THE HAYS PRESS-ENTERPRISE LECTURE SERIES

Celebrating excellence in journalism and featuring leading thinkers in media and communications, the Hays Press-Enterprise Lecture has been presented by The Press-Enterprise and UCR annually since 1966. It was first established by the late Howard H “Tim” Hays, then editor of The Press-Enterprise. Following the sale of the paper in 1997, his son Tom Hays endowed the lectureship and the Hays name was proudly added to the series in honor of Tim Hays.

2023 - Kevin Merida, Executive Editor, Los Angeles Times

2022 - Soledad O'Brien, Host, "Matter of Fact"

2021 - Nikole-Hannah Jones, Journalist, The New York Times 

2020 - David Leonhardt, Op-Ed Columnist, The New York Times

2019 - Maria Hinojosa, Anchor and Executive Producer, "Latino USA" and "America By The Numbers with Maria Hinojosa"

2018 - Frank Bruni, Journalist, The New York Times

2017 - Bill Keller, Editor-in-Chief, The Marshall Project

2015 - Martin Baron, Executive Editor, The Washington Post

2014 - Ray Suarez, Host of "Inside Story," Al Jazeera

2013 - Davan Maharaj, Editor and Executive VP, Los Angeles Times Media Group

2012 - Geneva Overholser, Director, USC Annenberg’s School of Journalism

2011 - Jonathan Gold, Pulitzer Prize-Winning Food Critic, LA Weekly

2010 - Lawrence Wright, Author, Screenwriter, Playwright, Staff Writer, The New Yorker magazine

2009 - Walter Isaacson, President and CEO, The Aspen Institute

2008 - Frank A. Bennack, Jr. Vice Chairman, Hearst Corp.

2006 - Karen House, Retired Publisher, The Wall Street Journal

2004 - Tom Curley, President/CEO, The Associated Press

2002 - Gail Collins, Editorial Page Editor, The New York Times

2001 - Bill Kovach, Chairman, Committee for Concerned Journalists

2000 - Clarence Page, Columnist, Chicago Tribune

1999 - Gregory Favre, Vice President/News, The McClatchy Co.

1998 - Tom Winship, Former Editor, The Boston Globe

1997 - Benjamin Bradlee, Vice President, The Washington Post

1996 - Gene Roberts, Managing Editor, The New York Times

1995 - William F. Woo, Editor, St. Louis Post Dispatch

1994 - Tom Johnson, President, Cable News Network

1993 - C. Shelby Coffey, III Editor & Executive Vice President, Los Angeles Times

1992 - Geneva Overholser, Editor, The Des Moines Register

1991 - David Broder, Columnist & Political Correspondent, The Washington Post

1990 - Everette E. Dennis, Executive Director, Gannett Center/Media Studies

1989 - James K. Batten, President/CEO, Knight Ridder, Inc.

1988 - C.K. McClatchy, Editor & Chairman, McClatchy Newspapers

1987 - Vermont Royster, Editor Emeritus, The Wall Street Journal

1986 - Donald Trelford, Editor, The Observer of London

1985 - Louis D. Boccardi, President & General Manager, The Associated Press

1984 - Donald E. Graham, Publisher, The Washington Post

1983 - Eugene C. Patterson, Editor and President, St. Petersburg Times

1982 - Cushrow R. Irani, Chairman, The International Press Institute

1981 - Richard S. Salant, Vice Chairman, Board of Directors of NBC

1980 - Norman E. Isaacs, Chairman, The National News Council

1979 - John Hughes, Editor, The Christian Science Monitor

1978 - George F. Will, Syndicated Columnist

1977 - Richard C. Wald, President, NBC News

1976 - Warren H. Phillips, President, Dow Jones & Co.

1975 - James Reston, Columnist, The New York Times

1974 - Elie Abel Dean, Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism

1973 - Katharine Graham, President, The Washington Post Company

1972 - Tom Wicker, Associate Editor & Columnist, The New York Times

1971 - Howard K. Smith, Commentator, ABC News

1970 - Osborn Elliott, Editor-in-Chief, Newsweek

1969 - Sir Denis Hamilton, Editor-in-Chief & Chief Executive, Times Newspapers Ltd. London

1968 - Wes Gallagher, General Manager, The Associated Press

1967 - John B. Oakes, Editorial Page Editor, The New York Times

1966 - Louis M. Lyons, Retired Curator, Nieman Foundation, Harvard University