The Roadshow takes a slight diversion this month, a dip into sunny Tuscany where Mr. Joke finds a parable and lesson about the importance of community journalism in the charming 16th century hill town of Montepulciano.         The world … Read more

  The Blue Highways Roadshow takes a turn to old Italy, where in Montepulciano, Italy, we find a fabulous hill town that has much to teach the frantic-paced American about what’s really important in life: living well, loving your family, … Read more

  June 14, 2015 Welcome to the 15th Annual Johnny Appleseed, Charles Kuralt, James Taylor, Jack Kerouac, John Steinbeck, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Robert Frost, Scott Peck, Woody Guthrie, William Least Heat Moon, ‘Possum-Dodgin’, Chigger-Slappin’ Summer Community Journalism … ROADSHOW! … Read more

ROADSHOW 15: In Which Mr. Joke Returns to His Roots  Fresh from his adventures teaching community journalism in China, “Mr. Joke” (because many of my Chinese hosts could not pronounce “Jock” correctly) hits the blue highways of the Old North … Read more

  ROADSHOW 15: In Which Mr. Joke Returns to His Roots Fresh from his adventures teaching community journalism in China, “Mr. Joke” (because many of my Chinese hosts could not pronounce “Jock” correctly) hits the blue highways of the Old … Read more

UNC-CH Senior Lecturer Jock Lauterer is back from his fourth trip to China in as many years, after documenting a whirlwind two-week teaching gig to four cities in China where he advised community newspaper start-ups and helped to launch a … Read more

  You don’t really know someone until you’ve visited his or her childhood home. The pilgrimage to the place where Chen Kai was raised has left me sobered. And a little stunned by my own naivety. The meteoric rise of … Read more

    It will be nearly impossible to describe last night with Mr. Kong, the benevolent government publicity director of Liu Shi. It is he who came up with the idea to create the Liu Shi Today newspaper, and it … Read more

  The distance between old China and new China is as thin as one of one of Mama Ying’s almost porous, transparent crepes. Just around the corner from the Western style mall with Starbucks, KFC and Pizza Hut, you will … Read more

I have just come from an experience no self-respecting American journalist should ever have to endure: a command performance with the assigned topic of “The Role of Newspapers and the Government.” That would be a simple enough topic were I … Read more