Larry Foley to Deliver 2026 Roy Reed Lecture

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Larry Foley, Emmy Award-winning documentary filmmaker and retiring journalism professor, will deliver the 2026 Roy Reed Lecture at 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 8, at the Janelle Y. Hembree Alumni House. The event, hosted by the Lemke Journalism Alumni Society and the School of Journalism and Strategic Media, is free and open to students, faculty and the community.

A 1976 graduate of the U of A, Foley joined the journalism faculty in 1993 following 17 years as a TV reporter, producer and public TV executive. He served as chair of School of Journalism and Strategic Media from 2014-2023 during a time of record student growth and a multi-million-dollar infusion in new state-of-the-art facilities.

His lecture, "The Truth Matters," will be accompanied by tributes from former students and colleagues including Bo Morrison, vice president of the Lemke Journalism Alumni Society; Chuck Carney, senior director of university communications at Carnegie Mellon University; Erron Smith, associate counsel for Walton Enterprises; and James L. "Skip" Rutherford, dean emeritus for the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service. The evening will also include audience Q&A moderated by senor journalism major Jax Crall and an announcement from Fulbright College Dean Brian Raines.

Foley has been inducted into the Lemke Journalism Hall of Honor, the Fayetteville Schools Hall of Honor and the Mid America Emmy Silver Circle for a distinguished career invested in teaching, reporting, writing, producing and directing stories, mostly about his beloved home state of Arkansas.

His documentary films have earned eight Mid America Emmys and 24 Emmy nominations in writing, journalistic enterprise, history, cultural history, special program and community service. His films have also received four Best of Festival of Media Arts awards from the international Broadcast Education Association. They can be found on Tubi, Amazon Prime, and Pluto TV.

The Roy Reed Lecture Series invites noteworthy media professionals to discuss their careers and issues in their professions. The lecture was created by the School of Journalism and Strategic Media in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences to honor Roy Reed (1930-2017), a professor of journalism who reported for The New York Times from 1965 to 1978. The lecture is held in conjunction with school's annual J-Days celebration.

About the Roy Reed Lecture Series: The Roy Reed Lecture Series is the featured event for the school's annual J-Days celebration. The series was created by friends of Reed when he retired from the journalism faculty. Roy Reed (1930-2017) was a reporter for The New York Times (1965-1978), where he wrote more than 1,300 bylined articles. He taught journalism at the U of A for 16 years.

About J-Days: The School of Journalism and Strategic Media hosts its annual J- Days celebration in April. The week includes a scholarship reception, the Roy Reed lecture series and other events. SJSM faculty also host journalists and media professionals as guest speakers throughout the week. Many J-Days events are planned in conjunction with the Lemke Journalism Alumni Society.