The cat's out of the bag now: Kentucky is home to one of journalism's rising stars

Grant Gerstner after being presented first place in print reporting 
at the CFINR annual awards ceremony. (Photo via the Era)

Grant Gerstner, the editor of The Oldham Era and the Henry County Local for Paxton Media, won "one of the nation’s most prestigious journalism awards during a May 19 ceremony in Washington, D.C., when he received first place in the print reporting category during the Center for Integrity in News Reporting’s annual awards ceremony," reports the Oldham staff.

Gerstner's award-winning series followed the path of a controversial data center build planned in Oldham County. He succeeded in out-writing competition from "major publications, including The New York Times, The Washington Post and others," they add. He is the first Kentucky-based reporter to win the award, which comes with a $25,000 prize.

The CFINR judges praised Gerstner's reporting as remarkably fair and thorough. The Era reports, "The judges singled out the work for what is often hardest in small-market reporting: covering a contested local issue from start to finish without taking a side, and trusting the reader to understand the trade-offs."

Era and Local Publisher Jane Ashley Pace praised Gerstner's work as an example of the important part media can play in a community, saying, "Grant's coverage became a trusted source of information and proves why local newspapers like the Era are so important."

Gerstner graduated from South Oldham High School in 2019,  the Era reports. "He later joined the Era and Local in 2024 after graduating from the University of Louisville."

Gerstner told reporters, "Winning this award is the honor of a lifetime, and it is made all the sweeter by the fact that my reporting followed one of the largest issues in the history of my hometown."

Nominations sought for the Tom and Pat Gish Award for courage, integrity and tenacity in rural journalism by June 15

Tom and Pat Gish

Each year the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues presents the national Tom and Pat Gish Award for courage, tenacity and integrity in rural journalism, named for the couple who exemplified those qualities as publishers of The Mountain Eagle in Whitesburg, Ky., for 52 years.

Nominations for the Gish Award may be made at any time, but the deadline for new nominations to be considered for this year's award is Monday, June 15. The winner will receive the award at an event in Lexington, Ky., on Oct. 22.

To make a nomination, please send a detailed letter explaining how the nominee shows the kind of courage, tenacity and integrity that Tom and Pat Gish demonstrated at their weekly newspaper in the Central Appalachian coalfield. They withstood advertiser boycotts, business competition, declining population, personal attacks, and even the burning of their office to give their readers the kind of journalism often lacking in rural areas, and were the first winners of the award named for them. Tom died in 2008 and Pat in 2014. Their son, Ben, is the editor and publisher of the Eagle and serves on the award selection committee.

Additional documentation may be submitted after the nomination, and may be requested or required. Send your nominating letter, initial documentation and any questions to Institute Director Benjy Hamm at benjy.hamm@uky.edu.

The Institute seeks nominations that measure up, at least in major respects, to the records of the Gishes and other previous winners. Other winners have been the Ezzell family of The Canadian Record in the Texas panhandle; Jim Prince and Stanley Dearman, current and late publishers of The Neshoba Democrat in Philadelphia, Miss.; Samantha Swindler of The Oregonian for her work at The Times-Tribune in Corbin, Ky., and Jacksonville Daily Progress in Texas; Stanley Nelson and the Concordia Sentinel in Ferriday, La.; Jonathan and Susan Austin of the Yancey County News in North Carolina; the late Landon Wills of the McLean County News in Kentucky; the Trapp family of the Rio Grande Sun in northern New Mexico; Ivan Foley of the Platte County Landmark in northwestern Missouri; the Cullen family of the Storm Lake Times-Pilot in northwest Iowa; and Les Zaitz of the Malheur Enterprise in eastern Oregon. In 2019, the award went to three reporters whose outstanding careers revealed much about the coal industry in Central Appalachia: Howard Berkes, retired from NPR; Ken Ward Jr., then with the Charleston Gazette-Mail; and his mentor at the Gazette, the late Paul Nyden. In 2020 the award went to the late Tim Crews of the Sacramento Valley Mirror; in 2021 to the Thompson-High Family of The News Reporter and the Border Belt Independent in Whiteville, N.C.; in 2022 to Ellen Kreth and the Madison County Record of Huntsville, Ark.; in 2023 to Craig Garnett of the Uvalde Leader-News in Texas; in 2024 to Eric Meyer and the Marion County Record in Kansas; and in 2025 to Lisa Stayton and The Mountain Citizen of Inez, Kentucky.

The Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, based at the University of Kentucky, is focused on helping sustain journalism in rural communities in the United States through information, expertise, training, outreach and other programs.

The Mountain Citizen of Inez, Ky., wins the 2025 Tom and Pat Gish Award for courage, integrity and tenacity in rural journalism

A scrappy little newspaper that has fought for more than 30 years for clean water and open government in its Appalachian county is the winner of the 2025 Tom and Pat Gish Award for courage, integrity and tenacity in rural journalism.

The Mountain Citizen is a weekly paper serving the 11,000 people of Martin County, 231 square miles along Kentucky’s northeastern border with West Virginia. For decades, the Citizen has been the key watchdog on the local water district, which has long had problems providing clean and adequate supply, and on coal companies and local government.

Tap water in Martin County often runs brown, and the Citizen’s efforts prompted state Public Service Commission investigations of the Martin County Water District in 2002, 2006 and 2016. This year, the paper revealed that a state agency had failed to correctly calculate Martin County’s scores in a water-funding competition for poor and underserved counties, and that in 2018 the county’s water was some of the most corrosive in the nation, more so than in Flint, Michigan, in 2015.

“The Mountain Citizen has spent decades overcoming obstacles and opposition to inform its community about serious problems with its water supply and other important issues,” said Benjy Hamm, director of the Institute for Rural Journalism. “Its work represents the best of rural journalism and everything the Gish Award was established to honor – courage, integrity and tenacity.”

In recounting the paper’s water work, owner Lisa Stayton wrote, “When you live here and see your neighbors carrying bottled water into their kitchens, you understand this is about survival. And you worry because you know that many of your neighbors can’t afford to buy bottled water and are drinking tap water that you wouldn’t drink yourself.”

The paper’s water reporting began in 1993, when it revealed that a coal company had so badly cracked the bed of a creek that it had to put a plastic liner in the creek to keep its water out of an underground mine. The paper reported several coal-slurry spills, then got an important scoop in 2000 when it obtained and published maps of a defunct mine that was the conduit for a massive spill from a surface-mine pond, which polluted streams and valleys with an estimated 250 million tons of waste.

