Josh is a journalist and community strategist working for press freedom and the future of news through media and tech policy. Working with Free Press’s more than 500,000 members Stearns helps amplify the voice of local people in the policy debates that shape our media. For the past nine months he has been tracking journalist arrests and press suppression at Occupy protests, an effort the earned him “Storify of the Year” for 2011. He has written numerous reports on journalism, media consolidation and public media, and speaks regularly about community engagement, activism and the future of news. His articles have appeared online at Mother Jones, Orion Magazine, Yes Magazine and the Columbia Journalism Review.  Before joining Free Press, Josh coordinated policy and communications efforts for service-learning and higher education organizations. He holds a B.A. in English from St. Lawrence University and an M.A. in American studies from UMass Amherst.