As public broadcasters navigate the fallout from federal funding cuts with significant job cuts, one organization is stepping in to help ensure that local voices and news coverage aren’t lost at two of Alaska’s most remote public radio outlets.
The national service program Report for America announced immediate support for two full-time reporters at CoastAlaska’s KRBD in Ketchikan and KOTZ in Kotzebue. Desiree Hagen, news director and sole reporter at KOTZ, joined in August, while Hunter Morrison will begin working for KRBD in October.
Report for America will cover 100% of salaries and benefits in the first year, and will also provide training and mentorship to help the stations stabilize operations. KRBD serves about 20,000 people across Ketchikan and surrounding islands, while KOTZ covers the Northwest Arctic Borough, where real-time emergency updates can be a matter of survival.
Report for America Executive Director Kim Kleman commented, “When the cuts came, it was clear that some communities could lose their only dependable source of news and emergency information. We knew we had to act quickly – because in Alaska, losing a station doesn’t just mean losing journalism, it means losing a critical lifeline.”
Hagen said, “Our radio station and newsroom faced a crisis from the loss of federal CPB funding. Initially, we were told by the board and leadership that we would have to close the radio station within the next year. This would mean the Northwest Arctic – a region larger than Indiana, primarily consisting of Alaska Native people – would lose their only local news source. This funding from Report for America ensures that our small, one-person newsroom can continue to provide quality journalism and emergency information for years to come. The funding prevents the voices of rural Alaska and the Arctic from going silent.”
KRBD General Manager Mike Gates added, “Report for America responded when we needed them most. KRBD was in the middle of hiring a reporter when funding was cut, leaving some 20,000 people in southern Southeast Alaska without our essential local news coverage. We’re very excited and grateful to be working with Report for America.”
