Rachel Needham

Rachel Needham reports for the Rappahannock News & Foothills Forum in Washington, Virginia, where she covers the changing nature of public services. While attending Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington, she was a reporter for the student newspaper, the Whitman Wire. Her coverage of rural healthcare earned the Hosokawa Journalism Award for News Writing in 2018. Rachel contributed as a fact-checker to author Aaron Bobrow-Strain’s acclaimed book, “The Death and Life of Aida Hernandez,” which documents the consequences of militarization on the US-Mexico border. After earning her B.A. in Environmental Humanities, she moved to New Mexico where she freelanced for Searchlight New Mexico, which promotes independent, investigative journalism. In addition to being a writer, Needham is a wilderness first responder and rock climbing guide.

Rappahannock News & Foothills Forum

News desert? Check. The weekly News is the lone legitimate mainstream print/online outlet. The Rappahannock News has served the 7,300 residents of rural Rappahannock County, Va., since 1949. Its parent company is owned by a group of community investors.