When the Citizen forgot to renew its corporate charter in 2000, its corporate name was legally claimed by the water district’s board chairman, who had been the subject of critical reporting by the newspaper. The paper kept using its name, defying a court order, and was fined for contempt of court, but after two years the state Court of Appeals threw out the charge and the fine.

Though the paper’s future was in jeopardy, then-Editor Gary Ball, a former coal miner, continued its strong stances. When the state attorney general’s office announced it would have investigators in the field for the 2002 general election, he told the Lexington Herald-Leader that they were “paper tigers” who were six weeks late, since the groundwork for vote fraud is laid well before an election.

In 2003, the Citizen reported that the county schools spent nearly $250,000 on travel over four years, including airfare for spouses of board members, prompting the schools to refuse complimentary copies that the newspaper had sent to all classrooms. In 2012, the paper challenged the school board’s private discussion of the superintendent’s contract and was upheld by a binding opinion from the state attorney general. In the same year the attorney general ruled the paper was entitled to child-abuse records withheld by the state.

The Citizen was founded in 1990 as a consolidation of the Martin County Mercury and The Martin Countian, a newspaper that had won national attention for the crusading reporting and editorial stances of owner-publisher Homer Marcum. The Citizen took similar approaches; when the school system was no longer required to publish the names and salaries of teachers, the paper did that on its own. It withstood competition from other newspapers and by 2001 was the county’s sole paper.

The award is named for Tom and Pat Gish, who published The Mountain Eagle in Whitesburg, Kentucky, for more than 50 years. Their son and successor, Ben Gish, is on the award selection committee. “I read The Mountain Citizen regularly (we trade subscriptions),” he wrote. “They do a really good job.”

Stayton and the Citizen will receive the Gish Award Nov. 13 in Lexington, Ky., at the annual Al Smith Awards Dinner of the Institute for Rural Journalism. The dinner will also include presentation of the Al Smith Award for public service through community journalism by Kentuckians to Bill Estep, who recently retired from the Lexington Herald-Leader after chronicling the stories of Appalachian Kentucky for more than 40 years.

 

The keynote speaker will be Dee Davis, president of the Center for Rural Strategies.

Other Gish Award winners have been the Ezzell family of The Canadian Record in the Texas panhandle; Jim Prince and Stanley Dearman, current and late publishers of The Neshoba Democrat in Philadelphia, Miss.; Samantha Swindler of The Oregonian for her work at The Times-Tribune in Corbin, Ky., and Jacksonville Daily Progress in Texas; Stanley Nelson and the Concordia Sentinel in Ferriday, La.; Jonathan and Susan Austin of the Yancey County News in North Carolina; the late Landon Wills of the McLean County News in Kentucky; the Trapp family of the Rio Grande Sun in northern New Mexico; Ivan Foley of the Platte County Landmark in northwestern Missouri; the Cullen family of the Storm Lake Times-Pilot in northwest Iowa; and Les Zaitz of the Malheur Enterprise in eastern Oregon.

In 2019, the award went to three reporters whose outstanding careers revealed much about the coal industry in Central Appalachia: Howard Berkes, retired from NPR; Ken Ward Jr., then with the Charleston Gazette-Mail; and his mentor at the Gazette, the late Paul Nyden. In 2020 the award went to the late Tim Crews of the Sacramento Valley Mirror; in 2021 to the Thompson-High family of The News Reporter and the Border Belt Independent in Whiteville, N.C.; in 2022 to Ellen Kreth and the Madison County Record of Huntsville, Ark.; in 2023 to Craig Garnett of the Uvalde Leader-News in Texas; and in 2024 to Eric Meyer and the Marion County Record in Kansas.

Analysis: Local newspapers survive or close for different reasons

Local news can help residents hold elected officials 
accountable. (Photo by J. Mone, AP via Converation CC)

Beginning around 2005, community newspapers across the U.S. faced unprecedented financial stresses, which over time forced more than a third to close. While their closures have left communities in vulnerable "news deserts," they aren't random. Instead, the reasons smaller newspapers often close fall into a recognizable pattern. In her piece for The Conversation, Abby Youran Qin "identifies key drivers − ranging from racial disparity to market forces − that determine which towns lose their papers and which ones beat the odds."

Although local papers exist to serve their communities, they still need profits to keep the doors open. That is why some neighborhoods still have a paper. Qin explains, "Local newspapers survive where affluent subscribers and deep-pocketed advertisers cluster. That means wealthy white suburbs keep their watchdogs, while low-income and diverse communities lose theirs."

When poorer neighborhoods lose their paper and their investigative reporters, residents become more vulnerable to social power abuse. Qin writes, "Poor and racially diverse communities often face the harshest policing and interact more with street-level bureaucrats than wealthier citizens. That makes them more vulnerable to government corruption and misconduct."

Community newspapers often fail to serve their entire audience in equal ways. For instance, if everyone who worked at a local paper was white, would black events and happenings be equally covered? Over time, a pattern of bias in some news organizations caused racially diverse neighborhoods to distrust, dislike and not subscribe to the local paper.

"Diverse neighborhoods get hit twice. First, their local papers inadequately represent them," Qin explains. "Then, when people understandably turn away, subscriptions drop, advertisers pull back and the outlets shut down, leaving whole communities without a voice."

The structure of "market-dependent journalism," has also caused community newspapers to close, even when an area's population is growing. "The catch lies in who is moving in: Population growth saves papers only when it comes with wealth," Qin writes. "The news gap experienced by fast-growing communities may persist where local journalism depends primarily on traditional advertising and subscription revenues rather than diversified revenue sources such as grants and philanthropic donations."

Smaller newspapers are more likely to survive together. "In an era of decline, my analyses reveal a counterintuitive truth: Your town’s paper actually has better odds when nearby communities keep theirs," Qin adds. "Resilient local journalism clusters together. . . .When regional businesses support multiple outlets, the entire news ecosystem becomes more sustainable."

Letting go of partisan slants can help a community paper survive. "It turns out that there’s no significant link between a county’s partisan makeup and its ability to keep newspapers," Qin writes. Large subscribing bases and corporate advertisers often keep bigger newspapers afloat. Party affiliation isn't what drives their revenue.

