Northwestern grad to join Modesto Bee to cover economic development, coronavirus recovery

As a student at journalism powerhouse Northwestern University, Kristina Karisch knows all about the importance of local news.

In addition to covering the university, the student newspaper also focused on the college town of Evanston, Ill., which offered great experience reporting on city government, education and myriad other topics important to its residents.

“Local journalism is the bedrock of so many communities,” said Karisch, a 2020 graduate of the Medill School of Journalism, Media and Integrated Marketing Communications. “The decline in local news coverage across the country is highly concerning to me, and I want to do my part to keep this vital industry alive.”

The Seattle resident will get that chance in Modesto, where she will cover economic development for The Bee as part of the Report for America program. She will start work in June.

It’s a partnership between The Bee and RFA, an initiative of the GroundTruth Project, an award-winning nonprofit dedicated to supporting journalists and matching them with news organizations that are seeking to fill gaps in coverage. RFA puts up half of a reporter’s salary, and the news organization finds the other half through community funding. (Donate here)

Last year, with support from the RFA, the Stanislaus County Office of Education and the Stanislaus Community Foundation, The Bee was able to hire Dr. ChrisAnna Mink to cover children’s health. Mink, who received a second year of financial support from RFA, SCOE and the community foundation, recently won a California Journalism Award for coverage on Youth and Education.

In applying for the second grant position last winter, The Bee’s focus was on economic development, given the importance of the changes happening in the community and the region in its efforts to attract new business, and tackle growing concerns around employment, housing, land-use, transportation, water and air quality.

Of course, that changed in March with the coronavirus pandemic. Coverage of economic development will turn, in part, to economic recovery.

“As the coronavirus was spreading, in the back of my mind, I knew it would be a big part of what I was going to cover,” Karisch said, adding that she’s looking forward to telling those stories and illustrating how Stanislaus County restores itself and chronicling its move forward.

Karisch was one of 225 journalists selected for the program, which will place journalists in more than 160 local news organizations across 45 states and Puerto Rico.

“It’s now crystal clear that the need for trustworthy, accurate, and local information can be a matter of life and death,” said Steven Waldman, co-founder and president of Report for America. “This surge of reporters should help meet this moment.”

Karisch began working at the Daily Northwestern from the time she arrived on campus to her departure at the end of December. Among the positions she held were print managing editor, digital projects editor and city editor.

Her internships included her most recent stint at the Washington Monthly, the West Seattle Herald and the Medill News Service.

Said Charles E. Whitaker, dean of the Medill School: “Kristina is one of the most promising young journalists I have ever encountered. In fact, I would place her in the top 1 percent of the more than 800 immensely talented young people that I have taught in my 26 years as a member of the Medill faculty.”

“We are thrilled to have Kristina join our newsroom,” said Modesto Bee Editor Brian Clark. “Her passion will go a long way in developing and reporting on the critical rebuilding issues that face us in all sectors.”

As part of the RFA program, Karisch also will participate in a public service project of her choice that serves children in Stanislaus County. Mink has donated her time to the Boys and Girls Club of Stanislaus County.

You can donate to support her through RFA at bit.ly/ModbeeRFA or through the Stanislaus Community Foundation, a champion of local journalism and local economic development.

This story was originally published April 23, 2020 at 6:00 AM.