What’s happening, Oklahoma? It is Monday, July 28, and it’s been quite the month for this newsletter.

It has more than doubled in size, moving past 500 subscribers this weekend, on the way to 1,000 and beyond. The open rate is still well over 60 percent, which is incredible. Both the growth and the open rate are feedback to me that the newsletter is accomplishing the mission to connect you to the best journalism in Oklahoma in a way that makes it as easy as possible.

But getting featured in the Tulsa World, a paper I grew up with (along with the Tulsa Tribune, RIP) was icing on the good news cake for me personally.

Tulsa World Executive Editor Jason Collington has been a big encouragement to me as I’ve embarked on this mission — and so this is an opportunity for me to reintroduce myself to a largely new and growing audience.

My name is Ryan, and I’ve worked in journalism since 1989 starting with the Henryetta Daily Free-Lance and The Oklahoma Daily (while I was at OU), and then the Hugo Daily News and El Campo Leader-News (in southeast Texas). In 2005, I became the digital editor at KOCO-TV in Oklahoma City and worked for Internet Broadcasting and Hearst Television through 2013. Since 2017, I had been the director of digital content for Griffin Media, overseeing all-things digital and social for News 9 in Oklahoma City and News On 6 in Tulsa — until the end of 2024 when I decided to start my own business, Doable Digital Media.

My undergrad in journalism is from the University of Oklahoma, and I have a master’s in journalism (digital audience strategy) from the Cronkite School at Arizona State University. I am proud to be both a Sooner and a Sun Devil.

But I’m 100 percent Oklahoman, and I care about this state.

The big cities. The small towns.

The ‘news deserts.’ Especially the news deserts.

College athletics. And prep sports.

The Red and the Blue.

My superpower just happens to be this digital space: newsletters, podcasts, social video, and especially amplifying great content. The mission of this newsletter is to put the spotlight on the important work being done in newsrooms across the state — newsrooms focused on journalism so much so that they don’t have enough time to self-promote.

In turn, you’ll get a newsletter each weekday morning and sometimes more that connects you to the best in Oklahoma journalism without pop-up ads or social media posts you don’t want to see. It’s one newsletter in your email inbox, and you can review it at your leisure.

For Oklahoma to become a Top 10 state it takes all of us together in a constant effort to stay better-informed. If this is a mission you believe in, please share this newsletter with your friends.

Here’s the link: https://www.oklahomamemo.com/subscribe

Thank YOU for being here.

You can message me anytime at [email protected].

Weather Update ☀️

A hot summer’s Monday. Rain chances later in the week.

🌡️ Monday's high in OKC 96°
🌡️ Monday’s high in Tulsa 97°

Walters defiant, says allegations against him “politically motivated attacks”

By Ryan Welton, Oklahoma Memo
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Two days after bombshell stories alleging that inappropriate video could be seen on a TV belonging to State Superintendent Ryan Walters, the state’s education chief issued a defiant statement Sunday afternoon.

KOCO.com broke the story on Sunday, and they posted the statement from Walters:

“As I lead the charge for a bold overhaul of education in Oklahoma, putting parents back in control, rejecting radical agendas, and demanding excellence: it’s no surprise to face politically motivated attacks.

Any suggestion that a device of mine was used to stream inappropriate content on the television set is categorically false. I have no knowledge of what was on the TV screen during the alleged incident, and there is absolutely no truth to any implication of wrongdoing.

These falsehoods are the desperate tactics of a broken establishment afraid of real change. They aren’t just attacking me, they’re attacking the values of the Oklahomans who elected me to challenge the status quo.

I will not be distracted. My focus remains on making Oklahoma the best state in the nation, in every category.”

The alleged video was seen by two state Board of Education members, who told Walters to turn it off. A third board member acknowledged an incident but didn’t appear to have seen what was on the screen as well as the other two.

State House Speaker Kyle Hilbert (R-Bristow) and State Senate Pro Tem Lonnie Paxton (R-Tuttle) were joined by Senate Education Chairman Adam Pugh (R-Edmond) in calling for an investigation into the allegations.

Gov. Kevin Stitt said he also welcomed an investigation and noted that, if true, he would be “profoundly disappointed.”

