Kevin Smith

Kevin Z. Smith serves as Deputy Director of the Kiplinger Program in Public Affairs Journalism at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. As the functional administrator for the program, he is responsible for developing and carrying out a wide array of professional training opportunities for journalists worldwide.
Smith has been a longtime leader in the Society of Professional Journalists, serving as it national president, 2009-10. He has served as chairman of the national group's Ethics Committee for six of the 23 years he’s been on the committee. He has been chair since 2010. He writes an ethics column for Quill magazine, published by SPJ, as well as regular blog posts. His ethical advice is shared with more than 300 journalists each year who call the SPJ Ethics Hotline and he has lectured on ethics and press rights on nearly two dozens college campuses. He is a contributing author to three media ethics books.
Smith has also worked within SPJ to promote government transparency, reporter protection shield laws, digital media transformation, media leadership and international outreach. Smith has spoken at international journalism conferences in Korea, Taiwan and Quatar.
He worked as a college professor teaching journalism reporting, editing and photography skills as well as theory courses including ethics, media law and mass communication principles from 1992-2013. He was on the faculty at the University of Dayton, James Madison University, Fairmont State University, Miami University (Ohio) and West Virginia University.
His newsroom career has included serving as managing editor, business editor, bureau chief, regional editor and sport editor. He has also been an investigative reporter, statehouse correspondent and health and science writer. He has also freelanced for United Press International, The Associated Press and CBS Sports.
He is also a member of Investigative Reporters and Editors, Online News Association and the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication.