Free statehouse news stories available starting Thursday

Posted January 21, 2015

LAWRENCE — Every member of the Kansas Press Association will have access to free news coverage of the Kansas Legislature beginning Thursday.

Last year, University of Kansas journalism students supplied nearly 100 stories to the KU Statehouse Wire Service.

In the 2015 legislative session, KPA will assist in expanding the wire service’s reach, thanks to a grant from the Kansas Newspaper Foundation.

“Our members have indicated they need more content from the legislative session,” said Doug Anstaett, KPA executive director. “This partnership with KU will ensure at least a portion of that need is met.”


KPA is making the stories available to its 230 member newspapers, and KNF has committed $5,000 in cash awards for students who excel in covering the Kansas Legislature.

“The purpose of the class is to provide KU journalism students a professional reporting experience,” said Scott Reinardy, KU associate professor in the William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications and the Statehouse Reporting class instructor. “The Kansas Press Association’s commitment to that purpose raises the professional standard for the students, and enhances legislative coverage for its member newspapers.”

The Statehouse Reporting class began in 2012 when a dozen students worked in collaboration with professional reporters at the Kansas Statehouse. The student reporters were assigned a mentor from the Lawrence Journal-World, Topeka Capital-Journal, Wichita Eagle or Kansas City Star, and were required to publish at least twice a week.

“We truly appreciate the opportunity KPA is providing to the students,” Reinardy said. “As I always tell the students, ‘If you can cover a Statehouse, you can cover anything.’”

Reinardy or one of his students will edit the stories before they are distributed.

Here's how to access the stories:

The website is: https://wire.journalism.ku.edu/login.php?url=%2F&nocookies=true

KPA members can use this sign-in:

Username: kuwire

Password: kuwire

Students also will be tweeting from: https://twitter.com/kuwire