Professional News

10 to be Inducted Into Kentucky Journalism Hall of Fame May 4

Class of 2021 Kentucky Journalism Hall of Fame
Class of 2021 Kentucky Journalism Hall of Fame

LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 8, 2021) — Ten journalists with careers that covered some of the biggest stories of the late 20th and early 21st centuries make up the 41st class of the Kentucky Journalism Hall of Fame.

This year’s induction ceremony will be held online May 4.

This year’s 10 inductees are:

  • Michael Collins, who covers economic issues and the White House for USA Today;
  • the late Bill Cox, who served as an editor at The Honolulu Star-Bulletin and The Courier-Journal;
  • Monica Dias, senior counsel for content and intellectual property at The E.W. Scripps Co. and former reporter for The Cincinnati Post/The Kentucky Post;
  • John Lansing, president and CEO of National Public Radio and former managing editor at WAVE-3;
  • Keith Lawrence, longtime reporter and columnist with the Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer;
  • the late Chuck Olmstead, who was a longtime reporter with WHAS-11;
  • the late Bill Powell, who was a reporter for the Paducah Sun;
  • Keith Runyon, former editorial page editor of The Courier-Journal and editorial writer of the Louisville Times;
  • Pam Spaulding, former photographer of The Courier-Journal; and
  • Melissa Swan, former reporter and anchor for WHAS-11.

Created by the University of Kentucky Journalism Alumni Association in 1981, the Kentucky Journalism Hall of Fame honors achieving journalists who are Kentucky natives or have spent a significant portion of their careers working for Kentucky media organizations. More than 200 individuals, both with and without formal ties to UK, have been inducted into the hall of fame.

The 2021 induction ceremony will be held May 4 at 5 p.m. ET online at http://ci.uky.edu/jam/hall-of-fame. For more information, contact UK School of Journalism and Media Project Manager John Cruz at john.cruz@uky.edu or 859-257-3904.

As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.   

In 2022, UK was ranked by Forbes as one of the “Best Employers for New Grads” and named a “Diversity Champion” by INSIGHT into Diversity, a testament to our commitment to advance Kentucky and create a community of belonging for everyone. While our mission looks different in many ways than it did in 1865, the vision of service to our Commonwealth and the world remains the same. We are the University for Kentucky.