Opinionated
Kansas Journalists Who Proved Why Commentary Matters—Then and Now
$83.44
- Hardcover
208 pages
- Release Date
29 September 2026
Summary
A nationally acclaimed opinion editor provides a winsome and eye-opening tour through the golden age of Kansas journalism, proving why local newspapers and incisive commentary are indispensable for an informed public.
William Allen White famously asked, “What’s the matter with Kansas?” But he was not the only local journalist raising important questions about the future of the Sunflower State and the nation—not by a long shot.
White lived during the golden age…
Book Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780700643059 |
|---|---|
| ISBN-10: | 0700643052 |
| Author: | Clay Wirestone |
| Publisher: | University Press of Kansas |
| Imprint: | University Press of Kansas |
| Format: | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages: | 208 |
| Release Date: | 29 September 2026 |
| Dimensions: | 152mm x 229mm |
You Can Find This Book In
Critics Review
“It shouldn’t be surprising that a state forged by the Civil War would foster a tradition of provocative editorial voices. In the lively Opinionated, Clay Wirestone profiles a dozen of them, from Angelo Scott of The Iola Register to Emanuel Haldeman-Julius of The American Freeman in Girard. Their topics are often not the ponderous issues of Washington but more the concerns of community. Should voters support a levy to encourage more industries in Iola? (Yes, Scott wrote, and it passed.) Should the working people of Girard embrace socialism? (Yes, Haldeman-Julius insisted, to less success.) Or as William Allen White famously asked in The Emporia Gazette, ‘What’s the Matter with Kansas?’ Their ranks have sharply dwindled amid the news industry’s pressures today, but Wirestone persuasively argues that the need for courageous commentary hasn’t diminished. Consider one of the closing chapters about the late Bill Meyer of The Marion County Record. The offices of the newspaper, now run by his son, were raided by police in an act of political retribution in 2023.“—Susan Page is the Washington Bureau chief of USA TODAY, the author of The Queen and Her Presidents: The Hidden Hand That Shaped History, and a fourth-generation Kansan
Clay Wirestone
Clay Wirestone is opinion editor at Kansas Reflector. A native Kansan, he attended the William Allen White School of Journalism at the University of Kansas. His writing has appeared in PolitiFact, The Topeka Capital-Journal, Concord Monitor (N.H.), and Mental Floss. He has been published by more than 200 outlets in 30 states.
Returns
This item is eligible for free returns within 30 days of delivery. See our returns policy for further details.