Renee Shaw, a notable Kentucky journalist who has worked at KET for 29 years, will retire from the state’s public television network at the end of July.
Shaw, the director of Public Affairs and moderator at KET, hosts Kentucky Edition weekly and Kentucky Tonight, the network’s public policy discussion series. Ahead of elections, she moderates forums with Kentucky politicians and candidate hopefuls and leads election coverage.
KET announced Shaw’s retirement in a Monday morning press release. It said Shaw “played a central role in the expansion of KET’s public affairs coverage to include a daily current events series, townhall-style forums, and multi-platform initiatives around issues such as aging, opioid addiction and youth mental health.”
“Renee is one of the most trusted and respected voices in Kentucky journalism, known for her thoughtful reporting, in‑depth interviews, and commitment to civil, informed public discourse,” said KET Executive Director and CEO Shae Hopkins. “We are deeply grateful for everything she’s done to serve communities across the state, and we wish her all the best in this next chapter.”
Shaw has won numerous awards throughout her tenure at KET, including three Ohio Valley Regional Emmy awards. She has also been inducted into the Silver Circle of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS), the Kentucky Journalism Hall of Fame, the Kentucky Civil Rights Hall of Fame and Western Kentucky University’s Hall of Distinguished Alumni. She also frequently travels the state to moderate and emcee at community events.
She’s been named a Kentucky Colonel twice — by former Republican Gov. Ernie Fletcher and by Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear — for her noteworthy accomplishments and service to Kentucky.
“For nearly three decades, KET has been my professional home and offered me such rich opportunities. To sit across from governors, lawmakers, artists, educators and everyday Kentuckians has been a privilege. I have always believed that if the last thing I did becomes the last thing I did, it had better be the best thing I did,” Shaw said in a statement. “As I look back on this journey, my heart is full of gratitude for the viewers who trusted me, the colleagues who inspired me, and the Commonwealth that allowed me to tell its stories.”
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McKenna Horsley covers state politics for the Kentucky Lantern. She previously worked for newspapers in Huntington, West Virginia, and Frankfort, Kentucky. She is from northeastern Kentucky.
