KCAW

KCAW serves Sitka and seven other communities, from Yakutat to Port Alexander — roughly the same distance between Washington, DC, and Columbus, Ohio. However, for those communities outside of Sitka, there is no other media source, and limited and unreliable internet. KCAW is the sole source of information about everything: from weather and tsunami warnings, to presidential elections.

 

Current Position

Location: Sitka, Alaska

Beat: Sitka and surrounding communities

Position:

This journalist builds trust and maintains relationships with our audience and communities outside of Sitka. At a minimum, there's a weekly two-way with a mayor, council member or school board member about some local issues of importance. These routine conversations are the first step in doing more in-depth reporting on meatier stories like the threat of school closure due to a low student census, or efforts to build a small hydroelectric project. In spring and summer, the reporter may visits the communities by floatplane and fishing boat, reinforcing these connections and going even deeper into the lives and issues of our far-flung audience. Our sense is that most of these stories will be about energy independence and sustainable communities in a rapidly-changing world—with lessons for all of us. This corps member needs a strong organizational sense. Conditions in Alaska require patience and flexibility when a source suddenly goes fishing or a flight gets cancelled. Resourcefulness is key.

Reporter: Tash Kimmell