Fri
Jun 22 2018
03:36 pm
By: Mark Harmon
Dear Friends,
The Knoxville News Sentinel, effective end of next week, is discontinuing all four local columnists (Greg Johnson, Frank Cagle, Ina Hughs, and me). Next week's column will be my last in that role.
I'm still seeking other opportunities to write columns and will keep you posted. These past several years have been a blast. Twice I've won a Sigma Delta Chi national award for column writing, and have been honored with local and regional awards as well.
My life as a professor of journalism and electronic media goes on, unaffected by this disappointment.
Much love to all my readers, Mark Harmon
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Topics:
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Discussing:
- Bravo to Michaela Barnett (3 replies)
- Federal Government sending marketing (campaign) messages? (1 reply)
- Knox SOUP Announces New Name, November 5 Community Dinner, and Call for Project Proposals (1 reply)
- Oconaluftee, Cherokee, Newfound Gap (1 reply)
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- Check and Recheck your ballot when voting (5 replies)
- Bernie Sanders vs AI (1 reply)
- SoKno discombobulation continues (2 replies)
- Execution failed!!! (3 replies)
- GOP Senator "deserves the obloquy" (2 replies)
- AI company going public says "existential risks to humanity" (2 replies)
- Michaela Barnett for Congress TN-02 (2 replies)
TN Progressive
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- Tues., Oct. 20, 2026, Free Flu Shots at Blount County Health Dept. (BlountViews)
- View from the Overlook (Whitescreek Journal)
- Alcoa property taxes will probably not go up (BlountViews)
- Smith & Wesson not a good fit for Blount County (BlountViews)
- WATCH THIS SPACE. (Left Wing Cracker)
- America As It Is Right Now (RoaneViews)
- A friend sent this: From Captain McElwee's Tall Tales of Roane County (RoaneViews)
- The Meidas Touch (RoaneViews)
- Massive Security Breach Analysis (RoaneViews)
- (Whitescreek Journal)
- My choices in the August election (Left Wing Cracker)
TN Politics
- Sponsored Commentary: Building connection in divided times (TN Lookout)
- FAA grounds all US flights due to air traffic control issue (TN Lookout)
- Tennessee’s gerrymandered election maps hold up, but not as well as in past cycles (TN Lookout)
- Trump administration pursues a second round in the courts on birthright citizenship (TN Lookout)
- Stockard on the Stump: Senate finance chief takes Tennessee ‘DOGE’ talk with grain of salt (TN Lookout)
- Appeals court: Federal judge must reconsider whether ‘buffer law’ is in effect during media lawsuit (TN Lookout)
Knox TN Today
- Two hours left: Make your Tennessee–Texas A&M prediction! (Knox TN Today)
- Maryville edges Oakland as Central, Alcoa and CAK, Grace advance in football playoffs (Knox TN Today)
- Saturday Catch-Up: Six stories worth another look (Knox TN Today)
- Lady Vols roll past Blue Raiders (Knox TN Today)
- Let’s Talk: Outdoors — Smoky Night Lights brings mountain magic to Knoxville (Knox TN Today)
- Good Question! Why are barns red? (Knox TN Today)
- Boo! at the Zoo draws 41,466 guests, up 68% from last year (Knox TN Today)
- Close to Home, Far from Ordinary: Clinton’s small-town charm tells a big story (Knox TN Today)
- Muse Knoxville expansion promises more room for discovery (Knox TN Today)
- Roy Orbison and I (Knox TN Today)
- Food City extends Speedway in Lights partnership through 2030 (Knox TN Today)
- Hiking with Harrington: November wildflowers surprise on Huskey Gap Trail (Knox TN Today)
Local TV News
- Driver charged after LCSO pursuit reaching over 130 mph ends in crash (WATE)
- Air traffic 'gradually' returning to normal at McGhee Tyson after nationwide ground stop (WATE)
- Campbell County mother receives a free car from Redemptive Automotive Ministries (WATE)
- ‘More than half my income' Rent doubles at Loudon County mobile home park after ownership change (WATE)
- Vols board flight to Texas A&M after nationwide ground stop lifted (WATE)
- Anderson County woman charged with drag racing with child in car (WATE)
News Sentinel
State News
- Snap judgments: Sequatchie Valley has historic night as all five teams advance - Chattanooga Times Free Press (Times Free Press)
- Affordability - Chattanooga Times Free Press (Times Free Press)
