From reporting on WKU administration to managing professional investigative journalists, Fred Lucas reflected on his time at WKU, attributing the lessons he learned from the Herald to his work today.
Lucas now works as the investigative reporting project manager for the Daily Signal.
Before that, though, Lucas attended WKU from 1995 to 1999 where he majored in journalism with a minor in government.
He joined the Herald in the fall of his first year. Throughout his tenure, he worked as a general assignment reporter, SGA reporter, administration reporter, faculty senate reporter, opinion editor, special projects editor and managing editor.
Lucas shared he most enjoyed working as an opinion editor and editorial writer. The editorials he wrote at the Herald received multiple awards and impacted the university, he said.
In 1988, Lucas wrote an editorial calling for WKU to fire the men’s basketball coach, Matt Kilcullen. A few days after the piece was published, Kilcullen was fired.
As Lucas recalled, “Non-Herald students were saying to me and other colleagues things like, ‘The Herald said he should be fired, and boom, he was gone.’”
Lucas acknowledged that after a few losing seasons, the university was likely already considering hiring a new coach. Nevertheless, the well-timed editorial swayed the campus community and created a powerful image of the Herald’s capability.
“I definitely learned more from the Herald than any classroom,” Lucas said. “That’s not a slight against great journalism faculty. But journalism –through college newspapers –is among just a handful of majors where students can learn by doing as opposed to just learning.”
The Herald introduced Lucas to open meetings and records laws, tools he often uses in his work now.
“Today, I would say almost half the stories I write are based on information gained from FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) requests,” Lucas said.
In reflecting on his time reporting at WKU, Lucas highlighted the differences from the Herald in the 90s to the Herald of today. Most notably, the transition from print to web. Before the website, e-newsletter and news magazine, the Herald published a black-and-white newspaper twice a week.
“Also, notably, when I was there the Herald was located in Garrett, which I’m just seeing was torn down a few years ago,” Lucas said.
Since leaving WKU, Lucas has worked at seven papers spanning four states. Lucas maintained a focus on covering government activities across his employment journey.
“Whether from my time as the SGA reporter or covering the administration, I learned the strong principle of the press’s role as a government watchdog,” Lucas said.
Post graduation, Lucas was employed in Iowa, Kentucky, Connecticut and Washington D.C. While living in New England, Lucas earned his master’s degree in journalism from Columbia Journalism School in New York City.
From 2013 to 2016, he began as the White House correspondent for “TheBlaze.” Lucas continued his work as a White House correspondent with The Daily Signal, where he is currently employed.
Lucas has written four books: “The Right Frequency,” “Tainted by Suspicion,” “Abuse of Power” and “The Myth of Voter Suppression.”
News Reporter Natalie Freidhof can be reached at natalie.freidhof407@topper.wku.edu.
This piece is number 7/100 of Herald 100, a project to celebrate a century of the College Heights Herald. To see more from this project, click here.
Do you have a story idea, memory or archival photo you would like to share for Herald 100? Share it with us at herald.editor@wku.edu.
If you would like to submit a reaction to this story, a Letter to the Editor or other submission, please send it to herald.opinion@wku.edu or to wkuheraldeic@gmail.com.
