As director of the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, Al helps rural news media define the public agenda in their communities and report on broader issues that have local impact but few local sources. Cross helped organize the Institute, which has academic partners at 28 universities in 18 states.

Cross became the director in 2004, after more than 26 years as a reporter at the Courier-Journal of Louisville, the last 15½ years as chief political writer. 

His awards include the Kentucky Journalism Hall of Fame in 2010; the Media Awards of the East Kentucky Leadership Foundation in 2006; the Kentucky Psychological Association in 2013; the James Madison First Amendment Award of the Scripps Howard First Amendment Center at UK in 2015; and a share of the 1989 Pulitzer Prize won by the Courier-Journal’s staff for coverage of the nation’s deadliest bus and drunk driving crash.