Missouri

Kaitlin Washburn

Kaitlin Washburn reports for The Kansas City Star where she is part of a team examining gun violence in Missouri. As part of the team, Washburn reports in-depth on the politics of guns in the Missouri Legislature. This is her second tour of duty with Report for America. For the past year as an RFA member, she covered the omnipresent agriculture industry in California’s Central Valley for The Sun-Gazette. Prior to that, Washburn covered campaign finance and dark money for the Center for Responsive Politics, recreational cannabis and questionable state health care for The Oregonian and state politics for the Columbia Missourian. In 2019, she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri School of Journalism. At MU, her emphasis was in investigative reporting, and she spent three years as a researcher for Investigative Reporters and Editors.

The Kansas City Star

The Kansas City Star is the largest media organization covering the Kansas City region, which encompasses Kansas and Missouri. We cover both statehouses. The Star was founded in 1880 as "a paper for the people," a mission that continues today. We strive to tell stories that affect the lives of Kansas Citians and beyond.  

The Kansas City Star

The Kansas City Star is the largest media organization covering the Kansas City region, which encompasses Kansas and Missouri. We cover both statehouses. The Star was founded in 1880 as "a paper for the people," a mission that continues today. We strive to tell stories that affect the lives of Kansas Citians and beyond.  

The Kansas City Beacon

The Beacon is a new nonprofit, digital only news outlet based in Kansas City, covering the two million-person metro and both sides of the state line (Kansas and Missouri). Our mission: To spur reforms in the public interest by shining light on wrongdoings and abuse by government, businesses and other institutions in the region through in-depth, solutions-driven journalism. The Beacon was founded in April 2019 and will begin publishing in early 2020.

The Kansas City Star

The Kansas City Star is the largest media organization covering the Kansas City region, which encompasses Kansas and Missouri. We cover both statehouses. The Star was founded in 1880 as "a paper for the people," a mission that continues today. We strive to tell stories that affect the lives of Kansas Citians and beyond.  

Kansas City PBS

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.  

Eric Schmid

Eric Schmid has interned for Fox News Channel, AccuWeather as a Dow Jones News Fund Digital Media Intern and WSHU Public Radio. He covered governments in Nassau and Suffolk counties, environmental issues and other general assignments as a News Fellow at WSHU’s Long Island News Bureau. He graduated Summa Cum Laude from Stony Brook University last May as one of the journalism school co-valedictorians. Community reporting in the Metro East area in Illinois Eric covers the Metro East area in Illinois and is developing insights and knowledge about issues specific to the area, including economics, education and politics. He produces radio reports, web features and multimedia reports specific to Metro East issues and news. For example, while St. Louis Public Radio has developed a strong reputation for providing important information about ballot issues in Missouri, it has never been able to develop a similar depth of coverage and knowledge for our Illinois constituents. St. Louis Public Radio is providing training about news, production and relevant issues Eric might find himself covering.

St. Louis Public Radio

St. Louis Public Radio, a news organization and NPR member station, reaches half a million people on air, online and at events in the St. Louis region of Missouri and Illinois, with additional stations in Quincy, Ill., and Rolla and Lebanon, Mo. St. Louis Public Radio is committed to broadcasting and publishing material in the public interest to provide a free and accurate flow of information for people in the region. Its mission is to inform and provide a deeper understanding and appreciation of events, ideas and cultures for a more inspired and engaged public.

Brittany Callan

Brittany Callan reports for The Beacon, a nonprofit, digital news organization in Kansas City, Missouri, where she focuses on health and the environment and the connections between the two. Before joining Report for America, Callan was a communications associate at the Medical College of Wisconsin and a freelance fact-checker for Discover Magazine. She has reported on a labor union movement in the service industry for Milwaukee Magazine and research in bioprosthetic ovaries for Northwestern Research News. She graduated with an M.S. in Journalism from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University in 2018, where she specialized in health, environment and science. She holds a B.S. in biomedical engineering from the Milwaukee School of Engineering in 2015.