Cynthia Simmons

Cindy Simmons teaches reporting methods, mass media law and legal journalism. Her hope is that students will learn the full extent of their First Amendment press rights and exercise them boldly.

She is a co-author, with John Gastil, E. Pierre Deess and Philip Weiser, of "The Jury and Democracy," which was published in 2010 by Oxford University Press. The book was translated into Japanese in 2016.

Simmons’ 15-year career in journalism included print, wire service and public radio work. She was the news director at WORT in Madison, Wis., and covered the Wisconsin Legislature for United Press International. Her political reporting for New Mexico public radio won the state Associated Press award for public service journalism. She has also written for legal trade publications.

Before coming to Penn State, Simmons taught at the University of Washington where she directed the Olympia Legislative Reporting Internship Program for three years.

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