Author

Eric Thomas
Eric Thomas directs the Kansas Scholastic Press Association, a nonprofit that supports student journalism throughout the state. He also teaches visual journalism and photojournalism at the William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Kansas in Lawrence. He lives in Leawood with his wife and two children.
When the World Cup comes to Kansas City, tough questions will follow
By: Eric Thomas - December 9, 2022
Kansas Reflector welcomes opinion pieces from writers who share our goal of widening the conversation about how public policies affect the day-to-day lives of people throughout our state. Eric Thomas directs the Kansas Scholastic Press Association and teaches visual journalism and photojournalism at the University of Kansas. Last weekend, the team representing the United States at […]
For Kansas City area fans, sports wins feel inevitable. Let’s appreciate them.
By: Eric Thomas - November 25, 2022
Kansas Reflector welcomes opinion pieces from writers who share our goal of widening the conversation about how public policies affect the day-to-day lives of people throughout our state. Eric Thomas directs the Kansas Scholastic Press Association and teaches visual journalism and photojournalism at the University of Kansas. Sunday night, I sat on the couch, a cocktail […]
Midterm squabbles distract from parties that remain ideologically unified, polarized
By: Eric Thomas - November 18, 2022
Kansas Reflector welcomes opinion pieces from writers who share our goal of widening the conversation about how public policies affect the day-to-day lives of people throughout our state. Eric Thomas directs the Kansas Scholastic Press Association and teaches visual journalism and photojournalism at the University of Kansas. In the aftermath of this month’s midterm elections, political […]
Glimpses of the new Kansas City airport make visiting current terminals a chore
By: Eric Thomas - November 12, 2022
Kansas Reflector welcomes opinion pieces from writers who share our goal of widening the conversation about how public policies affect the day-to-day lives of people throughout our state. Eric Thomas directs the Kansas Scholastic Press Association and teaches visual journalism and photojournalism at the University of Kansas. The cliché about the Kansas City airport used to go […]
Kansas photojournalists earn Hall of Fame awards by documenting countless moments
By: Eric Thomas - November 4, 2022
Kansas Reflector welcomes opinion pieces from writers who share our goal of widening the conversation about how public policies affect the day-to-day lives of people throughout our state. Eric Thomas directs the Kansas Scholastic Press Association and teaches visual journalism and photojournalism at the University of Kansas. The distinction of earning a spot in any hall of […]
Consumer surveys waste our time while promising elusive insights
By: Eric Thomas - October 28, 2022
Kansas Reflector welcomes opinion pieces from writers who share our goal of widening the conversation about how public policies affect the day-to-day lives of people throughout our state. Eric Thomas directs the Kansas Scholastic Press Association and teaches visual journalism and photojournalism at the University of Kansas. They are in my inbox. They are in my voicemail. […]
Decoding the political mail we endure in a purple part of Kansas
By: Eric Thomas - October 21, 2022
Kansas Reflector welcomes opinion pieces from writers who share our goal of widening the conversation about how public policies affect the day-to-day lives of people throughout our state. Eric Thomas directs the Kansas Scholastic Press Association and teaches visual journalism and photojournalism at the University of Kansas. Our house receives basically three types of mail these days. […]
Mournful and hopeful, an emerging photo project portrays rural Kansas newspapers
By: Eric Thomas - October 14, 2022
Kansas Reflector welcomes opinion pieces from writers who share our goal of widening the conversation about how public policies affect the day-to-day lives of people throughout our state. Eric Thomas directs the Kansas Scholastic Press Association and teaches visual journalism and photojournalism at the University of Kansas. When you walked into the darkroom of the small-town newspaper […]
Cameras in hand, parents proudly document everything. Is that what’s best for our kids?
By: Eric Thomas - October 9, 2022
Kansas Reflector welcomes opinion pieces from writers who share our goal of widening the conversation about how public policies affect the day-to-day lives of people throughout our state. Eric Thomas directs the Kansas Scholastic Press Association and teaches visual journalism and photojournalism at the University of Kansas. Seventeen years ago, I pointed a gleaming silver camcorder at […]
Kansas celebrates victories in football, our morally fraught national pastime
By: Eric Thomas - October 1, 2022
Kansas Reflector welcomes opinion pieces from writers who share our goal of widening the conversation about how public policies affect the day-to-day lives of people throughout our state. Eric Thomas directs the Kansas Scholastic Press Association and teaches visual journalism and photojournalism at the University of Kansas. I wrote this column once on Thursday. I flailed around […]
Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly’s reelection could affirm political progress for women
By: Eric Thomas - September 23, 2022
Kansas Reflector welcomes opinion pieces from writers who share our goal of widening the conversation about how public policies affect the day-to-day lives of people throughout our state. Eric Thomas directs the Kansas Scholastic Press Association and teaches visual journalism and photojournalism at the University of Kansas. If you value women’s political progress, then the number of […]
What we lose when Kansas college graduates drift to surrounding states
By: Eric Thomas - September 17, 2022
Kansas Reflector welcomes opinion pieces from writers who share our goal of widening the conversation about how public policies affect the day-to-day lives of people throughout our state. Eric Thomas directs the Kansas Scholastic Press Association and teaches visual journalism and photojournalism at the University of Kansas. When a government invests in a bridge, that bridge serves […]