2026-2027

Margaret Mellott

As an award-winning journalist in both Kansas and New York, Mellott covered health, education, economic development and local government. For the last two years, she's worked with the Johnson County Post, reporting on the community she grew up in. Prior to working with the Post, Mellott worked in central New York. That work, focused particularly on health, earned her two second place awards in state and local contests — the New York Press Association and the Syracuse Press Club. She was also a part of the team that earned first place in the Public Service Division of the Journalists Association of New York Contest. She graduated from Emporia State University's Communication Program in 2022, where she was also editor-in-chief of the student newspaper, The Bulletin. After college, Mellott covered statehouse news during an internship with the Kansas Reflector.

Stephanie Casanova

Stephanie Casanova is a Colorado River reporter for Arizona Luminaria. Her position is part of a partnership with High Country News Western Environmental Collaborative (WERC). Prior to joining Report for America, Casanova worked as an independent bilingual journalist from Tucson, Arizona, who has covered community stories for more than 10 years. She is passionate about narrative, in-depth and investigative storytelling that is inclusive and reflects the diversity of the communities she covers. Her work has been published by CALÓ News, Somos Tucson, Arizona Luminaria and Prism. She previously reported for Signal Cleveland, the Chicago Tribune and the Arizona Daily Star. Casanova is a 2026 investigative fellow with the Ida B. Wells Society for Investigative Reporting and has completed fellowships with the SPJ Future Leaders Academy, the Maynard 200 investigative reporting program and the IRE Data Journalism Bootcamp. She has also mentored students through the SPJ Future Leaders Academy. When she is not working, Casanova is most likely dancing salsa or baking something sweet.

Maria Peralta-Arellano

Prior to joining WXPR, Maria Peralta-Arellano reported in Milwaukee as the Eric Von Fellow for WUWM, Milwaukee's NPR. Her reporting at WUWM covered topics that included environment, immigration, the arts, and culture with a focus on amplifying underrepresented voices. Her career is shaped by her experiences working with local and independent news organizations, freelancing for a bilingual newspaper, El Conquistador, covering community needs. She studied at the University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee and graduated in 2024 with a bachelor's degree in multimedia journalism. She also minored in political science and earned a certificate in Latin American and Caribbean studies.

Drew Shaw

Before joining The Aspen Daily News, Drew Shaw held local elected officials accountable in Fort Worth, TX, reporting on government spending and city hall politics for the Fort Worth Report. Shaw's work also appeared in ProPublica, The Texas Tribune and The Dallas Morning News. A Texas native, Shaw studied journalism at the University of Texas at Arlington, where he served as managing editor at The Shorthorn, the student newspaper. He took his last UTA classes from Washington, D.C., as an intern with Al Jazeera English.

Gulf States Newsroom via WRKF

The Gulf States Newsroom was created to ensure that stories related to health care, criminal justice, the economy and other important issues continue to be told. WWNO and WRKF in Louisiana, WBHM in Alabama, Mississippi Public Broadcasting, and NPR are working together as a regional newsroom to plan coverage, share resources and add reporting power in a story-rich region that has for too long gone under-covered.

Salem Reporter

Salem Reporter, locally owned by a veteran Oregon journalist, is focused exclusively on reporting about the Salem area, delivering our work through our website and newsletters. Salem Reporter provides clear and compelling coverage of local government, insights into the people who hold power in the community and daily news about everything from community events to students making a difference. Our team of reporters is trusted for award-winning enterprise and investigative work.

The Florida Trib

The Florida Trib is a nonprofit, nonpartisan newsroom that serves Florida as a vital stream of journalism, holding those in power accountable and diving beneath the surface to tell stories that would otherwise go uncovered. Our mission is to strengthen the statewide and local news ecosystems by investigating entrenched problems and proposed solutions through using news in the public interest and community engagement.

Coconut Grove Spotlight

The Coconut Grove Spotlight is an independent nonprofit news organization that covers Coconut Grove, a historic community of approximately 20,000 residents within the City of Miami., as well as Miami City Hall, which is located in the village of Coconut Grove. The Spotlight is dedicated to providing public service journalism that serves the entire Coconut Grove community and that faithfully reflects the full diversity and interests of the community and its residents.

Cardinal News

Cardinal News is an independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan news site that serves Southwest and Southside Virginia. Our mission is to report the untold stories of Southwest and Southside Virginia, and strengthen the voices of the people in our communities who have been sidelined in the commonwealth’s political, economic and cultural conversations simply because of where they live.

WAER Syracuse Public Media

WAER Public Media, founded at Syracuse University in 1947 as one of the nation's first educational FM stations, serves Central New York with trusted news, music, and sports coverage. A commercial-free, listener-supported NPR affiliate, WAER is housed within the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and provides professional training for emerging journalists and broadcasters. Its mission is to enlighten, engage, and entertain the community while fostering informed citizenship and lifelong learning.