Wichitans deserve a trusted source for unbiased, independent local news. And we’re here to provide it.

The Wichita Beacon started publishing in July 2021 and is part of The Beacon, a regional nonprofit news network. Beacon stories are revelatory, contextual, data-driven and solutions-driven.

The Beacon Wichita is the city’s first nonprofit, community-supported digital news organization. We’re changing the face of journalism with an innovative model for reliable, truthful news here in the Midwest. And we’re partnering with you – our neighbors – to make it happen. 

Vision: Communities that are well-informed and actively involved.

Mission: The Beacon cultivates engaged and informed communities through accessible reporting and active community engagement on crucial local subjects, anchored by a sustainable nonprofit revenue model.

This is your newsroom.

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Affiliations and Memberships

The Beacon is a member of the Wichita Journalism Collaborative, Local Independent Online News (LION) Publishers and the Institute for Nonprofit News.

Journalists must work to earn the trust of the public. The Beacon is transparent about its reporting and ethical practices. Journalists at The Beacon:

  • Sign agreements to abide by the Society for Professional Journalists’ Code of Ethics.
  • Agree not to take any merchandise or food from sources exceeding $5.
  • Do not display yard signs or financially support political candidates.
  • Disclose all potential conflicts of interest before hiring.
  • Routinely write about their processes for finding information and how they analyzed data and records.
  • Use social media to engage with readers.
  • Participate in events and podcasts about their work.

As part of our transparency pledge to readers, The Beacon follows the Institute for Nonprofit News’ requirements to disclose its financial backers: No more than 5 percent of our annual budget will come from anonymous donations, we will post our 990 tax forms to our website, and we will publicly identify all donors who give more than $5,000.

Our journalism is not influenced by any funder or partners.

Awards & Recognitions

Find the full list of awards and recognitions that The Wichita Beacon has received here.

Policies & Standards