Star-Telegram columnist Bud Kennedy honored for this milestone in Texas journalism

A newspaper industry group honored Star-Telegram columnist Bud Kennedy for 50 years in Texas journalism Friday, a career that has stretched from covering Friday night football to one of the best-known political commentators in the state.

The Texas Press Association, the trade group representing newspaper publishers, presented Kennedy and three other veteran journalists its Golden 50 award at its convention in Round Rock.

Kennedy has written opinion columns for the Star-Telegram since 1987, commenting on local and state politics, top issues in the news and history ranging from racial strife in Fort Worth to Willie Nelson’s connections to the city. As a member of the Editorial Board, he also helps shape the Star-Telegram’s institutional voice.

He’s also the authoritative chronicler of the Tarrant County restaurant scene with his Eats Beat column, breaking news about openings and closings and giving readers tips about where to find the best deals on barbecue, tacos and more.

Kennedy appears weekly on “Inside Texas Politics” on WFAA-TV (Channel 8) and is a frequent public speaker and guest on other broadcasts.

He’s also known for his early embrace of online journalism, distributing news and commentary to readers on Facebook and Twitter and offering breaking restaurant news and quick analysis at Star-Telegram.com.

But he began as an unusually young sportswriter — in part thanks to a big break.

Kennedy recalled in a piece written for the press association’s program that he read the paper as early as third grade. At 17, he was calling in football scores for Arlington Heights High School, his alma mater, to the Star-Telegram.

“The operator transferred me the wrong way and the calltaker told me to dictate a story. So I did,” Kennedy wrote. “It came out in the Saturday morning Star-Telegram as ‘By Bud Kennedy -- Special to the Star-Telegram.’ ”

Kennedy started full-time at the Fort Worth Press and eventually moved to the Austin American-Statesman, the Dallas Times Herald and The Dallas Morning News.

He moved to the Star-Telegram and became sports editor. After a few other assignments, he was named the lead columnist for the evening edition in November 1987.

Kennedy wrote: “The managing editor said I was picked because I was from Fort Worth, knew all the local news stories and wrote really good memos.”