Author

Eric Thomas

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.

OPINION
A woman helps people board a train headed west at Kyiv-Pasazhyrskyi Central Train Station on March 1, 2022 in Kyiv, Ukraine.

Presentation brings war photojournalist from Ukraine to Overland Park

By: - January 14, 2023

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. Pete Kiehart, a photojournalist whose work has documented the […]

OPINION

January ushers in COVID-19 turning points year after year in Kansas

By: - January 6, 2023

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 COVID-19 pandemic has crafted many of its dark […]

OPINION
Attendees of the Kansans for Constitutional Freedom watch party celebrate after primary election results verify Kansans voted to keep abortion a constitutional right on Tuesday. (Lily O'Shea Becker/Kansas Reflector)

Do you agree with my picks for Kansas stories of the year?

By: - December 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. Here’s my list of Kansas news items that stamped […]

OPINION
A photo illustration showing carbon emissions over a map

Why do Kansans pollute in the way we do? This map has the answers.

By: - December 16, 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. Idling outside the Kansas strip mall, the behemoth SUV […]

OPINION
The U.S. men’s national soccer team warms up before a friendly match against the national team of Uruguay on June 5, 2022, at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas. (Eric Thomas)

When the World Cup comes to Kansas City, tough questions will follow

By: - 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 […]

OPINION
A crowd at Arrowhead Stadium

For Kansas City area fans, sports wins feel inevitable. Let’s appreciate them.

By: - 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 […]

OPINION
GOP elephant and Democratic donkey

Midterm squabbles distract from parties that remain ideologically unified, polarized

By: - 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 […]

OPINION
The concourse of the B terminal of Kansas City International Airport, with a closed convenience store.

Glimpses of the new Kansas City airport make visiting current terminals a chore

By: - 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 […]

OPINION
The People Pull event takes place at the Harvest Festival in Cuba, Kansas

Kansas photojournalists earn Hall of Fame awards by documenting countless moments

By: - 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 […]

OPINION
Survey asks: How would you rate your experience today?

Consumer surveys waste our time while promising elusive insights

By: - 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. […]

OPINION
An array of campaign mailers

Decoding the political mail we endure in a purple part of Kansas

By: - 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. […]

OPINION
Jeremiah Ariaz's "Osborne County Farmer, Osborne, KS, 2022"

Mournful and hopeful, an emerging photo project portrays rural Kansas newspapers

By: - 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 […]