There has been no public statement as of early Sunday evening from Oklahoma state Attorney General Gentner Drummond, who also is a 2026 gubernatorial candidate.

This will be a story ‘Oklahoma Memo’ follows closely. Be sure to follow us on your social platform of choice for the fastest updates.

See Also: 👀
Your Vote Counts: Superintendent Ryan Walters' allegations lead to bipartisan calls for investigation (News 9)

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If you’d like to advertise in the Oklahoma Memo newsletter daily, reach out to me at [email protected] or call me at 405.358.7184. I’d be happy to send you a rate card.

• Founded on Jan. 21, 2025
• 503 subscribers as of July 27
• Open rate above 64% daily
• CTR rate above 10% daily
• TikTok audience over 2 channels: 17,000+
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The Oklahoma Rundown 📰

A hand-curated list of the best journalism from across the state:

• 1-year-old dies after being struck in front yard of Stillwater residence (KFOR)

• Manhunt underway after parents found dead at Devil's Den State Park in Arkansas (News On 6)

• Fatal crash and deputy collision disrupt traffic on I-35 for nearly 11 hours (KOCO)

• Despite assurances, Oklahoma hospitals still worried about Medicaid cuts (Tulsa World)

• Oklahoma seeks changes to food assistance program (KOSU)

• Executive order looks to change how homelessness is managed (2 News Oklahoma)

• Federal funds released for after-school programs: 'Huge sigh of relief for our kids' (Tulsa World)

• OBN agents seize 7,531 plants, 571 pounds of processed marijuana from illegal grow in Sand Springs (Fox 23)

• Motel shooter allegedly tells police: “I shot the **** out of him, for no reason” (Sapulpa Times)

• Brent Venables sees 'no limits' to what Jim Nagy, front office can do for OU football's recruiting (Tulsa World)

• Woman in critical condition after a lightning strike on Lake Texoma (KTEN)

• Man drowns on Lake Texoma after going out fishing (KXII)

• Bryan county crash leaves one dead, one injured (KTEN)

• Two dead, one injured in fatal crash in Murray County (KTEN)

• ‘No knock list’ allows Yukon residents to ban solicitors (KFOR)

• Is Oklahoma a Top 10 state? How Gov. Stitt tracks education, health and more (The Oklahoman)

• Fifth annual Back to School Bash offers free supplies to Tulsa families (The Black Wall Street Times)

• Gov. Stitt takes the reins of the National Governors Association (KSWO)

• OKIE FROM MUSKOGEE: Lessons as preacher's daughter saved Beasley (Muskogee Phoenix)

• McAlester local brings second national title back to Oklahoma (McAlester News-Capital)

• Famed Native American artist Edgar Heap of Birds is himself in OKC exhibit 'Honor Song' (The Oklahoman)

• Oklahoma Highway Patrol pleads for caution after "devastating" weekend (News On 6)

• Oklahomans celebrate the 35th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (Oklahoma Voice)

• Luther data center proposal prompts NDA questions, open discussion (The Luther Register)

• Family Promise wants to turn burned out apartments into homeless housing (The Lawton Constitution)

• Residents say rural water company not maintaining system (Tahlequah Daily Press)

• City of Woodward completes full rehabilitation of Boomer Tank (Woodward News)

• Metroflex Ardmore showcasing its muscle with outdoor facility (Ardmoreite)

• Texas man jailed for murder allegation in Caddo County (The Lawton Constitution)

• Filing period opens Monday for Lawton Wards 3, 4, 5 council seats (The Lawton Constitution)

• New Henryetta Public Schools board member welcomed (Henryetta Free-Lance)

(Editor’s Note about the link above: New HPS board member Willem ‘Dutch’ Vandenborn was my very first journalism teacher at Henryetta High School some 38 years ago!)

• DRH Health CEO to appear on debut of CU Today show (Duncan Banner)

• Erick School Board of Education Candidate Filing Begins Monday (KECO-FM)

• 'A foot in both worlds:' The surprising similarities between Pope Leo XIV and Blessed Stanley Rother (The Oklahoman)

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Our Mission, Social Media & Feedback

The ‘Oklahoma Memo’ mission is simple: Reignite the daily news habit by connecting Oklahomans and those who love Oklahoma to quality sources of news and vetted information.

Frictionless. Painless. Stress-free.

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