- ‘Boys in Blue’ went gold as Chattanooga FC brought home its first national title - Chattanooga Times Free Press (Times Free Press)
- McCallie’s season ends with loss at Brentwood Academy - Chattanooga Times Free Press (Times Free Press)
Wire Reports
- Thousands of Flights Are Canceled After Friday’s Nationwide Ground Stop: Live Updates - The New York Times (Business)
- Port of New Orleans sues tanker owners for over $1M after cruise ship crash - WWLTV.com (US News)
- Alaska voters stick with ranked-choice voting, again - Politico (US News)
- Nvidia board urged to consider 'potential return of Jensen Huang' by two major investors - CNBC (Business)
- Wall Street Makes Its Pitch for Anthropic’s I.P.O. - The New York Times (Business)
- FAA ground stop throws college football into chaos, while the NFL is safe - NBC News (US News)
- SpaceX Starship Flight 15 live updates: Starship heat shield looks good for landing attempt today - Space (Business)
- Bomb found at Illinois ethanol plant, prompting evacuations - The Guardian (US News)
- MAGA turns on Lutnick amid China spy scandal - Axios (Business)
- The Microsoft outage didn’t lose your email — here’s what it does mean for you - Yahoo Finance (Business)
- Retailers are turning to entertainment to win shoppers’ attention - CNBC (Business)
- MAGA turns on Lutnick amid China spy scandal - Axios (US News)
- Eric Trump-backed robot soldier startup can't pay staff after founder borrowed $4.6 million from company to buy home - CNBC (Business)
- Schumer allies voice confidence, argue Van Hollen challenge about ending ‘filibuster’ - The Hill (US News)
- As Congress Plans Investigations, White House Prepares Ferocious Response - The New York Times (US News)
Local Media
Lost Medicaid Funding
To date, the failure to expand Medicaid/TennCare has cost the State of Tennessee ? in lost federal funding. (Source)
Search and Archives
TN Progressive
Nearby:
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- Herston TN Family Law
- Inside of Knoxville
- Instapundit
- Jack Lail
- Jim Stovall
- Knox Dems
- MoxCarm Blue Streak
- Outdoor Knoxville
- Pittman Properties
- Reality Me
- Stop Alcoa Parkway
Beyond:
- Nashville Scene
- Nashville Post
- Smart City Memphis
- TN Dems
- TN Journal
- TN Lookout
- Bob Stepno
- Facing South

Wow! We hope you find new
Wow! We hope you find new writing opportunities.
The KNS is barely a local paper. How much longer will it be around?
We will miss your column and
We will miss your column and your voice of sanity in the KNS. I'm guessing this is a Gannett thing. They don't want local papers. They want generic McPapers. Will the last journalist at KNS please turn out the lights?
downsizing to less than 1
Damn, so sorry to hear this Mark. A really bad but important time to be a journalist.
Hopefully you can find an
Hopefully you can find an outlet that will let you keep showing us the inside view of what is really going on. I always read anything with your name on it.
The local columnists are one
The local columnists are one of the few things still worth reading. I've been a loyal subscriber since 1982, but it may be time to bail.
Sorry
Sorry to hear this, Mark. It's a sad day for those who value local opinions and debate. I hope you and the others can find ways to keep the conversation going.
All the best,
Scott
Condolences
I too, am sorry to hear this.
Ugh
Ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh
Sorry to hear this Mark. You
Sorry to hear this Mark. You told some of us this week that you had a backlog of column ideas that would appear in the KNS over the next weeks...hopefully there will be a place to publish them.
If UT's athletic department starts to publish Vol news the News Sentinel could be put out of its misery...the political scene can be published in an online newspaper like the Texas Tribune or the MinnPost. Check out those two online news sources.
KNS SUCKS
Mark,
Thanks for writing intelligent and much needed opinion pieces. I hope you find another publisher.
I took this snap of a couple of weeks ago and it pretty much says it all.
Prolific
(in reply to S Carpenter)
I think Name Here is the most prolific writer the News Sentinel has.
Cancelled today
I just cancelled my KNS subscription. It's no longer a local paper.