Michael Monks created The River City News from scratch and in five years built it into the most influential daily publication covering Northern Kentucky. A must-read for government insiders, civic leaders, business interests, and community enthusiasts, RCN's reach dominates Northern Kentucky's conversation. Michael is a sought-after host and moderator for important local forums and discussions, and is the Talent Champion of the 2015 Dancing With the Children's Law Center Stars competition.

His live broadcasts on Facebook are watched by tens of thousands and his podcast was honored with 3 Blue Chip Media Award nominations and one win in 2016. Michael's local roots trace to the south end of Covington where he founded his first multimedia enterprise at 15 and directed the media efforts at Scott High School before moving on to a celebrated run in Northern Kentucky University's communication program where he excelled in intercollegiate forensics and campus broadcasting.
 

Michael's professional career began less than a year after college as a reporter and news anchor at 700 WLW, the Cincinnati region's dominant radio station, and continued as a senior producer and other roles at WXIX-TV, where he led the morning news to its first-ever #1 finish in the local ratings. Michael recently earned a master's degree in communication from Southern New Hampshire University and launched Awesome City Magazine, a targeted lifestyle publication. He lives in downtown Covington, volunteers as a lunch buddy for Covington Independent Public Schools, and serves on the Northern Kentucky University Friends of Steely Library Board and the Northern Kentucky Streetcar Committee.