During more than 40 years of practicing law in Alaska, John McKay has represented Alaskan and national news organizations, photographers, artists, and others on libel, privacy and copyright issues, access to government proceedings and records, subpoenas to journalists, secret settlements by public agencies, cameras in courts, and many other matters.

He taught Media Law at University of Alaska Anchorage for more than 30 years. In 2007, John was the first recipient of the Alaska Press Club’s First Amendment Award, and in 2011 on the 40th Anniversary of ACLU of Alaska he was recognized as one of “40 Heroes of Constitutional Rights and Civil Liberties.” He is the author of a legal guidebook for Alaska news reporters, and of publications on privacy law and open government law.

He earned a master’s degree in Journalism in the last century, and an MFA in Poetry in this century. John has two sons, Martin, 33, and Cameron, 30, whose mother, Suzan Nightingale McKay, was a member of Alaska Press Women (the former name of Alaska Professional Communicators). John and his sweetheart, Cristy, live in Anchorage.

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John McKay