Choosing to push politics left or right doesn't serve a local paper's interests. Qin explains, "But local journalism’s survival hinges on practical factors such as money and market size. Saving local news isn’t a left vs. right debate − it’s a community issue that requires nonpartisan solutions."

Suffering from news overload? This six-step plan outlines how to avoid exhaustion while staying engaged.

Not all news sources are created equal. (Photo by Noah Berger, AP Images via The Conversation)

To avoid information overload, distress, fatigue or even exhaustion, a majority of Americans believe they need to limit their political media consumption. But how, exactly, can U.S. citizens remain engaged without falling into the overwhelming news swamp? "To stay informed while also arming yourself against misinformation, it’s crucial to practice what I call good 'news hygiene' by developing strong news literacy skills," writes Seth Ashley for The Conversation. A lightly edited version of Ashley's six-step plan is shared below.

Take note of algorithms. "Despite the illusion of neutrality, algorithms shape people’s perceptions of reality and are designed to maximize engagement," Ashley shares. Instead of reading "whatever appears in your feed. . . actively seek out a variety of sources to inform you about current events. The news shouldn’t just tell you what you want to hear. . . . People who simply understand that algorithms filter information are more likely to take steps to combat misinformation."

Consider how corporate news makes money. "For-profit newsrooms, which produce the bulk of news consumed in the U.S., rely heavily on advertising revenue, which can reduce the quality of news and create a commercial bias," Ashley explains. "Nonprofit newsrooms and public media provide alternatives that generally prioritize public interest over profit. . . . Countries with better funding for public media tend to have stronger democracies."

Create a habit of checking and verifying news sources. "Particularly with AI-generated content on the rise, source evaluation and verification are essential skills. Be cautious with content that lacks the author’s name, relies heavily on anonymous sources – or uses no sources at all – or is published by outlets with a clear ideological agenda," Ashley advises. "Watch out for news operations that routinely engage in these practices and obscure their motive for doing so."

Remember it's normal to have reactions to news, and it's equally OK to stop consuming or refrain from reposting it. Ashley writes, "When encountering content that sparks an emotional reaction, ask yourself: Who benefits from this narrative? What evidence supports it? Is this information informative or manipulative? If the answers make you suspicious, investigate further before acting or sharing."

Beware of propaganda, aka spin. Ashley explains, "Understanding the mechanics of propaganda – its use of repetition, emotional appeal, scapegoating, scare tactics and unrealistic promises – can help inoculate people against its influence."

Stay in the game, which should include time-outs. "Democracy relies on an informed and active citizenry to hold accountable their government and the officials who work in it as well as other powerful players in society," Ashley adds. "Rather than tuning out – what scholars call 'news avoidance' – you can practice critical consumption of news. . . . Look beyond headlines and short video clips, question the framing of stories. . . . Set goals for your consumption. Some experts say 30 minutes a day is enough."

Sunshine Week runs all this week: Event celebrates open government and offers plenty of free promotional materials.

Sunshine Week, an annual event highlighting the importance of open government and freedom of the press, starts on Sunday.

Now in its 19th year, this year's events run from March 16-22. National Freedom of Information Day is March 16, the birthday of James Madison, the fourth president of the United States and father of the First Amendment.



The Sunshine Week site offers free, promotional materials, including Zoom backdrops in English and Spanish, sample social media posts, op-eds, editorial cartoons, Sunshine Week logos, and a step-by-step Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) graphic. The website also features freedom of information resources with print and video explanations and the legislative history of FOIA.

Sunshine Week is coordinated by the Joseph L. Brechner Freedom of Information Project at the University of Florida’s College of Journalism and Communications. It is supported by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and a growing list of public and private endorsers.

Explore Sunshine Week here

How much referral traffic to publishers do AI chatbots provide? Practically zero.

'AI presents an existential threat to the news and
media industry.' (AI image by AI)

AI chatbots steal and repost news created and paid for by humans while failing to refer any meaningful traffic to the publications, a new report finds. Chatbot click-through rates, or CTRs, to original content, are abysmal.

"Tollbit, an analytics and licensing platform for publishers and AI companies, has released its first AI User Agent Index, a quarterly report that tracks overall trends in the scraping habits of the AI industry," reports News/Media Alliance. "The report details that the click-through rates for AI chatbots are 95.7% lower than traditional Google search, with a referral rate of just 0.37%." According to industry figures, 3% is considered the average CTR from a Google search, and anything above this is good.

For many publishers and writers, AI content theft is not surprising; however, "Tollbit's data confirms what publishers have known for years — generative AI chatbots are not providing anywhere near the amount of traffic as traditional search," News/Media Alliance CEO Danielle Coffey said in a statement. "By illegally scraping our content, repackaging it and giving it to consumers without adequately directing them to our sites, AI companies are using our own content to undermine our businesses."

When chatbots "redeliver" news via the web without a click-through to the original publication, news and media organizations miss out on subscription and advertising income. In essence, bots steal original content, which costs publications what a consumer may have paid to read it, and they remove to possibility of future income when no click-through traffic is provided.

“With AI click-through rates almost 96% lower than traditional search, which we believe is already at inadequate return rates, the shift to AI presents an existential threat to the news and media industry," Coffey said. "Something has to change. But that doesn’t mean we want to stop the growth of AI. . . .We’re just asking for responsible AI. Artificial intelligence companies must compensate publishers for the content they use, for the long-term health of both of our industries.”

Opinion: Reporter's shield law needs to be extended to the federal level: 'The PRESS Act is needed now.'

Shield law protections by state (Graph by the Reporters Committee
for Freedom of the Press)

The New York Times editorial board offers a compelling piece on the importance of a reporter's shield law and why its protections need to be extended to the federal level. "Safeguarding the anonymity of reporters’ sources is essential . . . . It has been recognized by governments or courts in 49 states and the District of Columbia as a form of protection for journalists and news outlets against unfair or overbearing efforts by the government to ferret out their sources. . . There is nothing of the sort, however, on the federal level, where the need is arguably greatest."

A bipartisan bill representing those federal protections, known as the Protect Reporters From Exploitative State Spying Act, or PRESS Act, has already moved through the House of Representatives and is awaiting release by the Senate Judiciary Committee. The editorial board writes, "It would shield reporters from court-ordered disclosure of their sources of information, except in the rare cases in which disclosure is necessary to prevent an act of terrorism or imminent violence."

