Chelsea Horne, a new assistant professor of media law and policy at Lehigh, studies laws and policies that fundamentally shape journalists’ work and their everyday lives.
To the Lehigh community, she brings an interdisciplinary background with interests in communication, media, English and performing arts. She came to Lehigh after teaching at American University in Washington, D.C for a decade.
She said Lehigh offered her a great position alongside a strong community of faculty members and a beautiful campus. Horne grew up in Buffalo, New York, which was once the site of one of Bethlehem Steel’s most prominent manufacturing facilities. So, upon coming to Bethlehem, she said it felt like returning home.
Horne’s work mainly focuses on media law and policy, including how governance, technology and constitutional questions affect the function of media in our society.
“A free and independent press is essential to a healthy democracy,” Horne said.
She said because of the White House’s revocation of press passes and its banning of media networks, new legal challenges are emerging — several lawsuits have arisen on First Amendment issues, free speech and the rights of a free press.
Horne said these legal battles raise questions about journalists’ rights, what journalists must do in order to protect those rights and the future ability of journalists to communicate information meaningfully and accurately.
She said journalists might feel compelled to censor their own speech: a phenomenon called the chilling of speech. Journalists “chill speech” in order to maintain their press passes, out of fear of putting their careers in jeopardy.
Horne said these questions draw a connection between media law, ethics and the day-to-day decisions journalists make within their roles.
Horne’s knowledge on the issue is firsthand.
Her first job was as a journalist at The Buffalo News, but she has always been interested in communications research, which is a major part of her academic work. Horne said teaching at Lehigh allows her to combine her passion for learning with her specialization in media law and policy.
“I’ve always had a strong intellectual curiosity,” Horne said. “So even today, I continue learning. To be in an environment where learning is continuously happening, and then being able to share that love and passion with students, to me, is a perfect fit.”
In her classes, Horne focuses on how policy and government functions are significant issues that impact the media.
In her Media Ethics and Law class, students examine the legal and policy structures of the media and use this knowledge to structure their understanding of the recent ongoing debates about the press and its fundamental rights.
One challenge, she said, is adapting to this ever-developing legislative environment and helping students understand the long process of proposing laws and putting them into effect. Horne said this challenge is also what makes the class so exciting, as students get to be involved in cutting-edge policy discussions.
Horne said she wants students to leave her course feeling better equipped to navigate the media environment and engage with complex legal and policy issues.
Allison Caruthers, ‘28, who’s taking Horne’s course, said the class offered her an opportunity to explore legal concepts that aren’t taught in a regular political science course.
“You have to know how you are and are not covered by the law,” Caruthers said.
Understanding these legal protections and limitations, to her, is important, especially for journalists at the university level.
Caruthers said there’s a connection between the banning of media agencies at the White House and access limitations for student journalists at campus events. Reporting conditions such as recording access can affect the way students can accurately share information.
Nick Lebresco, ‘27, said he was initially drawn to Horne’s course because media, ethics and law align with his academic interests.
Lebresco said Horne’s teaching style is digestible and accessible, leaving room for questions and discussion.
He said she creates an environment that invites students to ask questions while teaching intentional and understandable material.
Lebresco said his favorite part of the class is breaking out into small groups with his classmates and using real-world examples to better understand the scenarios, facts and issues of media-related legal cases.
Through Horne’s class he said he’s learned why laws and regulations are the way they are and has found it frustrating to see journalists’ protective rules and boundaries are being challenged.
“I really think that free press and free speech at any level, including collegiate reporting papers or newspapers, is just a fundamental part of what our rights are as Americans,” Lebresco said.
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