The reporters whose work helped lead to the conviction of serial child molester Larry Nassar will tell their story at this year’s John B. Gaines Family Lecture at Western Kentucky University on April 9.

Indianapolis Star reporters Marisa Kwiatkowski, Mark Alesia and Tim Evans will speak in a panel moderated by WKU journalism professor Amanda J. Crawford at 7 p.m. in the Jody Richards Hall auditorium, according to a news release. The event is free and open to the public.

For Crawford, the reporters listened when no one else would and helped get justice for more than 150 victims of the disgraced USA Gymnastics national team doctor. The reporters’ work highlights the importance of relentless regional and local journalism, she said.

“We need reporters all over the country shedding light into those dark places,” she told the Daily News.

Crawford thanked the Gaines family, which owns the Daily News and sponsors the annual lecture series.

“Their gift allows us to bring remarkable journalists to WKU every year,” she said.

Enakshi Roy, a broadcasting professor who will host the event, also thanked the Gaines family in a news release.

“I want to thank the Gaines family for sponsoring this lecture series that helps our students get a chance to meet the journalists they look up to,” she said. “The exemplary work of these journalists sheds light on the sexual assaults and harassment that women routinely face. Hopefully, they will give our audience the courage to speak up if need be.”

The lecture series was launched in 2004 to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Daily News.

Since then, the series has brought award-winning journalists including New York Times reporter and WKU graduate Nikita Stewart, Joel Simon of the Committee to Protect Journalists, bestselling author Beth Macy, Washington Bureau Chief of the Dallas Morning News Todd Gillman, Emmy award-winning photojournalist Dai Sugano of the San Jose Mercury News, Pulitzer Prize winner columnist Leonard Pitts of the Miami Herald and official White House photographer Pete Souza.

Daily News Editor Steve Gaines said his family is pleased to have three highly distinguished speakers at this year’s lecture.

“Quite honestly, these might be some of the best speakers the lecture series has had since its inception,” he said. “These reporters’ hard work is the basis of quality journalism, which is a big reason this lecture series exists.”

For those who can’t attend in person, the event will be livestreamed on the WKU School of Journalism and Broadcasting Facebook page.

Audience members will be able to ask questions after the panel and through social media with the #MeTooJournalism and #WKUGaines hashtags.

The event is also part of WKU’s Sexual Assault Prevention Month activities. When it started looking for speakers, Crawford said the event’s committee discussed the influence of the #MeToo movement, which has exposed workplace sexual misconduct and toppled powerful men.

Crawford noted that most of Nassar’s victims weren’t celebrities and were ignored by police and other officials at Michigan State University.

If it wasn’t for the three Indianapolis Star reporters, Crawford said, Nassar would likely still be abusing children.

– Follow education reporter Aaron Mudd on Twitter @BGDN_edbeat or visit bgdailynews.com.