Will Tomer -- Personal Homepage

// ABOUT ME

// NOW: Researching my thesis on captivity, memory, and meaning among the German POWs at Camp Rupert, Idaho.

Hello and welcome to my website. I'm Will Tomer, a graduate student at Idaho State University, currently pursuing my Master's degree in History. Before returning to academia, I spent several years working in print journalism — I wrote and edited opinion pieces on technology and data privacy, global affairs, and more for papers in the Rust Belt.

My academic research interests include social and sensory histories of the Third Reich, as well as German post-war reconstruction. I also study media, politics, technology, film, sports, and the craft of writing.

This page is my little corner of the internet. Feel free to poke around.

Quick Facts

Status	Master's Student at Idaho State University
Background	Print Journalism
Former Employers	Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Toledo Blade
Location	Idaho, USA

Visitors: 000000

⚙ Site under construction — check back often!

// JOURNALISM

Before graduate school, I reported and wrote for two of the Ohio Valley region's most storied newspapers. A selection of published work is below.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Title	Date	Section
The limits of civil discourse There must be a greater delineation between free speech — the freedom to speak one’s mind without governmental interference — and civil discourse — a conversation or good-faith debate of ideas.	Oct 2018	Opinion
The case for antitrust action against Facebook It is bad for both commerce and democracy when any company has the influence that Facebook has.	Nov 2018	Opinion
Peter Longerich cuts through the Hitler myth in new biography Central to Longerich’s book is a focus on Hitler, the politician and man, rather than Hitler, the messianic leader of a Germany eager to avenge the humiliations of World War I.	Apr 2019	Books

Toledo Blade

Toledo, Ohio

Title	Date	Section
Pursuing justice for Abu Zubaydah, the first victim of the CIA's torture program Depriving Zubaydah of the rights that form the basis of our government and which we seek to defend undermines the legal and moral credibility of the U.S.	Jul 2018	Features
The importance of baseball Baseball binds us together in a way that very few things can. It allows for hopes and for dreams, and it can even allow for people to live on forever.	Apr 2018	Opinion
Arrest of Mahmoud Khalil presents an existential threat to nation If you believe in free speech, now is the time to defend it. Silence emboldens those who seek to crush dissent.	Mar 2025	Opinion

// RESEARCH & ACADEMICS

I'm currently enrolled in a Master's program for History at Idaho State University, exploring topics relating to the lives of Germans before, during, and after the Third Reich. I am also interested in technology and privacy-related issues.

Area of Interest	Notes
History of the Third Reich	Social/sensory history, POWs in U.S.
Post-War Germany	Reconstruction, public health crisis
Tech & Privacy	Surveillance capitalism, data privacy
Writing & Rhetoric	Readable history, media criticism

⚙ Publications coming soon — check back later!

// CONTACT

Have a question, want to connect, or just saying hi? Use the form below or reach out directly.

Links: LinkedIn