Missouri

The Kansas City Beacon

The Kansas City Beacon is a nonprofit, digital-only news outlet based in covering the 2 million metro area 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 began publishing in early 2020.

The St. Louis American/Type Investigations

The St. Louis American has covered the African American community since 1928. The Black-owned newspaper is now the largest weekly newspaper in Missouri. The American also is a 13-time recipient of the National Newspaper Publishers Association’s Russwurm Award, which recognizes the top African-American newspaper in the country. Type Investigations is the signature program of the Type Media Center, and provides expert editorial guidance, researchers, and funds for reporting costs to foster investigative reporting.

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.  

Catherine Hoffman

Catherine Hoffman covers rural issues in Missouri for PBS Kansas City. She has interned as a video journalist covering faith stories for the past year, and before that was a video reporting intern at PBS Kansas City. In the spring of 2020 she premiered her first documentary short, “46 Years,” and has explored faith and resilience in her work. She holds a degree in documentary journalism from the University of Missouri with minors in French and black studies. She was raised in Dallas, Texas.

Jacob Douglas

Jacob Douglas covers rural issues including economic sustainability in small-town Missouri for Kansas City, PBS. Douglas covered education technology, renewable energy and rural life during internships with CNBC and Kansas City Public Television. He graduated with honors from the University of Missouri School of Journalism in the Spring of 2020. His most recent projects at the journalism school include leading a team of reporters seeking out much-needed information about COVID-19 in underreported areas in Southern Missouri and developing an arts and culture podcast for the J-School. He grew up in Dallas City, Illinois and got started in journalism by covering high school sports for the Hancock County Journal Pilot.

Humera Lodhi

Humera Lodhi reports for The Kansas City Star where she works as part of a team focusing on gun violence and uses her data skills to offer a deeper understanding of firearms statistics. She is a writer, programmer, multimedia creator and proud Missourian who has reported for various Missouri outlets such as the St. Louis Post Dispatch and KCUR on civil rights legislation, social media extremism and neglected public infrastructure. She was part of an award-winning research team that created a digital database mapping the British suppression of the African slave trade, created and produced a Snapchat series covering the midterm elections for Raycom Media and built an app for journalists that uncovered hidden relationships between topics using artificial intelligence. Lodhi graduated from the University of Missouri with degrees in journalism and statistics in 2019. Afterwards, she pursued a master’s degree in data journalism from Columbia University.

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.