First Fed Community Conversation, The Importance of Local Journalism

Field Hall Presents: First Fed Community Conversation, The Importance of Local Journalism
Tuesday, April 7th @ 6PM | Donna M. Morris Theater
Free event, please RSVP | Donations appreciated

The Importance of Local Journalism is an annual, thought‑provoking evening honoring the legacy of journalist John Brewer, whose work embodied the essential role of local reporting in a healthy democracy.

Moderated by Brown Maloney (Radio Pacific) and featuring Brier Dudley (Seattle Times), Lloyd Mullen (Port Townsend & Jefferson County Leader), and Amy Jeffries (KNKX Public Radio).

Introduced by Eran Kennedy (Sound Publishing).

This is a free event with general admission seating in the Donna M. Morris Theater. RSVP at fieldhallevents.org/tickets

CLICK HERE TO RSVP

LIVESTREAM AVAILABLE: tinyurl.com/comconjournalism

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MODERATOR: BROWN MALONEY, Radio Pacific
Brown M Maloney is the owner of Port Angeles based Radio Pacific which owns and operates KONP Radio, an ABC affiliate as well as two additional radio stations on the Olympic Peninsula.
He is the retired 23 year owner/publisher of the Sequim Gazette and Forks Forum.

Prior to weekly ownership, Maloney worked at daily newspapers in Anchorage AK, and Sacramento and Fresno, CA.

From 1988 to 2011, Maloney served as a board member for the Sacramento based McClatchy Company, a major daily newspaper company operating 32 daily newspapers in 14 states.
In addition, Maloney also served on the Seattle Times board of directors starting in 2006 for 15 years.

In service to the state newspaper industry, Maloney has served as president of the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association.

Maloney’s ownership of various newspapers and radio stations provides him with valuable insight into business strategy and industry challenges.

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PANELIST & SPEAKER: BRIER DUDLEY, Seattle Times
Brier Dudley is the Editor of the Save the Free Press initiative at The Seattle Times, a position he has held since January 2021. Mr. Dudley has been a member of The Seattle Times staff for over 23 years, during which time he has served in various capacities including editorial board member, columnist, and reporter. He currently leads the company’s efforts to report on the local journalism crisis and advocates for the sustainability of independent media.

Prior to his current appointment, Mr. Dudley spent five years as an editorial writer and opinion columnist, where he covered regional policy, business, and trade. From 2000 to 2014, he served as a technology columnist and senior reporter, chronicling the growth of major Pacific Northwest technology firms. His earlier professional experience includes reporting roles at the Tacoma News Tribune and the Yakima Herald-Republic, as well as a tenure with the Associated Press in Washington, D.C.

Mr. Dudley is a graduate of Whitman College and has completed fellowships at UC Berkeley’s Knight Digital Media Center and the East-West Center. His extensive experience across news, opinion, and advocacy provides him with unique insight into the evolving business models and industry challenges facing local newspapers.

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PANELIST & SPEAKER – AMY JEFFRIES, KNKX Public Radio
Amy Jeffries is the Assistant News Director at KNKX Public Radio, a position she has held since joining the station’s leadership team. In this role, she oversees daily news operations and investigative reporting, contributing to a newsroom that recently earned the 2024 national Edward R. Murrow Award for Overall Excellence.

Ms. Jeffries has extensive experience as a reporter, producer, and editor within the public radio system. Prior to her tenure at KNKX, she served as the Daily News Editor at WUNC in Chapel Hill, managing day-to-day coverage of regional politics and social issues. She was also a founding editor of the Kansas News Service, where she led collaborative reporting teams and managed the award-winning podcast My Fellow Kansans. Her earlier career includes serving as the News Director for WRKF in Baton Rouge and reporting for various outlets including Patch, GlobalPost, and the Associated Press.

She holds a B.A. in Philosophy from Wesleyan University and a Master of Journalism from the University of California, Berkeley. Her background in both traditional broadcast and digital-first platforms provides her with significant expertise in navigating the evolving landscape of public media and multi-platform storytelling.

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PANELIST & SPEAKER – LLOYD MULLEN, Port Townsend & Jefferson County Leader
Lloyd Mullen believes the newspaper industry is very much alive. Some of his first memories are riding in the back of a red wagon in Iowa, delivering newspapers alongside his brothers before sunrise.

A second-generation newspaper publisher, Mullen comes from a family recognized by the Smithsonian for its role in community journalism. Over the years, he has worked in nearly every part of the newspaper business, developing a broad, hands-on understanding of the industry.

He continues to write editorials and remains closely involved in the work of the newsroom, earning first place for Best Editorial in Category IV from the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association in both 2024 and 2025. He also maintains a strong interest in photography, where he first developed his connection to storytelling.

In 2016, at age 28, Mullen purchased the Port Townsend Leader, becoming the youngest newspaper publisher in Washington State history. He was later named to Editor & Publisher’s “25 Under 35” list, recognizing emerging leaders in the industry.

Today, he lives in Port Townsend, Washington, with his wife and young son and owns 10 newspapers across Washington, Nebraska, Kansas, and Colorado, along with two printing presses.

Mullen remains optimistic about the future of community journalism. The Port Townsend Leader has increased revenue by 20 percent annually over the past three years, reinforcing his belief in the importance of local ownership and strong local news.

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INTRODUCTION – ERAN KENNEDY, Sound Publishing
Eran Kennedy has been a media professional for nearly 40 years. After joining Sound Publishing in 2018, she initially served as advertising director and was later promoted to regional publisher of the Peninsula Daily News, Sequim Gazette and Forks Forum in 2023.

A graduate of the British Columbia Institute of Technology, Eran began her career in Vancouver, B.C., with Elty Publications/VanPress, where she rose to Operations Supervisor, securing home delivery for over 500,000 weekly newspapers across Vancouver’s lower mainland. In 1999, she was appointed general manager of Black Press Media’s North Shore Real Estate Weekly. Later, she moved to Hawaii when the company purchased the Honolulu Star-Advertiser and MidWeek Publications.

Eran’s leadership style sparks innovation and is rooted in service and creating community. She takes pride in community service and has served on nonprofit boards, including the Dale Turner YMCA and Horizon School Board. She is currently the immediate past president of the Sequim-Dungeness Valley Chamber of Commerce board of directors and a board member of the Clallam County Economic Development Council.

A North Olympic Peninsula resident for the past 10 years, Eran is married to a retired Coast Guard chief petty officer and is the mother of two active teenagers. She is dedicated to keeping the community informed and engaged with local news, ensuring that residents stay connected to the events and issues that matter to them most.