Freedom of speech and whistle-blowing protection remain essential parts of a healthy democracy. The editorial board adds, "Leaks and whistle-blowers have often proved essential to the public’s understanding of major events and the workings of government at all levels. There is nothing ideological about their usefulness; they can be just as effective in exposing the unwelcome truth about Democratic administrations as Republican ones. By protecting reporters from having to reveal their sources, the bill would ideally encourage more whistle-blowers to help shine a light on government abuses."

Some members of the House having been "targets of sharp investigative reporting or frequent critics of the news media," the editorial board adds. Still, every member has "supported swift passage of the PRESS bill. . . Nothing in the PRESS Act would prevent the government from prosecuting leakers, and the government has vast powers to monitor its officials without demanding that reporters divulge the information they seek. . . . The PRESS Act is needed now."

The former politician who killed Las Vegas journalist Jeff German sentenced to "20 years to life"

CPJ graph of journalists or media professional killed while working in the U.S.

Two years ago Las Vegas Review-Journal reporter Jeff German was murdered while reporting stories centered on former Democratic politician Robert Telles. Telles was recently found guilty of German's murder, reports Ken Ritter of The Associated Press. The Nevada jury decided Telles will "serve 20 years to life in prison for killing German, who wrote articles critical of his conduct in office."

German's body was found in a side yard of his home over Labor Day weekend in 2022. Investigators quickly focused on Telles, who was arrested and held without bail a few days after German's death was discovered. Ritter writes, "Jurors deliberated for nearly 12 hours over three days before their unanimous vote that Telles ambushed and attacked the Las Vegas Review-Journal reporter."

Telles showed little response while his "verdict was read in Clark County District Court," Ritter reports. "Telles didn’t speak then or when he learned his sentence. . . . His defense attorney told reporters outside court that his client plans to appeal. . . . Jessica Coleman, a county employee, was among several co-workers who urged German in 2022 to investigate Telles’ conduct heading the office of unclaimed estate and probate property cases. She sobbed after the verdict was read."

German was the only U.S. journalist killed in 2022, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. Katherine Jacobsen, the U.S., Canada and Caribbean program coordinator at the Committee to Protect Journalists, issued a statement 'saying "the verdict 'sends an important message that the killing of journalists will not be tolerated. . . . It is vital that the murder of journalists should be taken seriously and perpetrators held accountable.'"

To explore more of CPJ's data, click here.

Kentucky Hall of Fame journalist retires from UK, leaving a legacy of good journalism for rural folks and beyond

Dr. Jennifer Greer presenting the 2023 Polaris Award to Al Cross.
(Photo by Sydney Turner, UK College of Communications)

By Jenni Glendenning
Institute for Rural Journalism, University of Kentucky

After almost 20 years advocating for rural and community journalism in the College of Communication and Information, Al Cross is leaving the University of Kentucky as the Director Emeritus of the Institute for Rural Journalism (IRJ). Cross, who also served as an extension professor for the School of Journalism and Media, officially retires July 31.

Cross may be handing in his UK office keys, but he won’t be stepping away from journalism altogether. After all, as Cross told a colleague recently, “there is no such thing as a former journalist.”

Cross’ 27-page CV doesn’t do justice to his achievements. He graduated from Western Kentucky University and has covered every Kentucky legislative session since 1980. Right out of college, Cross edited and managed weekly newspapers in Monticello, Russellville and Leitchfield.

He then became a reporter for the Louisville Courier-Journal for 26 years, including more than 15 years as a political writer (1989-2004). In 1989, he shared a Pulitzer Prize with the Courier-Journal staff, and in 2001-02 he was national president of the Society of Professional Journalists. In 2010, he was inducted into the Kentucky Journalism Hall of Fame.

The Institute was co-founded in 2004 by Cross and Al Smith. Cross worked for Smith in Russellville and Leitchfield, and their relationship made Cross the longest-running panelist on “Comment on Kentucky” before Cross became an election-night analyst for KET.

Patti and Al Cross at the 2023 Al Smith Awards Dinner.
(Photo by Sydney Turner, UK College of Communications)

Al’s wife, Patti Hodges Cross, is from Grayson County and is an independent designer and editor of various publications. In addition to design work, Patti is treasurer and former president of the Franklin County Fair and Horse Show in Frankfort and volunteers for numerous other philanthropic events. Al and Patti have been married for more than 48 years.

Patti Cross said she looks forward to the two of them spending time in the river house they are building in Clinton County. “It will serve as a getaway place on the Cumberland River where we can entertain friends and family,” she said.

Patti Cross said they also plan to travel. “Al has been to 48 states and only needs North Dakota and Hawaii to complete his bucket list," she said.

The couple hopes to visit Germany, the place of some of Cross’ ancestors, with his brother and sister-in-law. She would also like to travel to the Mediterranean or take a European river cruise but said they won't take any major trips until after Cross finishes his book on Kentucky politician Earle Clements.

Cross’ successor at the IRJ, Benjy Hamm, joined the University of Kentucky in 2023.

“I could not think of a better successor than Benjy Hamm,” Cross said. “His career has given him a deep, broad understanding of rural journalism and its challenges.”

Hamm said that for 20 years, and across the country, Cross has been the institute's name and face.

“When I’m at different events with people, and you say you're with the Institute for Rural Journalism, they’ll say, ‘Oh, is that Al Cross?’ because that’s how he’s become identified."

Throughout Cross’ “significant and outstanding journalism career, he was able to take this institute and make it into something that has helped countless journalists and news organizations across the country,” Hamm said.

“Al has been very gracious to me to make sure that my focus is on the Institute and making it go forward for the future,” Hamm said. “He understands that it will change with subsequent directors, and over the course of years, it will change, and he is wholeheartedly in support of that… He’s not someone who thinks that the Institute should stay the same as it was 10 or 20 years ago.”

Al Cross and Benjy Hamm host a workshop panel at the National Summit
on Journalism in Rural America, July 2023. (Photo by Heather Close, IRJ)

Cross and Hamm have known one another for more than 20 years. Hamm was the editorial director of Landmark Community Newspapers, which had a division in Shelbyville, Ky., where he and Cross interacted quite frequently since Landmark, at the time, owned the most newspapers in the state.

