Press, Manhattan Mercury, Manhattan, KS, 2022
The Fourth Estate features small-town newspaper offices across my home state of Kansas. Newspapers play a critical role in our shared democracy. The photographs celebrate the civic function, labor, and technology at the heart of local newspapers’ production, while also documenting an industry in free-fall. Today, in contrast too much of the country, newspapers are still operating in towns nearly every 20 to 30 miles across the Kansas prairie. Included here are a selection from 135 offices, mostly in operation, though some that have recently been downsized or shuttered. 2021 - ongoing.
Danny, Production Manager, Leader & Times, Liberal, KS, 2022
Enlarger, The Western Star, Coldwater, KS, 2020
Kansas Flag, The Kansas Chief, Wathena, KS, 2022
Interior, Marion County Record Office, Marion, KS, 2022
Flag, Montgomery County Chronicle, Caney, KS, 2023
Reporter's Desk, Former Winfield Daily Courier Office, Windfield, KS, 2024
Map, Former Emporia Gazette Office, 2022
Newspapers, Leader & Times, Liberal, KS, 2022
Paper Organizer, Marion County Record, Marion, KS, 2023
Bound Archives, The Ottawa Herald, Ottawa, KS, 2023
Prairie Post Office, White City, KS, 2022
The Signal Enterprise Office, Alma, KS, 2022
The Kansas Chief Office, Wathena, KS, 2022
Units and Folder for Harris Press, Russell County News, Russell, KS, 2021
Darkroom, Anthony Republican, Anthony, KS, 2023
William Allen White, Former Emporia Gazette Office, Emporia, KS, 2022
Miami County Republic Office, Paola, KS, 2023
Osborne County Farmer Office, Osborne, KS, 2022
Montgomery County Chronicle Office, Caney, KS, 2023
Photoblocks, The Great Bend Tribune, Great Bend, KS, 2021
Miles, Russell County News, Russell, KS, 2021
Newspaper Stands, The Winfield Daily Courier, Winfield, KS, 2022
Memorial Day, Great Bend Tribune, Great Bend, KS, 2021
Bound Archives, The Winfield Daily Courier, Winfield, KS, 2022
Teresa, Anderson County Review, Garnett, KS, 2023
Photograph, Former Emporia Gazette Office, Emporia, 2022
Clyde Republican Office, Clyde, KS, 2022
Columbus News Report Office, Columbus, KS, 2023
The Times Sentinel Office, Cheney, KS, 2022
Bound Archives, Former El Dorado Times Office, El Dorado, KS, 2022
Classified Sign, Former Daily Globe Office, Dodge City, KS, 2022
Office Interior, The Tiller and Toiler, Larned, KS, 2021
Darkroom, Former Emporia Gazette Office, Emporia, KS, 2022
Rush County News Office, La Crosse, KS, 2022
Former Peabody Gazette-Bulletin Office, Peabody, KS, 2022
Former Leader-Courier Office, Kingman, KS, 2022
Bound Archives, Parsons Sun, Parsons, KS, 2023
America’s First People, Darkroom, Former Emporia Gazette Office, Emporia, KS, 2022
Crawford County, Former Mulberry Advance Office, Mulberry, KS, 2023
Desk, Former Norton Telegram Office, Norton, KS, 2022
Then, Now, Mulvane News, Mulvane, KS, 2024
Interior, Plainville Times, Plainville, KS, 2022
Sports, Atwood Square Deal, Atwood, KS, 2022
Photograph, Holton Recorder, Holton, KS, 2022
Morgue, Courier Tribune Office, Seneca, KS, 2022
Bound Archives, Grass and Grain, Manhattan, KS, 2022
Kansas Map, Osborne County Farmer, Osborne, KS, 2022
Hillsboro Free Press Office, Hillsboro, KS, 2023
Hugoton Hermes Office, Hugoton, KS, 2022
Dickenson County News - Times Office, Herrington, KS, 2022
Who's Blowing Smoke Up Your Ass, The Cowley Courier Traveler, Arkansas City, KS, 2022
Meeting Room, McPherson News-Ledger, McPherson, KS, 2022
Susan, Editor and Tim, Managing Editor, Iola Register, Iola, KS, 2022
Photograph, The Wilson Citizen, Fredonia, KS, 2022
Greeley County Republican Office, Tribune, KS, 2022
Southwest Daily Times Office, Liberal, KS, 2022
Harper Advocate Office, Harper, KS, 2023
Work Station, The Cowley Courier Traveler, Arkansas City, KS, 2022
Darkroom, Former Clay Center Dispatch Office, Clay Center, 2022
Painting, Former Winfield Daily Courier Office, Winfield, KS, 2024
Printing Press, Great Bend Tribune, Great Bend, KS, 2021
Telephones, Clay Center Dispatch, Clay Center, KS, 2022
Office Interior, The Cowley Courier Traveler, Arkansas City, KS, 2022
Paper Rolls, The Morning Sun, Pittsburg, KS, 2022
Quadracart, The Winfield Daily Courier, Winfield, KS, 2022
Ink Knives, Russell County News, Russell, KS, 2021
Newspaper Stands, Former Newton Kansan Office, Newton, KS, 2022
Town Saves Local Newspaper, The Western Star, Coldwater, KS, 2022
County Map, The Kansas Chief, Wathena, KS, 2022
First Amendment Freedoms, Former Emporia Gazette Office, 2022
Employee Names, Former Clay Center Dispatch Office, 2022
Phyllis (left), and Cheri (right) Prepare to Deliver Paper, Marion County Record, Marion, KS, 2023
The Anthony Republican Office, Anthony, KS, 2022
Council Grove Republican Office, Council Grove, KS, 2022
Johnson Pioneer Office, Johnson City, KS, 2022
Kansas Map, Yates Center News, Yates Center, KS, 2022
Basement, The Winfield Daily Courier, Winfield, KS, 2022
Impression from Press, The Daily Union Office, Junction City, KS, 2022
Dictionary (disinheritance - disparagement), Clay Center Dispatch, Clay Center, KS, 2022
Dinosaur, Downs News & Times, Downs, KS, 2022
Dennies, Editor, The Western Star, Coldwater, KS, 2022
Photoblocks, Miami County Republic, Paola, KS, 2023
Where Do We Go, The Morning Sun, Pittsburg, KS, 2022
Still Life, The Morning Sun, Pittsburg, KS, 2022
Four Generations of Editors, Holton Recorder, Holton, KS, 2022
Darkroom, The Osage County Herald-Chronicle, Osage City, KS, 2021
Press, Valley Falls Vindicator, Valley Falls, KS, 2022
Bound Archives, Former Emporia Gazette Office, Emporia, KS, 2022
Cut and Paste Headlines, Mulberry Advance, Mulberry, KS, 2023
Lead Casting Machine, Former Norton Telegram Office, Norton, KS, 2022
Printers Drawer, Alma Enterprise, Alma, KS, 2022
The Kansan celebrates its 150th Anniversary, Newton Kansan, Newton, KS, 2022
Former Beloit Call Office, Beloit, KS, 2022
Former Emporia Gazette Office, Emporia, KS, 2022
Former Daily Globe Office, Dodge City, KS, 2022
Flags, Former Daily Globe Office, Dodge City, KS, 2022