The KNF Trustees will meet to discuss KNF business.Haven Room
The KPA Board will meet to discuss KPA business.Haven RoomLunch served: Chef salad with one dozen cookies
Join us as we tour Strataca, the Kansas Underground Salt Museum, where adventure and exploration meet history and mining. Since opening our doors in 2007, we have become a premier destination for those seeking a unique and captivating experience deep beneath the surface of HutchinsonStrataca offers an unparalleled journey into the depths of an active salt mine that has been operational since the 1920s. Tours provide a fascinating glimpse into the history and geology of salt mining, revealing stories that are as rich and layered as the salt beds themselves. As you descend 650 feet underground, you will embark on an adventure that traverses time, showcasing the evolution of mining techniques and the significance of salt in our everyday lives.
Join us at Salt City Brewery for a KPA dinner with your colleagues. Costs are on your own but we promise good food and conversation.Salt City Brewing Company514 N Main St, Hutchinson, KS 67501
Join your colleagues for Game Night while Waiting on the Presses. Trivia, Would You Rather, and Bingo will be on the agenda. Have a drink (alcoholic or not) on us!Haven RoomSnacks served: Chips with salsa and queso. Charcuterie boardHost bar (only until 11 p.m.!)
Join us as we address KPA business and discuss the 2026 legislative session.Apollo IBreakfast BuffetFluffy scrambled eggs, seasoned potatoes, pastries, bacon and fruit.
This is a small/large group sharing session to discuss public notices and trends. Andy Taylor of the Montgomery County Chronicle will discuss processes, his work on the Kansas Judicial Council Subcommittee on Public Notices and public notice best practices.Apollo I
Join Earn Your Press Pass creators Joey and Lindsey Young as they introduce their experience with revenue generation. We will also introduce the first Earn Your Press Pass Academy. This first cohort is for new journalists or owners who want to blend in-person meetups with online learning. This program will be sponsored, in part, by the Kansas Newspaper Foundation and organized with support by the Kansas Press Association.Apollo I
Join Walt Potter to hear about you can get a Potter Digital Ambassador at your publication in 2027. Mr. Potter will also present a new tool for journalists and publishers - the Media Help Desk.Apollo I
Much of the conversation around news deserts has focused on what can be counted — the presence or absence of local news organizations, often measured by county lines and framed through a supply-side lens. By these metrics, we can identify where news exists — or doesn’t. But these top-down approaches tell only part of the story. They measure availability, not relevance. In his upcoming book Deserted, Dr. Mathews challenges this conventional understanding by shifting the focus to the people who matter most, audience members. Drawing on in-depth interviews, the book introduces the concept of the “lived news desert” — places where residents feel a profound absence of local news even in the presence of a local news organization. These communities express not just loss, but acceptance, mourning and, at times, defiance toward journalism that no longer feels local. At the heart of this discussion is a critical question: Even where news exists, do our audiences feel served? Dr. Mathews will share insights from Deserted, exploring how perceptions of abandonment, corporatization and weakened community relationships shape how audiences understand and value local news — and, ultimately, what lessons can journalists draw about rebuilding meaningful relationships with the communities they aim to serve?Apollo I
The Center for Integrity in News Reporting is dedicated to recognizing and awarding excellence in journalism that embodies impartiality, objectivity, and fairness. The mission is to restore and maintain public trust in news reporting. CFINR seeks to honor those who demonstrate these core values in their reporting.CFINR envisions a future in which news reporting is universally trusted and journalists are celebrated for their commitment to truth and integrity.The mission is simple but ambitious: to promote less bias in news reporting and rebuild public trust in the media.Join Rufus Friday, executive director of the Center for Integrity in News Reporting, as he discusses the need for public trust in news reporting and how we can all take steps to restore it in our communities and across generations.Lunch Menu: Sandwich Deli Bar Buffet with House made chips and fresh baked cookies.Apollo I
Our country is more divided than ever, with too many of us isolated from those who hold different views. This division damages our communities, disrupts our families, and stops us from working together for the common good.Braver Angels believes our nation can survive and thrive for every American who contributes to the effort. Where we go from here is up to us.Join us for a structured debate on the following resolution: "Journalists need a digital personality to stay relevant."Several volunteer speakers will be asked to offer brief opening remarks on both sides of the issue, followed by moderated questions. Several more attendees will be allowed to speak extemporaneously for or against the resolution. While called debates, the Braver Angels format will invite convention attendees to think together, challenging assumptions, and gaining a deeper understanding of differing perspectives shaping journalism today.The Kansas Leadership Center has used this format to foster productive dialogue on topics such as birthright citizenship, housing in Lawrence and a recent Wichita sales tax question. Most participants leave saying they wish they had more experiences like this.Chris Green and Dani Gaines of The Journal will model how these crucial conversations are conducted and make the case for why your publication can (and should) play a pivotal role in healing communities.Apollo I
Break Time with popcorn, M&M's, pretzels, chocolate chips, and popcorn seasonings.
Dr. Teri Finneman's first revenue cohort will meet during this time. By invitation only.
Ever wanted to have a media law attorney answer all of your questions for free? Now is your chance. Bring Max all of your questions on all things media and transparency.Haven Room
Join Mr. Friday as he walks you through how to create your own statement of Core Journalistic Values to help readers understand your publication's processes.Buhler Room
Join Earl Watt as he explains how he got into broadcasting and other mediums to expand his newspaper business and coverage with a small budget and even smaller staff.Haven Room
Your favorite session is back! Join your colleagues as they discuss ad revenue ideas and new revenue streams. Be prepared to share your ideas!Buhler Room
Join us as we celebrate all of the hard work done in 2025. Dinner will be served.Apollo IDinner Menu: Pasta Bar with Marinara and Alfredo sauceSliced Grilled Chicken and Italian MeatballsRoasted Veggie Medley, Garlic Bread and Brownies
Rufus Friday, President and Publisher of the Lexington HeraldLeader in Lexington, Kentucky, from 2011 to 2018, joined the Center for Integrity in News Reporting (CFINR) as the Executive Director, effective December 30, 2024.
