The Northern Illinois University College of Liberal Arts and Sciences will begin its 2025-2026 Rebuilding Democracy Lecture Series season with discussion featuring NPR Morning Edition host and journalist Steve Inskeep.

The free lecture will begin at 7 p.m. Sept. 23 online via Zoom. Registration is required to attend and is due Sept. 23. To register, visit go.niu.edu/Rebuilding-Democracy-RSVP.

The lecture will feature a discussion between Inskeep and Dean Robert Brinkmann covering topics such as freedom of the press, democracy’s current state, the civil discourse breakdown and media’s role in democracy. The lecture also includes a moderated question and answer session.

Inskeep is the host of NPR’s Morning Edition and “Up First” morning news podcast. He has reported economic shifts, geopolitics, and human migration stories globally. Inskeep is the author of the books “Instant City: Life and Death in Karachi,” “Jacksonland” and “Differ If We Must: How Lincoln Succeeded in a Divided America.” He has been a guest on “Meet the Press,” “This Week” and “PBS NewsHour.”

Inskeep also is a contributor to The New York Times, Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and The Atlantic. He is a recipient of the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award and several Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Silver Batons for broadcast journalism excellence.

The Rebuilding Democracy Lecture Series showcases how the liberal arts and sciences are at the center of a healthy democracy. The series addresses various aspects of building a stronger democracy and bringing together a fractured society.