TODAY: Modesto journalists to host Meet Your Bee free event. Here’s when, where
Modesto Bee reporters are used to being the ones who conduct interviews. But at a “Meet Your Bee Journalists” event this month, we’ll talk a bit about what we do, then be on the receiving end of questions from the audience.
The free gathering will be Thursday, March 27, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the King-Kennedy Memorial Center, 601 Martin Luther King Drive.
Space is limited, so visit Eventbrite.com and search “Meet Your Bee Journalists” to RSVP.
For reporters to be effective, they must know their community: What issues matter to residents? What questions do they want asked and answered? “Meet Your Bee Journalists” is an opportunity for our staff to hear that from residents, and to shed a light on what we do.
Some beats are self-explanatory: health, education, sports, entertainment. But what does accountability reporting mean? What are equity issues and why do they matter?
“One of our big newsroom goals for this year is that our reporters and editors meet members of our community more often and that we do a better job of explaining what it is we do, how we do it and why. And we want to make sure that we increase the opportunities for our readers to directly tell us what questions they have and what they are concerned about,” said senior editor Carlos Virgen.
The Bee content producers and editors the audience can expect to meet are, in alphabetical order:
- Andy Alfaro: Andy, our photographer/videographer, came to the Modesto Bee in 2013 from The Sacramento Bee, where he started in 1997. He began shooting film, and as technology changed transitioned to digital cameras and video production. Andy also flies camera-equipped drones.
- Julietta Bisharyan: Julietta, who joined The Modesto Bee in 2023 and has a background in data reporting, covers equity issues.
- Ken Carlson: Ken, who’s been with The Modesto Bee since the summer of 1999, primarily covers county government and health care.
- Pat Clark: Pat, who grew up in Modesto, started working for The Bee in 1994 and currently covers entertainment and enterprise stories.
- Deke Farrow: Deke came to Modesto in 1974 and never has lived more than a few hours away. He joined The Bee in 1995, has been an education, breaking-news and general-assignment reporter and now is the local news editor.
- Maria Figueroa: Maria was born and raised in Modesto, moved out of the area for college and returned to the community in 2012 to start working at The Bee. She was previously a research specialist and an editorial board member and became a reporter in 2024. As a general assignment reporter, she writes on myriad subjects.
- Quinton Hamilton: Quinton moved to Modesto in 2021 and has covered sports in the area since then. He focuses on high schools in the Stanislaus District and also covers Modesto Junior College, Stanislaus State and the Modesto Nuts.
- John Holland: John has been a Modesto Bee reporter since 2000. His main beat is economic mobility, which means well-paying jobs and affordable housing and transportation. John also covers climate issues and agriculture.
- Trevor Morgan: Trevor joined The Bee in 2023 as a breaking-news and courts reporter. He now reports and writes accountability and enterprise stories.
- Kathleen Quinn: Kathleen joined The Bee in September and reports on opportunities for public participation in government and the democratic process at a local level.
- Carlos Virgen: The Bee’s senior editor, Carlos joined The Bee in 2023. He has 20 years of journalism experience and was drawn to Modesto by its diverse population and vibrant cultural and economic environment.
- Dominique Williams: Ripon native Dominique became The Bee’s business reporter in February 2024 after nearly a year of writing service journalism. She now primarily writes about business openings and closures, restaurants and retail developments.
This story was originally published March 7, 2025 at 12:00 PM.
