Kathleen Johnson

Kathleen Johnson is the McMahon Centennial Professor. The McMahon professorship was the first endowed position for the journalism program at OU and was funded in 1989 by the McMahon Foundation of Lawton. The McMahon professorship enables the college to attract experienced professionals to train the next generation of broadcast journalists.

Johnson brings with her more than 25 years of award-winning experience in top executive, programming, production, communications, and marketing positions in broadcast, network, cable, satellite, and new media. For more than ten years she worked as a news executive for major market television stations across the country including in Oklahoma, Florida and Washington, D.C., specializing in creating and launching cutting-edge television news programs. Johnson most recently worked as a senior executive in the direct-to-home satellite television industry, launching the nation's first 24-hour children's educational TV network. She is also president and CEO of her own national media company, KJ Media. She has received a national Emmy nomination and four regional Emmy awards as well as nine Telly awards for her work in children’s television, news documentaries, and long-format entertainment productions. Additionally, she is the recipient of an Edward R. Murrow Award from the Radio Television Digital News Association, an Associated Press award, and a New York Film Festival award.