Experts
Our Legal and Policy Experts
Benton supports legal and policy experts who preserve and strengthen the public benefits of America’s communications environment, who can nourish and protect democratic values, and who can communicate to the public why this all matters.
Benton Senior Counselor
2014-current
Andrew Jay Schwartzman is recognized by many as the “dean” of public interest communications attorneys. From 1978 through 2012, he headed the Media Access Project (MAP)....
Read MoreBenton Senior Fellow
2021-current
John Horrigan is a national expert on technology adoption, digital inclusion, and evaluating the outcomes and impacts of programs designed to promote communications...
Read MorePast Experts
Benton Senior Fellow
2021-2022
Benton Faculty Research Fellow
2015-2017
Colin Rhinesmith (he/him) is the Founder and Director of the Digital Equity Research Center at the Metropolitan New York Library Council. He is
Read MoreBenton Faculty Research Fellow
2019-2020
Christopher Ali started as Assistant Professor in the Department of Media Studies, University of Virginia, in 2013 after completing his PhD at the
Read MoreConsultant, United Soybean Board-Benton Institute project, Rural Broadband and the Future of American Farming
October 2020 - April 2021
Benton Senior Fellow
March 2017- March 2021
Jon's work focused on policies to support FCC actions to promote broadband access and deployment, and to advance competition, including through
Read MoreBenton Fellow
2017- 2020
Mayor Pete Buttigieg named Denise the Chief Innovation Officer for the City of South Bend (IN) at the end of January 2019. Previously, Denise was
Read MoreBenton Senior Policy Fellow
2004-2008
Jim Kohlenberger strengthened the Benton Foundation’s collaborations in the field and guided the media policy work, including advocacy for
Read MoreBenton Senior Fellow
1997-2002
Richard is an author and broadcast media consultant. He authored Connecting Communities, a report funded by the Ford Foundation and released in
Read MoreBenton Fellow
1989-1990
Donna analyzed policy in the children’s television area. She coordinated Federal Trade Commission and Federal Communications Commission filings
Read MoreBenton Fellow
1989-1990
Jerry focused on research and policy project development relating to public access to electronic government information and consumer interest in
Read MoreBenton Fellow
2022-current
Adam Echelman is a journalist and long-time practitioner of digital equity. He is the former Executive Director of Libraries Without Borders US
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