Kansas City PBS Welcomes New Report for America Corps Member

Julie Freijat Joins Nonprofit Newsroom to Cover Agriculture, Water and Sustainability

Published April 24th, 2024

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Bringing More Journalists Into the Ecosystem

The Flatland newsroom at Kansas City PBS is proud to introduce its newest member of the Report for America corps, Julie Freijat. As an agriculture and water sustainability reporter, Freijat will be joining the team this coming summer. Kliff Kuehl, the president and CEO of Kansas City PBS, expressed his enthusiasm for the partnership with Report for America, stating, “Through this support, we can bring more journalists into the ecosystem, supporting their long-term success and better serving the community.”

Shedding Light on Key Sustainability Issues

With significant experience as a data reporter, Freijat will provide key coverage on agricultural, water, and sustainability challenges within the heartland, with particular focus on the bi-state region encompassing the Kansas City metropolitan area. Chris Lester, Kansas City PBS/Flatland managing editor, emphasized the importance of such coverage. He stated, “Water is the single most important resource on Earth, and it is both underappreciated and undercovered. This a great opportunity for us to lean into coverage of one of the defining issues of the next generation.”

A Collaborative Reporting Project

As a Report for America corps member, Freijat will collaborate with the Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk, a highly significant partnership that will enable Kansas City PBS to provide audiences with comprehensive data supporting sustainable practices in water management. Freijat expressed her excitement about her new role, “I am so thrilled to be working with Kansas City PBS. I have called the Kansas City area my home for my entire life. I am excited for the opportunity to tell impactful and engaging stories about a community I care deeply about.”

Prior Engagements

Prior to her engagement with Kansas City PBS, Freijat had several noteworthy stints, including a Dow Jones News Fellowship reporting internship at Kansas City PBS. She also served as a student innovation staffer at the Reynolds Journalism Institute and a graduate research assistant for Investigative Reporters and Editors Inc. She completed her master’s in Journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 2024.

Supporting Young Journalists and Strengthening Reporting

Rachel Rohr, the vice president of program development at Report for America, highlighted the importance of mentorship support for early-career journalists. She said, “Today’s newsrooms have become so lean that it can be difficult for them to provide the mentorship and support that early-career journalists are looking for. By sharing resources and creating opportunities for peer networking, we can strengthen their reporting and well-being.”

Expansion of Report for America

Report for America also recently announced its plans to place nearly 60 journalists in new positions at local newsrooms across the country this summer. Since its launch in 2017, the organization’s national service program has matched more than 650 journalists with various news outlets. Kansas City PBS/Flatland has been a host newsroom with Report for America since 2020.

Funding Support

The work of the Report for America Corps members, including Julie Freijat, is partially supported by the generous funding from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.

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