Friday brings decades of experience in publishing and leadership to this vital role. He also previously served as President and Publisher of the Tri-City Herald in Kennewick, Washington, from 2005 to 2011.
Friday began his career in circulation at the Raleigh (NC) News & Observer, in 1984, rising to become Vice President of Circulation there from 2003 to 2005. His media career also includes executive leadership roles at newspapers in Montgomery, Alabama; Rockford, Illinois; and Jackson, Tennessee.
He holds a B.A. in Business Management and Economics from North Carolina State University and an Honorary Doctor of Laws from the University of the Cumberlands.
Friday’s commitment to service extends beyond the news media. He currently serves as Chair of the Stars and Stripes newspaper publisher national advisory board of directors, the Muhammad Ali Center board, a board of trustee of the University of the Cumberlands, and the University of Kentucky's College of Communication and Information Dean’s Advisory Council. He also serves on the Southern Newspaper Publishers Association Foundation board.
Friday and his wife Melody have one daughter, Chanel, and currently reside outside Lexington, Kentucky.
Dr. Mathews is an assistant professor in the School of Journalism at the University of Missouri. His research interests focus on local news, journalism studies, rural media environments, rural broadband, news audiences, news deserts, social media and its role in journalism and society and the value of news in everyday life.
Dr. Mathew's co-authored book — titled “Reviving Rural News: Transforming the Business Model of Community Journalism in the U.S. and Beyond” — was published by Routledge in February 2024. His solo-authored book — titled “Deserted: How Rural Residents are Living with the Loss of Local Journalism” — has received an advance contract from the University of Illinois Press.
Dr. Mathews has had research published in peer-reviewed journals such as New Media & Society, Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, Digital Journalism, Mass Communication and Society, Journalism, Journalism Studies, Journalism Practice and Journal of Communication Inquiry.
Previously, Dr. Mathews worked in the journalism industry for more than 20 years, including time as a senior editor at the Houston Chronicle and as a regional editor-in-chief in Central Virginia.
Max Kautsch, licensed to practice law in both Kansas and Nebraska, focuses his practice on First Amendment rights and open government law. He helps news media and members of the public assert rights of access to court proceedings, court records, and government agency documents. He serves as the legal hotline attorney for the Kansas Press Association and the Kansas Association of Broadcasters, is president of the Kansas Coalition for Open Government, and is an adjunct professor at the University Kansas School of Law. Kautsch is also hotline counsel to both the Nebraska Press Association and the Nebraska Broadcasters Association.
Kautsch, a Lawrence native, received his law degree from the Washburn University School of Law in 2003, after earning an undergraduate degree in 2000 with honors in English Literature from the University of Kansas. He has been a licensed member of the Kansas bar since 2003, and has been admitted to practice in the state and federal courts of Kansas. His previous areas of practice included criminal defense and landlord/tenant law.
Earl Watt is the owner of the Leader & Times in Liberal. Watt has been involved with the newspaper industry since throwing papers in grade school in the early 1980s and working at the newspaper since 1991. Watt attended Seward County Community College and finished his education through the extended learning program at Kansas Newman College with a Bachelor's in Social Sciences Secondary Education.
Watt was born in Liberal and is a fifth generation Seward County resident. Watt has witnessed the transition of the Southwest Kansas economy from oil and gas production to beef and value added agricultural production. He has worked with local organizations to increase tourism, protect and expand highway infrastructure, and advocates for enhanced learning opportunities in Southwest Kansas. Watt became publisher in 1999 and started his own paper in 2008, buying out the corporately owned newspaper in 2010.
In 2010, Walt Potter established the Missouri School of Journalism’s Walter B. Potter Fund for Innovation in Local Journalism. The endowment supports teaching and research centered on journalism that serves small communities, such as towns in rural areas or individual neighborhoods in larger urban areas. Potter says his gift is in honor of his late father, Walter Sr., and is motivated by his career as a journalist as well as his positive experiences as a graduate student at the Missouri School of Journalism.
A love of storytelling propelled Chris Green into a career in writing and journalism. Now, he translates that passion into his work for the Kansas Leadership Center as civic information officer and executive editor of The Journal, the KLC’s quarterly magazine. A native Kansan and graduate of Baker University in Baldwin City, Chris also earned a master’s degree in international politics from Scotland’s University of Edinburgh. He and his wife, Sarah, enjoy exploring both inside and well beyond Kansas and have begun a quest to visit all 50 U.S. state capitols. They are the parents of a son, Calvin, born in 2018.
Full registration includes access to all sessions, including the AOE Celebration Dinner. This does NOT include the Strataca: Kansas Underground Salt Mine tour.
This registration option includes the AOE Celebration Dinner only.
This registration is for current college or high school students only.
This ticket is for the KNF Trustee Breakfast ONLY. If you are a trustee and have registered at the full convention rate, this breakfast is included.
Strataca: Kansas Underground Salt Museum Tour (3 p.m. on Thursday, June 4)
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Your generosity will go towards the Kansas Newspaper Foundation's Fund for Excellence which helps provide training for member publications.