“The institute is integral to the service and outreach missions of our college and UK,” said Jennifer Greer, dean of the College of Communication and Information. “The work that Al Cross and his team do supports local journalists and rural communities throughout the nation at a time when the need for accurate and trusted information is needed more than ever. We are thrilled to have Benjy carry on this important work.”

The Institute's Administrative Coordinator and rural blog writer, Heather Close, called working with Cross a “journey of learning and discovery.”

“I have never read so many things in all my life or looked at so many maps,” Close said. “Al pushed me to look at writing more critically and opened my eyes to resources I never knew existed. I'm grateful for the lessons. I hope he enjoys retirement, but I know we'll be seeing him at this year's Al Smith Awards Dinner.”

Cross leaves a legacy of achievement through the IRJ.

“Our overall aim is to help life in rural America and rural Kentucky,” Cross said. “We operate under the proposition that rural Americans deserve good journalism as much as anybody else in America.”

When Cross received the new Al Smith Polaris Award in 2023, recognizing distinguished service to community journalism, an audience member called him “a kind of North Star for the field of rural editors.”

Although those at UK might not see Cross striding through the halls, all will still see his name in the media as he continues to advocate for newspaper readership and good journalism in Kentucky.

Cross said he is looking forward to writing books and the occasional column.

Cross has dedicated his life to serving his community and reporting, so it was no surprise to anyone who knows him – or knows of him – that even in his retirement, he won’t stop doing what he loves.

Jenni Glendenning

Author’s personal note: I had the pleasure of serving as the David Hawpe fellow for the Institute during 2024, Cross’ last summer at the University of Kentucky. The knowledge and information I gained from this man in three short months were invaluable to my academic career and personal development. Al and Patti are true exemplars of everything Kentuckians strive to be: Kind, caring, compassionate, and brilliant. I will undoubtedly miss my daily communication with Cross. I cannot wait to read his books! All the best to Al and his family. 

 

A one-person newsroom in Pennsylvania was first with key details of the Trump assassination attempt

Vranesevich, left, is known for his local investigative reporting.
(Beaver Countian photo)

With his internal compass focused on news that isn't being shared, John Paul Vranesevich, the owner and only full-time reporter for the Beaver Countian, in western Pennsylvania, scooped key details of the Trump shooting story before national media could confirm it. While his stories revealed "some of the U.S. Secret Service’s most dramatic failure in decades," he credits his nimble reporting to his community connections, reports Elahe Izadi of The Washington Post.

"He said that some of those long-standing sources contacted him after the rally shooting to share some of the details of what had happened that day because they were concerned that the national narrative unfolding about the shooting was inaccurate or incomplete," Izadi explains. "That it would lead the public to believe that local law enforcement had failed to do its job and had put the former president at risk."

As Vranesevich was about to publish his scoop for Beaver Countian readers, he wanted the nation to hear the details, so he "tipped off contacts on CBS’s news desk," Izadi reports. "He knew his sources would want to get their story out to a national audience. CBS News published its story hours later, crediting the Beaver Countian’s original work."

Unlike many local reporters, Vranesevich's career started with bigger name recognition as an international computer security expert and then as a writer. "After his work got the attention of the New York Times, Vanity Fair and other national press, he started the Beaver Countian as a 'one-person guerrilla journalism venture,'" Izadi writes. "He now has the help of four or five freelance editors and contributing reporters."

Bill Vidonic, a Beaver Countian freelancer, noted that "Vranesevich is seen as somewhat of a 'renegade who 'doesn’t always have to play by the rules,'" Izadi adds. Vidonic told her: “He’s been an outlier in terms of media, and I think that’s where his strength has been. A lot of people reach out to him because they don’t think he’s part of the establishment. He’s one of them.”

National program wants to help newsrooms add more than 50 positions; news organizations can apply for help now

Report for America, a national service program, wants to help newsrooms across the United States -- and particularly in rural areas -- add more than 50 positions next summer. Applications are open for newsrooms interested in hosting journalists for up to three years, with part of the salary paid by the Report for America program.

According to Sam Kille, vice president of communications for Report for America, the program is designed to help newsrooms report on under-covered issues and communities.

Kille writes, "Through the program, host newsrooms receive:
-- Diverse, talented slate of candidates to choose from
-- Subsidized salary support for up to three years
-- Local fundraising coaching and resources, including the opportunity for no-cost fiscal sponsorship to accept donations
-- Extra training and mentoring for journalists

“We recognize the difficulties modern newsrooms encounter, from recruiting skilled journalists to offering the necessary mentorship and support,” said Earl Johnson, vice president of recruitment and alumni engagement at Report for America. “Partnering with Report for America enables local newsrooms to address critical news gaps, diversify their staff, and foster sustainable local backing within their communities.”

The application deadline is Sept. 13. More information about how the program works can be found here.

Report for America wants to expand its reach into rural areas where news gaps are prominent, and newsrooms owned or led by journalists of color. 

Kille specifies that newsrooms must demonstrate the following to Report for America:

Need — "Explain why the beat you’re proposing is vital to your audience and the community. We’re particularly interested in important beats that no other newsroom in your area is covering, or covering well. Also, why do you need our help to support this position?"
Support — "We look for newsrooms where corps members will receive good editing and mentoring, so they can do their best work."
A commitment to inclusion — "Newsrooms demonstrating a commitment to inclusion and supporting a diverse staff are important in our selection process."
A commitment to fundraising — "Where applicable, we ask our host newsrooms to try to raise money from local funders to pay for part of their corps member’s salary. Our development team can help you do this. We believe local philanthropy is key to strong local newsrooms and want to work with partners that believe this, too."

Report for America will help to provide up to half of the journalist’s salary and offer newsrooms tools to raise funds to support their share. Nearly $30 million has been raised by local newsrooms with Report for America’s assistance.

Report for America has matched more than 650 corps members with hundreds of local newspapers, public radio stations, digital platforms and television outlets since its launch in 2017.

Report for America will hold online information sessions with newsrooms and partner organizations throughout the application period. For more information, visit www.reportforamerica.org or send an email to: recruitment@reportforamerica.org.

One lawsuit over the Marion County newspaper raid settled for $235,000, but more claims are pending

Marion County Record raid, Gruver's desk at bottom right
(Screen capture of surveillance video via Kansas Reflector)

It has been almost a year since the Marion County Record was raided by police supposedly investigating charges of identity theft and illegal use of a computer by the Kansas weekly newspaper. In the process of confiscating newsroom property, the city's chief of police, Gideon Cody, injured Record reporter Deb Gruver's hand while "forcibly obtaining her personal cellphone," reports Emmett Lindner of The New York Times. "Gruver has reached a $235,000 settlement as part of a lawsuit she filed over the search, which set off a national discussion about press freedoms."

