Will Potter

Will Potter serves as a groundbreaking investigative journalist and civil liberties advocate, holding the position of Howard R. Marsh Visiting Professor of Journalism at the University of Michigan, where he teaches courses on investigative journalism, social movements, and whistleblowing. His influential work challenging government repression and the labeling of protest as terrorism has earned him recognition as the first journalist selected as a TED Senior Fellow, while his book "Green Is The New Red" has been translated into multiple languages and received a Kirkus Star for remarkable merit. His investigative reporting and commentary have appeared in major global media outlets including the Washington Post, CNN, National Geographic, Le Monde, The Sydney Morning Herald, VICE, and Rolling Stone, establishing him as what Pulitzer Prize winner Glenn Greenwald described as "the most knowledgeable journalist in the country on these issues." After receiving the prestigious Knight Wallace Fellowship in Law Reporting, he has continued to influence public discourse through his teaching and advocacy work, contributing to the overturning of criminal prosecutions and "ag-gag" censorship laws while providing expert testimony to governmental bodies worldwide, including the U.S. Congress, Australian Parliament, and Council of Europe. His innovative "Fake News, Facts, and Alternative Facts" Teach-Out and ongoing research into government surveillance and civil liberties continue to shape public understanding of protest movements and state power, while his work has been recognized internationally for its impact on civil rights and press freedom.