Meet Kristina Karisch, The Bee’s new economic development reporter. What do you want covered?
Dear Modesto Bee readers,
I’m thrilled to be joining The Bee as its full-time economic development reporter.. Over the course of the next year, I will be focusing my coverage on businesses in Modesto, Stanislaus County and the Northern San Joaquin Valley as they recover from the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and adapt to the changing climate.
As a part of the Report for America corps for 2020-2021, my placement at the Bee is being made possible due to generous support from the Stanislaus Community Foundation. Along with ChrisAnna Mink, the Bee’s other RFA reporter, I’m part of a class of 225 journalists dispatched across the country to work in local newsrooms and fill the gaps in crucial coverage areas. I’m so grateful to the program for the opportunity to work in local news and get to know a new community.
Having just moved to Modesto last week from Seattle, I’m still getting to know the city, but I’m looking forward to meeting with business leaders and community members to best understand how they’re contending with these unprecedented circumstances. As California moves through the phases of reopening its economy, I’ll be looking at the challenges local businesses face in doing so, but also at the community and government support helping to make this transition a smooth one.
As a reporter, I want to dive deep into the unique challenges and circumstances businesses face in the Central Valley — and look toward the future of the region as business and work is changing across the state. Residents will be returning to work in the coming months, but after weeks of working from home, businesses are beginning to reconsider what jobs can be done remotely — changing what the country’s workforce will look like for years to come.
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I’m a recent graduate of Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, and a member of the class of 2020, so I realize I’m starting a new chapter in an unprecedented time — and that many others are experiencing the same. That said, I’m hoping to connect with community members and local leaders to best understand their short- and long-term plans for recovery and revitalization as we all face new challenges and realities as a result of this pandemic.
I also want to connect with workers in all industries, from commuters to those who have lived here for decades, and understand what keeps them here and what makes this region a place new workers and families might move to as we hear of people leaving crowded metropolitan areas behind.
In addition to writing about development, we also want to focus on lifting up a community that has struggled with a lack of access to well-paying jobs and recovering from the last recession. As we move forward in times of economic uncertainty, we want to shed light on the programs helping train and connect people with jobs, like Career & Technical Education at Modesto Junior College.
The North San Joaquin Valley has a rich history of manufacturing, agriculture and small businesses, and I want to devote my attention and coverage to all areas of the region’s economy — making sure we pay as much attention to the large manufacturers as we do the small business just starting out.
I’m so excited to get started here in Modesto, and I’m looking forward to all the conversations I’ll be having in the coming year.
If you want to know more about what I’ll be covering, have a story that should be brought to my attention, or just want to say hello, please reach out at kkarisch@modbee.com or on Twitter at @kristinakarisch.
This story was produced with financial support from the Stanislaus Community Foundation, along with the GroundTruth Project’s Report for America initiative. The Modesto Bee maintains full editorial control of this work.
To help fund The Bee’s economic development/recovery and children’s health reporters with Report for America, go to bitly.com/ModbeeRFA
This story was originally published June 6, 2020 at 7:06 AM.
