Among this year’s seven inductees to the
Kentucky Journalism Hall of Fame are Al Cross, director of the
Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, and Jim Phillips, longtime news director of the two radio stations in rural Grayson, Ky.
Cross, right, said in remarks at the induction luncheon that he was being recognized largely for his work at
The Courier-Journal in Louisville, where he worked for more than 26 years, the last 15½ as political writer, but was nominated by one of the people he serves as "extension agent for rural journalists" – Sharon Burton, editor and publisher of
The Farmer’s Pride, Kentucky’s statewide agricultural newspaper, and the weekly
Adair County Community Voice in Columbia. "That’s the most satisfying part of this honor," he said. For his remarks,
click here. Cross started out as a rural journalist, at the
Clinton County News and
WANY Radio in Albany, and later edited, managed or helped manage weekly papers in Monticello, Russellville and Leitchfield. In 2001-02, he was national president of the
Society of Professional Journalists, and in 2004 became director of the institute, which is based in the
University of Kentucky’s School of Journalism and Telecommunications.
Phillips, right, has also had careers in both newspapers and broadcasting, but he went the other direction, moving to
WGOH Radio after more than 15 years as editor of
The Journal-Enquirer, the local weekly. He has been at the station, now joined by
WUGO-FM, for more than 41 years. "God has given me a journalistic career I could not have imagined," he told the crowd at the induction luncheon. "I’ve just loved every minute of it." He said he had to get back to Grayson because he had a newscast to do this afternoon. Another inductee, Jack Lyne of
Site Selection magazine, also has rural roots; he grew up in Russellville, where he was inspired and mentored by the local editor, Al Smith, who did likewise for Cross and many other Kentucky journalists. "When it comes to Kentucky journalism, Al’s got more assists than John Wall," the Kentucky basketball star, Lyne said. He also credited others in Russellville who pushed him toward excellence and emphasized hard work.
Other inductees were Neil Budde of the
DailyMe, formerly of
Yahoo! News and the
Wall Street Journal Online; Liz Everman, longtime anchor for
WLKY-TV in Louisville; and two posthumous honorees, Fred Paxton of Paducah-based
Paxton Media LLC and Lois Ogden Sutherland, founder of the journalism program at
Northern Kentucky University.
Congratulations Al on a deserved recognition. I just took it for granted that you were already IN the Hall.
ReplyDeleteAnd Fred Paxton also is a spectacular choice for this year's inductees. I worked for him in the mid-70's and have never met a finer more forthright man. In four years of working for him I never once heard an employee complain about him--which is really saying something when you work around journalists!