Amy Kristin Sanders is an award-winning former journalist, licensed attorney and associate professor. Before joining the faculty of the University of Texas at Austin, she taught for more than four years at Northwestern University’s campus in Doha, Qatar. Prior to that, she earned tenure at the University of Minnesota. Her research focuses on the intersection of law and new technology as it relates to media freedom. Specifically, she focuses on international and comparative media law and policy issues, including media freedom, Internet governance, social media and digital literacy.

Sanders is a prolific researcher. She has authored more than 20 scholarly articles in numerous law reviews and mass communication journals. Her research has been funded by multiple grants, most recently from the Qatar National Research Fund. She is a co-author of the widely recognized casebook First Amendment and the Fourth Estate: The Law of Mass Media, published by Foundation Press.

In addition to her research, Sanders advises organizations on media law and policy issues. An expert witness and consultant to Fortune 500 companies, Sanders has advised international governments and law firms regarding regulatory proceedings, policy development and pending litigation. Sanders regularly speaks to media and civic groups about topics including media freedom, social media, media literacy and the impact of new technology on freedom of speech.

As a teacher, Sanders has developed and taught courses on comparative media law, media ethics, media leadership, sports and the media, and media and society. Her pedagogy work has been funded by grants aimed to increase the use of technology in the classroom and to develop blended-learning curricula. Sanders enjoys traveling abroad with students on both academic and co-curricular trips and has taken students to the United States, United Kingdom and Vietnam.

Sanders worked as a copy editor and page designer for the Gainesville (Fla.) Sun, then a New York Times Co. newspaper. She earned a PhD in mass communication law from the University of Florida. She obtained her MA in professional journalism and her Juris Doctorate at the University of Iowa, where she focused her studies on media law.