WILL POTTER

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BIO

Will Potter is an award-winning independent journalist based in Washington, D.C., who focuses on how the War on Terrorism affects civil liberties.

He has tracked how lawmakers and corporations have labeled animal rights and environmental activists as "eco-terrorists." And he has closely followed the trial of the SHAC 7: a landmark First Amendment case involving a group of activists charged with "animal enterprise terrorism" for running a controversial website.

Will has testified before the U.S. Congress on his reporting, and frequently speaks with journalists and in public forums about efforts to roll back civil liberties in the name of fighting terrorism. Speaking engagements have included the New York City Bar Association, Yale Law School and the Los Angeles County Bar Association, among many others.

He has written for publications including: The Chicago Tribune, The Dallas Morning News, Legal Affairs, The Chronicle of Higher Education, In These Times, The Texas Observer, The Washington City Paper, Z and Counterpunch. He is also the creator of GreenIsTheNewRed.com, where he blogs about the Green Scare and history repeating itself. His work has circulated widely on political websites, and has been translated into Spanish and Portuguese.

Will frequently ghostwrites op-ed columns for public figures—including a former U.S. president, members of Congress and a former assistant defense secretary—on civil liberties issues like the Patriot Act. They have appeared in publications like USA Today, The Washington Times and The Orlando Sentinel.

He received the 1999 Mark of Excellence award for feature writing, presented by the Society of Professional Journalists, for his series on the Ulster Project. The project brings Catholic and Protestant teens from war-torn Northern Ireland to live together with host families in the United States.

Will graduated summa cum laude from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in journalism. He is currently pursuing a master's in writing from The Johns Hopkins University, while working full time.

To schedule speaking engagements and media interviews, email Will personally.