Rufus M. Friday
Coalition Member
Rufus Friday, President and Publisher of the Lexington HeraldLeader in Lexington, Kentucky, from 2011 to 2018, joined the Center for Integrity in News Reporting (CFINR) as the Executive Director, effective December 30,2024.
Friday brings decades of experience in publishing and leadership to this vital role. He also previously served as President and Publisher of the Tri-City Herald in Kennewick, Washington, from 2005 to 2011.
Friday began his career in circulation at the Raleigh (NC) News & Observer, in 1984, rising to become Vice President of Circulation there from 2003 to 2005. His media career also includes executive leadership roles at newspapers in Montgomery, Alabama; Rockford, Illinois; and Jackson, Tennessee.
He holds a B.A. in Business Management and Economics from North Carolina State University and an Honorary Doctor of Laws from the University of the Cumberlands.
Friday’s commitment to service extends beyond the news media. He currently serves as Chair of the Stars and Stripes newspaper publisher national advisory board of directors, the Muhammad Ali Center board, a board of trustees of the University of the Cumberlands, and the University of Kentucky’s College of Communication and Information Dean’s Advisory Council. He also serves on the Southern Newspaper Publishers Association Foundation board.
Friday and his wife Melody have one daughter, Chanel, and currently reside outside Lexington, Kentucky.