Gruver, who resigned from the paper after the raid, "said in a letter to the editor that she 'no longer wanted to work in a town where the majority of leaders clearly don’t respect the Fourth Estate or the U.S. Constitution,” The Record reported.

Another lawsuit, filed by the Record's publisher, Eric Meyer, alleges that the raid, which included "seven law enforcement officials spending more than two hours in Meyer’s residence, where his mother was at the time" contributed to her death the next day, Linder reports. Four other Record employees also have suits pending.

While Gruver's settlement ends one chapter of the raid's fallout, the entire investigation and the later reversal of the authorized searches that allowed it are still more broadly worrisome, particularly for smaller newspapers that investigate local authorities. Linder explains, "Less than a week after the raid, Marion County’s top prosecutor, Joel Ensey, ordered officials to return the seized devices because there was insufficient evidence to justify the searches. . . .The raid also came after The Record had questioned Cody about his departure from the Kansas City Police Department, following accusations that he had made sexist and insulting comments."

The raid didn't just have negative outcomes; there was also a silver lining. Meyer told Linder, "One of the things that we’ve seen out of this is that the people who have responded to us have come from across the political spectrum. There aren’t too many things in this world right now that bring Democrats and Republicans together.”

Journalists may be wrong about why the American public has less trust in their reporting, new research finds

Profits, not biased storytelling, may be why Americans'
trust in the news is wavering. (Adobe Stock photo)

Many journalists think the American public does not trust the news because of perceived political biases in coverage. A new study suggests that view may be wrong, writes lead researcher Jacob L. Nelson for The Conversation, a journalistic platform for academics. "We found that people’s distrust of journalism does not stem from fears of ideological brainwashing. Instead, it stems from assumptions that the news industry as a whole values profits above truth or public service."

Study researchers conducted 34 Zoom-based interviews with adults representing a cross-section of age, political leaning, socioeconomic status and gender and discovered that money, not slanted information was the source of their distrust. Nelson explains, "The Americans we interviewed believe that news organizations report the news inaccurately not because they want to persuade their audiences to support specific political ideologies, candidates or causes, but rather because they simply want to generate larger audiences — and therefore larger profits."

It's easy to understand how the public might come to their conclusions. "The people we spoke with tended to assume that news organizations made money primarily through advertising instead of also from subscribers," Nelson writes. "Consequently, many of the people interviewed described journalists as being enlisted in an ongoing, never-ending struggle to capture public attention in an incredibly crowded media environment."

Even when interviewees believed that news organizations' support came from their audiences through subscriptions or donations instead of advertisers, "they still described deep distrust toward the news that stemmed from concerns about the news industry’s commercial interests," Nelson explains. "In light of these findings, it appears that journalists’ concerns that they must defend themselves against accusations of ideological bias might be misplaced."

If financial bias is a common root of journalistic distrust, "it might be more beneficial for newsroom managers to shift their energies to pushing back against perceptions of economic bias," Nelson adds. "The people we interviewed also often appeared to conflate television news with other forms of news production, such as print, digital and radio. And there is ample evidence that television news managers do indeed appear to privilege profits over journalistic integrity."

Eric Meyer and Marion County Record, Kansas paper raided by police chief it was investigating, win Tom and Pat Gish Award for courage, integrity and tenacity in rural journalism

Eric Meyer with his weekly newspaper

Eric Meyer and the staff of the Marion County Record in Marion, Kansas, are the winners of the 2024 Tom and Pat Gish Award for courage, integrity and tenacity in rural journalism, presented by the Institute for Rural Journalism at the University of Kentucky.

Meyer and his weekly newspaper have become a touchstone for freedom of the press since August 2023, when local police raided his office and his home and confiscated computers, reporters’ notes and cell phones, ostensibly investigating charges of identity theft and illegal use of a computer. It didn’t take long for some motives to be apparent: city officials’ desire to punish the newspaper for its investigation of the police chief’s questionable employment background and its reporting on the mayor’s alleged ethics violations and other activities. A few weeks later, the chief was suspended, and three days later, he resigned.

Five days after the raid, the county attorney withdrew the warrants signed by a local judge, saying they were “legally insufficient,” and the confiscated items were returned. But in the meantime, Meyer’s 98-year-old mother, Joan Meyer, collapsed and died after telling journalists that she was upset and stressed by the raid of her home and the paper where she had worked for 50 years. She said, “These are Hitler tactics, and something has to be done.”

The raid, perhaps unprecedented, sparked international outrage at a time when local newspapers are struggling. Eric Meyer said soon after the raid, “If we don’t fight back, and we don’t win in fighting back, it’s going to silence everybody.” Since then, he and his staff have continued to show the courage, tenacity and integrity often required to deliver good journalism in rural areas. The Record “is uncommonly aggressive for its size,” The New York Times reported. “Meyer said that the newspaper, which has seven employees, has stoked the ire of some local leaders for its vigorous reporting on Marion County officials.”

That profile fits those of other Gish Award winners, including the first winners and the award’s namesakes: Tom and Pat Gish, who published The Mountain Eagle in Whitesburg, Kentucky, for more than 50 years. Their son and successor, Ben Gish, is on the award selection committee. He said of Meyer, “Given today’s political climate, what happened to him in Kansas almost certainly will happen at some other small-town paper when another unfit person wins that county's sheriff’s race.”

Meyer’s family bought the Marion County Record in 1998 to keep it from being sold to a chain. His father, Editor Bill Meyer, had worked there since 1948, and won the Eugene Cervi Award of the International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors in 2002. Eric Meyer returned to his hometown to run the paper during the Covid-19 pandemic after working as a reporter for the Milwaukee Journal and teaching journalism at the University of Illinois.

"Eric Meyer and other journalists at the Marion County Record covered their community with courage, tenacity and integrity long before a shocking police raid brought them international attention,” said Benjy Hamm, director of the Institute for Rural Journalism. “But the raid and its aftermath revealed to a much larger audience that the Marion County Record could not be intimidated, denied or defeated in its pursuit of the truth."

