A plaque honoring a late-Montana journalism giant was unveiled at the state Capitol on Friday.
Chuck Johnson’s likeness and a description of his impact are now memorialized in brass on the third floor of the Capitol.
Johnson began his reporting career ahead of the 1972 Montana Constitutional Convention. He went on to cover the state Legislature and politics for more than 40 years.
Johnson was known affectionately among the press as the “dean” of Montana political journalism for his dogged investigations and generous mentorship of young reporters.
At a packed dedication ceremony, Jackie Yamanaka, former news director of Yellowstone Public Radio, recounted him as a colleague and close friend.
“For I was hungry, and you gave me food. I was thirsty, you gave me drink. A stranger, and you welcomed me. He did that for so many young journalists, including me,” Yamanaka said.
Originally from Helena, Johnson spent most of his career in his hometown working for the Associated Press, the Great Falls Tribune and Lee Newspapers. He was also a longtime political analyst on Montana Public Radio’s Capitol Talk program hosted by Sally Mauk.
Johnson died unexpectedly in March 2023 at the age of 74. A proposal to install a plaque in his honor on Capitol grounds passed with bipartisan support last session.
