A panel of top journalists from across the country will participate in a Lawrence forum on the changing media industry, as part of this month’s Free State Festival.

The Lawrence Journal-World will host “Telling stories that matter: Journalism in the New Media World” at 7:30 p.m. on June 23 at the Cider Gallery, 810 Pennsylvania St. The forum will include four award-winning journalists who will answer questions about the importance of journalism and how the craft is evolving as the industry continues to transition to the digital world.

“One of the roles of the Free State Festival is to spur discussions about important ideas,” said Journal-World Managing Editor Chad Lawhorn, who will serve as the moderator of the panel. “We are excited to bring together a group of very talented people to talk about how journalism is changing and why it continues to be vital for the health of communities.”

The panel includes:

• Karen Dillon, an investigative reporter for the Lawrence Journal-World. Dillon, who previously had a long career with The Kansas City Star, has won several national journalism awards, including Harvard University’s Goldsmith Investigative Reporting Prize and a George Polk Award.

• Kate Mather, a reporter who is on the staff of The Los Angeles Times, which recently won a Pulitzer Prize for its coverage. Mather, a Lawrence native, was a key part of the The Times’ coverage of the San Bernardino terrorist shootings in 2015.

• Jeremy Schwartz, a special projects reporter for the Austin American-Statesman. Schwartz has served as the Statesman’s correspondent in Mexico City and has won journalism awards for investigative pieces on military, veteran affairs and border security issues.

• Roy Wenzl, a reporter at the Wichita Eagle and author of multiple books. Wenzl has won many honors for his storytelling and has written extensively about the BTK serial killer, who was a national mystery for nearly three decades.

The journalism forum is free for members of the public to attend. The panel discussion is part of a weeklong schedule of events that will feature discussions and performances related to music, art, film and ideas. The Free State Festival will run June 20-25, at various locations around Lawrence, and will feature performances from Public Enemy, Kris Kristofferson, Maria Bamford and others.

For more information, see freestatefestival.org.