Meyer will receive the Gish Award Oct. 10 in Lexington, Ky., at the annual Al Smith Awards Dinner of the Institute for Rural Journalism. The keynote speaker will be Campbell Robertson, who covers Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia for The New York Times and is based in its Washington Bureau. For updates see RuralJournalism.org.

Other Gish Award winners have been the Ezzell family of The Canadian Record in the Texas panhandle; Jim Prince and Stanley Dearman, current and late publishers of The Neshoba Democrat in Philadelphia, Miss.; Samantha Swindler of The Oregonian for her work at The Times-Tribune in Corbin, Ky., and Jacksonville Daily Progress in Texas; Stanley Nelson and the Concordia Sentinel in Ferriday, La.; Jonathan and Susan Austin of the Yancey County News in North Carolina; the late Landon Wills of the McLean County News in Kentucky; the Trapp family of the Rio Grande Sun in northern New Mexico; Ivan Foley of the Platte County Landmark in northwestern Missouri; the Cullen family of the Storm Lake Times-Pilot in northwest Iowa; and Les Zaitz of the Malheur Enterprise in eastern Oregon. In 2019, the award went to three reporters whose outstanding careers revealed much about the coal industry in Central Appalachia: Howard Berkes of NPR; Ken Ward Jr., then with the Charleston Gazette-Mail; and his mentor at the Gazette, the late Paul Nyden. In 2020 the award went to the late Tim Crews of the Sacramento Valley Mirror; in 2021 to the Thompson-High family of The News Reporter and the Border Belt Independent in Whiteville, N.C.; in 2022 to Ellen Kreth and the Madison County Record of Huntsville, Ark.; and in 2023 to Craig Garnett of the Uvalde Leader-News in Texas.

Next week is Sunshine Week. Get ready to showcase how journalism works to preserve open government.

Sunshine Week begins this Sunday, March 10, with multiple ways to highlight how journalists support open government as watchdogs and First Amendment advocates. As Americans face another election cycle, it's an impactful time to remind all citizens that good reporting dynamically supports our democratic process.

Among Sunshine Week's tools, are a social media kit, logos, and timely promotions. If you are writing a news story, editorial or column about freedom of information, tips from the Society of Professional Journalists are also available.

The week's offerings include in-person and online events and activities, including a Sunshine kick-off by the Department of Justice and a panel discussion to raise awareness of Sunshine Laws sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Kansas City/Jackson-Clay-Platte Counties.

Sunshine Week was launched in 2005 by the American Society of News Editors, now the News Leaders Association. This year's events are supported by a growing list of partners, including Brechner Freedom of Information Project, Muckrock, the Society of Professional Journalists and the Radio Television Digital News Association.

Opinion: The closing of Washington news bureaus and cuts in reporting jobs hurt democracy and voters

Cameron Joseph

News bureaus in Washington were once hives of intelligence gathering for regional reporting as well as an important way to cover the actions of individual lawmakers for hometown audiences. Freelance reporter Cameron Joseph shares his perspective on last week's Los Angeles Times layoffs and what the loss of D.C. bureaus means for democracy and local news.

Last week, the Times laid off 115 people, more than 20 percent of its staff. "If those cuts went to the bone, in Washington, D.C., it was more like an amputation: nearly half of the bureau’s journalists were let go," Joseph writes. "I’m not just mourning for them. . . . . As the San Francisco Chronicle’s Shira Stein noted, these latest cuts leave just herself, two people from McClatchy, and the five people at the L.A. Times as the only journalists covering D.C. for California-based newspapers. That’s eight print reporters covering the entire federal government — for a state of thirty-nine million people."

But California still has it better than many other states. "Most states don’t have a single reporter covering Washington on the ground anymore," Joseph adds. "This is corrosive to democracy in many ways. . . .The most glaring problem is that lawmakers aren’t held to account. There’s no one to confront congressmen on a daily basis or make sure they’re not breaking the law. Local issues don’t get scrutinized. And with the exception of camera-hungry congressmen and national figures, most lawmakers barely get covered at all."

Most states no longer have reporters covering
Washington, D.C. (Photo by Noelle, Unsplash)

When only the loudest or most aggressive voices are the only ones heard, polarization intensifies. "Without local coverage, the only times most Americans hear about their representatives are from campaign ads or when they’re on national news talking about partisan issues," Joseph explains. "If the only way to gain attention (and raise money) is to talk about national issues on Fox News or MSNBC, why bother taking a political risk to cross the aisle and try to solve problems that actually matter to your district?"

It didn't used to be this way. "In the late 2000s, the New York Daily News, which then had a robust D.C. bureau, led the drumbeat to get healthcare and financial compensation for the first responders and victims of the 9/11 attacks," Joseph writes. "Members of Congress had to be publicly shamed for months by cancer-ridden and dying firemen, EMTs, and police before they eventually created the program. Most of the bill’s opponents were Republicans, but it got passed partly because members from the New York tri-state area from both parties, who fought hard for bipartisan support, got local recognition — and credit — from the Daily News."

"As I write this column, my former colleagues at the New York Daily News are in the midst of a twenty-four-hour walkout to protest the 'constant cuts and apparent commitment to shrinking the paper' of their current corporate overlords. There are barely 50 staff left," Joseph reports. "Since 2005, two-thirds of newspaper journalism roles have been wiped out. . . . A total of 130 local newspapers closed in 2023, according to a study by Northwestern University’s Medill Journalism School — an average of more than ten a month."

"But if the L.A. Times — the largest, most powerful paper not on the Eastern Seaboard — can’t maintain a serious presence in the nation’s capital, who can?"

When searching for different ways to teach college journalists, one teacher heads to the pool tables

Journalism student Hayden Smith takes a shot at the pool
tables. (Photo by Harrison Rich via The Conversation)

A novel venue with an unconventional instructional tool can be a different way to teach aspiring journalists. "I wanted to break up the monotony of having students sit at their computers and write news stories or listen to me lecture," writes Jamaal Abdul-Alim for the "Uncommon Courses" series from The Conversation, a journalism platform for academics. "So I figured I'd change the venue and try something more kinetic. I had been going to the TerpZone – a recreational area in the basement of the student union where I teach. . . . As I watched students shoot pool, I thought: It would be cool to hold at least one class meeting here."

