Missouri

Wendy Todd

Wendy Todd is a St. Louis-based writer and reporter.. Prior to joining The St. Louis American, she worked for Community News, a hyperlocal newspaper in St. Louis covering North St. Louis. Her previous experience includes writing for the University of Missouri–St. Louis news site and quarterly magazine, and handling communications for various nonprofits. After freelancing for years writing culture pieces for outlets including Ebony.com, HuffPost and The Washington Post, Todd joined St. Louis Public Radio as a social media coordinator, creating content focused on socioeconomic disparities among African Americans in St. Louis, with additional news reporting. She earned a bachelor’s degree in religious studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Todd also completed fellowships with the Maynard Institute of Journalism Education and the Google News Initiative.

Zoe Lewis

Zoe Lewis is a 2025 journalism graduate from Murray State University. She has been passionate about journalism since she was a curious, young girl watching the morning news. Prior to joining Southeast Missourian, she worked at WKMS, an NPR affiliate radio station, during her college career where she has reported on government and politics, criminal justice and education. She recently received 13th place for the Hearst Journalism Awards Program in the audio competition for her work at WKMS. Lewis loves to read, watch movies and play with her dog.

The St. Louis American

The St. Louis American is a weekly newspaper established in 1928. It has grown to become the largest weekly in the state and a leading voice for the African-American community in the St. Louis area.

Southeast Missourian

Started in 1904, the Southeast Missourian, founded in 1904, is a family-owned, community newspaper focused on hyper-local news, features and sports coverage.
Avery Martinez headshot

Avery Martinez

Avery Martinez is currently the water, ag & environment reporter for KMOV-TV in St. Louis, Missouri. He has worked in television, radio and newsprint across multiple states and markets. He brings a community approach to reporting. He cut his teeth in smaller family papers, before working in major syndicates and networks. Martinez has been a mental health correspondent, anchor, producer, legal staff writer, immigration specialist, editor, campaign correspondent and columnist—in addition to covering city, state and federal courts and legislatures. He was the first graduate of Fort Lewis College’s Journalism and Mass Media Studies program. Martinez has won awards and fellowships for his international coverage of healthcare systems, election committees, immigrant legal representation and the future of law school exams.

Julie Freijat

Prior to joining Report for America, Freijat served as a data reporter for Kansas City PBS through the Dow Jones News Fund, where she produced data-driven articles about local and state issues. She also held two internships at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, where she gained valuable experience in science communication working across platforms. Freijat was also heavily involved in her campus newspaper at Kansas State University, where she served in multiple leadership roles and won awards for her design and writing at the state and national levels. While at Mizzou, Freijat worked as a research assistant for Investigative Reporters and Editors and served as a student staffer at the Reynold’s Journalism Institute Innovation Lab. Freijat received her master’s in journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 2024, and graduated from Kansas State University with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a minor in biology in 2022.

Harshawn Ratanpal

Before joining KBIA and the Missouri School of Journalism, Ratanpal covered money in politics at OpenSecrets, tracking campaign finance and lobbying data. At the Missouri School of Journalism, he covered local government, homelessness and the state legislature for mid-Missouri’s NPR member station KBIA and the Columbia Missourian. He was also the news director of KCOU, the campus student-run radio station. He holds a bachelor’s in journalism and a Bachelor of Science in economics. His first real-world gig was interning for his hometown newspaper, The San Diego Union-Tribune. He started his career in the 7th grade, writing for his school paper, the PawPrints. In his free time, Ratanpal makes music, lifts weights and climbs rocks.

Kansas City PBS/Flatland

Kansas City PBS has a long tradition of public service that has laid the foundation for expanding its news gathering relationship with our community. Our content platforms — television, radio, digital, social media and educational outreach — exist to serve the diversity of our region. We explore complicated issues with thoughtful reporting. We share the diverse stories of people, places, and progress in our community. We advance conversations through community engagement and social media. Specifically, Kansas City PBS operates four KCPT-related public television channels; KTBG 90.9 The Bridge, an NPR-affiliated AAA music station; and FlatlandKC, an online digital magazine; in addition to social media and community events.

KBIA and the Missouri School of Journalism

KBIA News is an award-winning, innovative newsroom located in the university town of Columbia, on the campus of the Missouri School of Journalism. Reporters at KBIA News cover this dynamic Mid-Missouri community, coach and edit journalism students, and file reports and features to NPR and other national programs. KBIA News enjoys close collaborations with Harvest Public Media, Side Effects Public Media, and with innovative campus organizations such as the Reynolds Journalism Institute.

KMOV-TV

KMOV in St. Louis is the most watched station in all of Missouri and Southern Illinois. KMOV is one of the top CBS affiliates in the country, a leader in Market #23, and known for its award winning news and weather coverage, numerous community service projects, and effective broadcast and digital marketing solutions. KMOV is the 2023 National Edward R Murrow Award Winner for Best Newscast and Regional Winner for Overall Excellence.