Roy S. Johnson, a 2021 Pulitzer Prize finalist in commentary, will share about his experience of shouting truth to power over the course of his four decade-long career before engaging in a community dialogue about this foundational journalistic purpose. 

Johnson is a Columnist and Director of Content Development for the Alabama Media Group/AL.com, the largest news and information site in Alabama. He writes on vital issues, inspiring people, critical policies, and matters affecting us all.

A winner of the 2021 Edward R. Morrow Award for best national podcast (“Unjustifiable, a six-part series co-hosted with Pulitzer Prize winner John Archibald), Johnson joined AMG in 2014 as Director, Sports, and later was Editor of Birmingham magazine. He began his current role in 2016. His work appears in AMG’s three print publications--The Birmingham News, Huntsville Times and Mobile Press-Register--and is often published in other Advance Local publications nationwide.

Prior to joining AMG, Johnson's journalistic journey spanned magazines, television, and newspapers, and reached some of the industry’s highest levels. He served as Editor-in-Chief of three prominent national magazines: Savoy (which he conceived and founded), Men’s Fitness and History Channel. He was also a writer and top editor at Sports Illustrated, Fortune and Money, was a reporter for The New York Times and sports columnist at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Johnson was Executive Producer of the “Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Model Search” (NBC) and the “Bernie and Ernie” documentary (ESPN). He’s also featured in “The Last Dance,” the much-touted documentary on NBA Hall of Famer Michael Jordan’s final season.

He co-authored books with Earvin (Magic) Johnson (“Magic’s Touch”), Charles Barkley (“Outrageous”) and Avery Johnson (“Aspire Higher”). Johnson is currently writing his biography, which will chronicle his career and personal journey.

A native of Tulsa, Oklahoma, Johnson's family owned a business on Greenwood Ave, the heart of “Black Wall Street,” and his father was a survivor of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. He lives in Birmingham, Alabama.