Kent Friel
Prior to joining Salem Reporter to cover education and children's social services, Friel covered Idaho's Wood River Valley as an intern for the Idaho Mountain Express, a twice-weekly, locally-owned print newspaper that serves as the paper of record in Blaine County, Idaho. Across two internships for the Express, he covered everything from elections and the environment to housing and transportation. His reporting was recently recognized in the Idaho Press Club’s Best of 2025 Annual Awards. He holds a degree in history from Dartmouth College, where he was executive editor of the college’s independent student newspaper, The Dartmouth. He also handled layout for The Dartmouth’s print edition, spearheaded a project to introduce a twice-monthly print magazine and wrote a regular cooking column! His writing has also been featured in the Dartmouth Alumni Magazine and The New York Times Book Review. He speaks Spanish and French, and when not chasing down a story, you can find him immersed in a book!
