DPC Salon: Power of the Pen

The Power of the Pen: Columnists on Telling Stories that Matter

Newspaper columnists play a unique role in giving personality and voice to their publications. Hear from three of them who will share their insights on the challenges and rewards of writing a regular column, the importance of maintaining a strong voice and perspective, and the impact of their work on public discourse and policy.

Moderator: Megan Schrader: Megan Schrader is the editor of The Denver Post opinion pages. Schrader has been at The Post since September 2016. Before joining The Post’s opinion team, she was a Denver-based political reporter for The Gazette in Colorado Springs, a political and education reporter for The Oklahoman, and a city hall reporter for The Gainesville Sun in Florida. Education: BA in journalism and political science from the University of Missouri, Columbia.

Panelists: Sports columnist Sean Keeler is an award-winning writer who joined The Denver Post in 2018 after stints with Cox Media Group, FOX Sports, The Des Moines Register and The Cincinnati Post. A graduate of Northwestern University, Keeler was named Colorado’s Sportswriter of the Year in 2024. The Iowa native has been honored by the Associated Press Sports Editors’ national writing competition 14 times, including five times for feature writing.

Krista L. Kafer is a Sunday Denver Post opinion columnist, adjunct professor of communication, journalism, and political science, and a frequent radio and television commentator. She has a BA in history and an MA in political science.

Mario Nicolais is a columnist for The Colorado Sun. He is an election law and campaign finance attorney with decades of experience working on congressional, senate, and presidential campaigns. 

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