Johnston to be honored by Indiana Journalism Hall of Fame
Media School professor of practice and founding Director of the Michael I. Arnolt Center for Investigative Journalism Kathleen Johnston, BA’82, has been named as one of the honorees of the Indiana Journalism Hall of Fame this year. Along with five other recipients, she will become part of the 200-member team of the IJHF since its foundation in 1966.
“You don’t get this kind of recognition in a vacuum,” said Johnston. “It’s the result of tremendous support and encouragement from mentors, friends and colleagues, in particular my Indianapolis print and broadcast partner, Gerry Lanosga.”
“I am also grateful for the many people throughout my career who let me tell their stories — sometimes at great personal risk to them. I have never taken that privilege for granted and have done my best to tell their stories with dignity, respect, and fairness.”
“I could not have done any of this work without the support of my biggest cheerleaders, my family, who always encouraged me to follow my dreams,” she added.
Her career as an investigative news reporter and editor started at the Indianapolis News, after which she joined WTHR-TV in Indianapolis as a producer.
She later became an investigative producer at CNN winning numerous national and regional awards, including Emmy, Peabody, DuPont, and Murrow awards. In 2015, Johnston became the sole investigative producer at CBS News in Washington. Johnston received the Media School Distinguished Alumni Award in 2017, and another 2025 IJHF recipient, Monte Hayes, BA’66, was recognized in 2021.
Johnston now leads the Arnolt Center, a nonprofit, nonpartisan center based in The Media School that conducts multimedia investigative reporting on issues of importance to the residents of Indiana.
The IJHF induction banquet is at 11 a.m. Oct. 4 in the Reilly Room of Butler University’s Atherton Union, Indianapolis.