Abdul-Alim, who teaches at the University of Maryland at College Park, wrote that students found that playing pool "gave them a visual way to understand what journalists do. One student found it helpful for players to 'step back and take a new look at the table before their turn' – a concept that easily applies to reporting a story. . . . 'Finding the right angle for an article requires taking a fresh look at the facts and quotes, the student wrote. . . . Another student said both journalism and shooting pool require patience. A different student touched on the benefits of remaining calm – whether as a journalist on deadline or when it's time to sink the eight ball to win the game."

Part of the pool lesson works to build journalistic integrity. "If pool – or any other game – can teach future journalists to be more thoughtful about how they pursue stories, perhaps it can lead to better coverage and help restore public confidence in what the media report," Abdul-Alim adds. "There are other reasons why an approach like this makes sense at this particular time. Students are under a lot of academic stress, which can affect their overall well-being. As many pool players will tell you, shooting pool can be a positive way to relieve stress. It also can help build self-esteem and improve concentration.

"Also, before we shot pool together, I rarely saw students socialize with one another so effortlessly. When we moved class to the pool hall, students socialized like never before. So it was a good team-building exercise. My only regret was not doing it sooner in the semester."

Gathering statehouse information challenges reporters; tips from other journalists can help

Getting all the facts can be frustrating for journalists.
(Library of Congress photo via SEJ)

Journalists often have to work hard to track down the facts for their stories. Even in statehouses where information ought to be accessible, sleuthing skills are needed to "pry open" doors, reports Erin Jordan of The Society of Environmental Journalists. "No matter the politics of your state, more legislative decisions — including those that affect the environment — seem to be happening behind closed doors. What's a good statehouse reporter to do? Here are some suggestions from a group of environment reporters who have grappled with this challenge."

Tracking big projects: Jeniffer Solis, energy and environment reporter for the Nevada Current/States Newsroom, has recent experience reporting on the Thacker Pass Lithium Mine in Humboldt County, Nevada. "The project, which sits on the largest-known lithium deposit in the United States and the third largest in the world, could be very lucrative for the state but still must clear regulatory hurdles that generate public records," Jordan reports. 'These projects do have to go through a lot of layers,' Solis says. 'So you can catch them before they get to the federal approval process if you are checking in on your local governments.'

"She recommends looking for water and air quality permits. Projects like these also might require a change in zoning, which often means you can get your hands on an application that includes a description of the project and contact information for the developer, among other details.

When states don't collect data: "Sometimes you need data that states don't track," Jordan writes. "If so, says Julie Cart, environment reporter for CalMatters, it might be because 'they don't want to know things.'. . . Whatever the reason for their lack of data tracking, Cart recommends looking at who has an economic interest in the project.

Pushing for authoritative information: "One of the most iron-clad sources for authoritative, nonbiased information at the state level is what's known in my state, Iowa, as the Legislative Services Agency," Jordan adds. "Your state may have a different name for this group, but it often has a requirement to put aside political beliefs to provide objective information to lawmakers. This frequently includes financial analyses of bills showing how much they would cost if implemented.

"In July 2020, I was so frustrated by a months-long wait to get information about a $50 million cloud computing contract the state had signed that I asked the governor about it at a state park centennial celebration. She apparently wasn't expecting any press at the event and started to walk away from me, saying 'No, no, no!' and waving her hand. It caused more of a stir than if she had just taken time to talk with me. . . . Within 30 minutes, though, her communications director called my cell and asked me exactly what records I needed. He sent them that afternoon. . . . Moral of the story? Sometimes, it helps to show up in person.

Finding comparison states: "We all know how helpful a good case study can be in helping readers understand the effects of new legislation. But don't limit yourself to examples from your state," Jones writes. "Environmental newsletters or digests — I like Midwest Energy News — can point you to related news stories from other states that include potential sources.

Who's behind this bill? "I recommend getting a list of lobbyists and all their clients. Iowa provides this online, but in other states, you may need to ask," Jones reports. "Solis suggests examining campaign donations. 'You can look at whether they got a donation from the company or entity connected to the bill they are trying to pass, she says. . . . I picked up another great idea I plan to use. If it's hard to tell who is driving a new bill in her statehouse, she Googles snippets of language from the bill to see if it pops up in bills from other states."

$2.25 million in new funding will increase statehouse reporting; awards are designed to 'fill gaps' in coverage

Wyoming Public Media received a CPB
statehouse reporting grant. (WPM logo)

Americans need fact-based statehouse coverage with consistent, insightful and informative reporting by well-trained journalists. But amid newspaper closings and journalist layoffs, that type of reporting is in short supply. To address staffing needs, the "Corporation for Public Broadcasting is providing $2.25 million to assist seven public media newsrooms and NPR with statehouse reporting," Tyler Faulk reports for Current. "The grant program responds to a 'drop in the overall number of full-time statehouse reporters across the country,' CPB said in a press release announcing the grants."

In the release, CPB President Patricia Harrison said the grants will “address an urgent need as we increase the number of journalists at public media stations reporting statehouse news and policy decisions. Their coverage will be made available to all citizens in those seven states.”

The two-year funding grants will go to:

• Alaska Public Media in Anchorage — $196,588 for a full-time, year-round state government reporter.
• Connecticut Public in Hartford — $217,775 for a full-time, year-round state government reporter.
• WHYY in Philadelphia — $300,000 to provide multimedia enterprise coverage of the state government in Delaware.
• Louisville Public Media in Kentucky — $294,727 to expand its state government news team to four journalists.
• KOSU in Stillwater, Okla. — $250,000 to add a full-time journalist to report on state government and public policy issues.
• Wyoming Public Media in Laramie — $360,999 to partner with Jackson Hole Community Radio in hiring a multi-platform journalist covering state government and a full-time digital content coordinator.
• KERA in Dallas — $250,000 to support one editor and one reporter focused on investigative reporting for the Texas Newsroom.
• NPR in Washington, D.C. — $380,577 to add a second state government editor who will work with station reporters to identify trends in legislation and governance across states and to provide training for state government reporters.
  
  The grants require the stations to "share their state government coverage with public media and other outlets across the state," Faulk reports. "In Connecticut, for example, the reporting will be shared with WSHU in Fairfield, Conn.; public media stations in the New England News Collaborative; Spanish-language news outlets; and the nonprofit digital news organization CT Mirror."
  
  "Recipients were chosen from 20 proposals and 'fill gaps' in state government coverage that were identified in CPB’s 2022 study of public media’s statehouse coverage."