Peter Baniak, a veteran journalist and news executive with more than 30 years of experience in Kentucky, will join the University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media Jan. 1 as the School’s inaugural Al Cross Faculty Fellow and Visiting Professional.
The Al Cross Fellowship was established in 2024 to support faculty members working to strengthen public affairs journalism through teaching, research, service and outreach.
“I’m thrilled to join the outstanding School of Journalism and Media faculty,” Baniak said. “I’m especially honored to be moving into a role that carries the name of Al Cross, one of the titans of Kentucky journalism and one of my own journalism role models.”
Baniak, inducted into the Kentucky Journalism Hall of Fame in 2024, served as executive editor of the Lexington Herald-Leader for nearly 15 years.
