think it’s really cool of him to give student journalists a chance to practice their skills before they go on to a legitimate journalism career,” Sherek said.
