Benjy Hamm
Associate Professor and Director of the Institute for Rural Journalism, University of Kentucky
Center for Community News
BIO
2025 CCN Champion
Banjy Hamm is director of the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, which helps rural news media define the public agenda in their communities and report on broader issues that have local impact but few local sources. The Institute is based in the University of Kentucky鈥檚 School of Journalism and Media, where Hamm is an associate professor in the Extension Title series, meaning that most of his work is directed off campus.
Hamm held leadership positions for nearly 30 years in news-media organizations including Landmark Media Enterprises, the New York Times Co. and The Associated Press. He led the news operations of more than 70 newspapers, online sites and college-sports publications for Landmark Community Newspapers of Shelbyville, Ky., one of the nation鈥檚 leading community-news publishers before it was sold in 2021. He was managing editor of The Herald-Journal, then an NYT paper in Spartanburg, S.C.; editor of the thrice-weekly Lancaster News in South Carolina, and an AP reporter and editor. He has a master鈥檚 degree in mass communications from the University of South Carolina and is also a graduate of Catawba College. He is a native of Salisbury, N.C. and taught journalism at Campbellsville University in Kentucky before coming to UK.
Bio
2025 CCN Champion
Banjy Hamm is director of the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, which helps rural news media define the public agenda in their communities and report on broader issues that have local impact but few local sources. The Institute is based in the University of Kentucky鈥檚 School of Journalism and Media, where Hamm is an associate professor in the Extension Title series, meaning that most of his work is directed off campus.
Hamm held leadership positions for nearly 30 years in news-media organizations including Landmark Media Enterprises, the New York Times Co. and The Associated Press. He led the news operations of more than 70 newspapers, online sites and college-sports publications for Landmark Community Newspapers of Shelbyville, Ky., one of the nation鈥檚 leading community-news publishers before it was sold in 2021. He was managing editor of The Herald-Journal, then an NYT paper in Spartanburg, S.C.; editor of the thrice-weekly Lancaster News in South Carolina, and an AP reporter and editor. He has a master鈥檚 degree in mass communications from the University of South Carolina and is also a graduate of Catawba College. He is a native of Salisbury, N.C. and taught journalism at Campbellsville University in Kentucky before coming to UK.