POSTPONED | VIRTUAL PROGRAM | The Beacon's Kelsey Ryan: Transforming Local Media

When the pandemic hit, The Beacon -- a new media organization in the works in Kansas City -- sped up its soft-launch to get critical news to the community. Learn more about the origin story of The Beacon from its founder, how it's different from other local media, and how you can be a part of shaping local news in the Midwest. 

Join us to...

• Hear how the media industry is changing and how that affects you.
• Engage with The Beacon: Share topics you think aren't covered enough by local media and ways you get your news.

Speaker Bio
Kelsey Ryan is a journalist and news entrepreneur. Before founding The Beacon, she worked at The Kansas City Star and was on the investigative team that was named a 2018 Pulitzer Prize finalist in Public Service for its series on government transparency in Kansas. Ryan began her career at The Joplin (Mo.) Globe the day after an EF-5 tornado devastated the city. She later worked at The Wichita (Kan.) Eagle, covering health care and later city government and investigations. She also manages memberships and communications at Local Independent Online News (LION) Publishers. In this role, she helps connect hundreds of independent news outlets across the U.S. to resources around sustainable business practices and community impact. Ryan grew up in Newton, Kan., and graduated from Emporia State University where she was editor of her college paper, The Bulletin. She is a member of Investigative Reporters & Editors, a board member on the Kansas Sunshine Coalition for Open Government, and frequently lectures at universities across Kansas and Missouri.