Skip to content

Jenkins named Daily Journal editor

Daily Journal Editor announced

Kevin R. Jenkins

Longtime Daily Journal writer and Farmington Press Editor Kevin R. Jenkins has been named editor of the Daily Journal by Greg Hoskins, Better Newspapers Inc. publisher.

Jenkins has worked in the newspaper business for 27 years, serving as a reporter with the Daily Journal for seven and a half years and editor of the Farmington Press for four and a half years. Before that, Jenkins served as editor of The Mountain Echo in Ironton and the St. Clair Missourian in St. Clair, as well as a reporter for the Daily American Republic in Poplar Bluff, and the Centralia Fireside Guard in Centralia.

Born in El Paso, Texas, Jenkins was the only child of Kenneth and Evelyn Jenkins. His father was an upper atmospheric research scientist at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, and his mother was a homemaker.

Jenkins graduated from Andress High School in 1975 and attended his freshman year in college at West Texas State University (now West Texas A&M University) in Canyon, Texas, prior to transferring to Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona, where he graduated in 1980 with a degree in broadcasting.

Following college, Jenkins attended Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, where he sought his Masters of Religious Education (MRE) degree. For the next 20 years, he served on staff in churches from Arizona and Texas to Oklahoma and Tennessee. He moved to this state when he was named an associate in the Evangelism Department of the Missouri Southern Baptist Convention (MSBC) in Jefferson City.

During his tenure with the MSBC, Jenkins traveled around the state and nation, speaking at churches, conventions, special events, and seminars. He also traveled to Belarus and Russia, where he was part of a ministry team that trained pastors in sharing the gospel.

Jenkins was pastoring a church when he was asked to become editor of The Mountain Echo, upon the previous editor’s death.

Through the years, Jenkins has won a number of awards for his writing and, in February 2018, was named the St. Francois County Citizen of the Year by the Mineral Area Community Elks Lodge in Desloge.

Jenkins moved to the Parkland in 2002, and a year later married Brenda Broeker, a teacher at Fredericktown High School. The couple have three daughters. From a previous marriage, Jenkins also has four adult children, a son, and three daughters.

“Although I haven’t lived here my entire life, I quickly fell in love with the Parkland,” he said. “The natural beauty of the area and the friendliness of the people immediately made me feel right at home. I’ve always been a ‘people person’ who makes friends quickly and it’s been no different here. I’ve made a lot of friends and met many incredible people in the 16 years I’ve lived here.

“One of my greatest joys is telling the stories of everyday people who have made a mark on their world. There are a lot of interesting people, as well as many unsung heroes, who I’ve had the pleasure of bringing to the attention of our readership through the years. I expect that to continue as I take on the responsibility of Daily Journal editor. This is a great privilege for me and I hope that I serve our readers well.”

Better Newspapers Inc. (BNI) recently bought the Daily Journal, Farmington Press, and (Madison County) Democrat News from Lee Enterprises. The sale was final on June 26. BNI also owns two other newspapers in the Parkland, The Ste. Genevieve Herald and The (Iron County) Mountain Echo.

Leave a Comment