Former News-Press executive editor inducted into Missouri Newspaper Hall of Fame
TaMya Bracy
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Dennis Ellsworth, the St. Joseph News-Press’ former executive editor, has been inducted into the 2025 Missouri Newspaper Hall of Fame.
Ellsworth was recognized with three other honorees at the Missouri Press Association’s 159th Annual Convention on Sept. 11-13 in Wildwood, Missouri.
He received the organization’s Pinnacle Award for service to the newspaper industry.
Ellsworth said when he found out the news, he couldn’t believe it.
“I realized they were honoring me for contributions to the industry, not necessarily that I was the best or anything like that I had contributed,” he said. “I had thought about that and realized I had done quite a bit of different things to support regional newspapers.”
Ellsworth became interested in journalism while in college. He spent his time working for the student newspaper, where he had many opportunities. After college, he worked for a series of newspapers, and around 2000, he came to St. Joseph News-Press.
Ellsworth led the newsroom at the St. Joseph News-Press from 2000 to 2018. Before becoming an editor, he was a reporter and was able to move up into a leadership role.
“I was able to progress through the ranks and do that. I spent some 21 years in newsroom management before I came to St Joseph,” Ellsworth said. “So about 40 years in the management side and then a few more years before and after doing other things. So it’s been a great experience and something I would repeat if I had the chance.”
He also served on the Missouri Press Association’s board of directors, was the chair of the Missouri Associated Press Managing Editors and was twice the president of the Northwest Missouri Press Association.
Ellsworth was also instrumental when the News-Press began integrating broadcast journalism into its newsroom in 2012. He said the Bradley family decided to move with the industry and start to explore the digital space of journalism.
“They decided while I was there that the way the industry was going, the way the economy was going, that the movement and the print advertising and the digital spaces, that it was wise for the company to start at television stations here in St. Joe, and then to merge those newsrooms over time so that you had one converge news operation and that would not have been possible without the brand, with foresight and leadership on that,” he said.
Ellsworth spoke highly of his time in St. Joseph and at the News-Press.
“St. Joe had a great family environment at the newspaper and community as well was very receptive and open and that the newspaper was it’s just a strong group of people,” Ellsworth said.
In a separate presentation at the convention, the Missouri Sunshine Coalition also named Ellsworth as one of the four recipients of its 2025 Sunshine Hero award.
Ellsworth has over 40 years of experience working in newspapers. He earned his journalism degree from the University of Kansas.