September 10, 1999
LAWRENCE -- Timothy M. Kelly, publisher of the Lexington (Ky.) Herald-Leader, has been named winner of the 1999 Ida B. Wells Award for outstanding achievement in the hiring of minorities in the news media.
Wells award curator Samuel L. Adams of the University of Kansas said the findings of the Wells jury show that the Lexington Herald-Leader, under Kelly's leadership, has been outstanding in recruiting, training and retaining a high-quality multiracial and gender-inclusive staff. The jury includes members of the public and representatives from two groups that sponsor the award, the National Conference of Editorial Writers and the National Association of Black Journalists.
KU's William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications is also a sponsor. Under Kelly's leadership, Adams said, the Lexington Herald-Leader's minority work force has grown from less than 5 percent to 12.7 percent.
Kelly will receive the award at the convention of the National Conference of Editorial Writers Sept. 18 in Denver.
The Wells award is the only one of its kind honoring people for exemplary achievement in advancing the hiring and promoting of minorities in the news media. The award recipient receives a plaque and a bust of Wells created by KU sculptor Elden C. Tefft.
This is the 17th year the Wells award has been presented. Prior winners include:
Ida B. Wells was a pioneer black publisher and anti-lynching crusader during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The annual presentation of the Wells award alternates between the conventions of the sponsoring organizations.
Contact: Todd Cohen, (785) 864-8858 or tcohen@ukans.edu.