You may recognize Thomas Friestad. For the past six years, he’s covered some of the biggest development and economic stories shaping Kansas City as a reporter for the Kansas City Business Journal. On Oct. 19, Thomas will join The Beacon as our new senior reporter covering Kansas City’s City Hall. His arrival comes just a […]
Stephanie Campbell
STEPHANIE CAMPBELL is The Beacon’s CEO. Campbell brings deep experience in nonprofit leadership roles spanning the education, startup, philanthropy, technology and performing arts industries, as well as skills in budget management, venture philanthropy, strategic planning and employee engagement. Campbell previously served as vice president of operations and communications at Kansas City-based nonprofit Leanlab Education, a nonprofit working towards equity in K-12 education, and associate director of the Regnier Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of Missouri Kansas City. In her free time she enjoys unwinding on the tennis court and spending time with her three kids.
Posted inBehind the Beacon
Thank you, Chris Lester
When Chris Lester agreed to become The Beacon’s interim editor-in-chief in June 2025, he was supposed to help us through a transition. He did that. But “transition” hardly captures what happened during his 15 months here. Under Chris’ editorial leadership, The Beacon produced some of the strongest journalism in our young newsroom’s history. “Dumped in […]
Posted inBehind the Beacon
Allison Dikanovic will be The Beacon’s next editor-in-chief
We have some big news to share. Allison Dikanovic is joining The Beacon as our next editor-in-chief. Allison starts Sept. 14 and comes to us from The Kansas City Star, where she most recently led local government accountability coverage. She has spent her career thinking about many of the same things we think about every […]
Posted inBehind the Beacon
The Beacon and KBIA-FM win national Murrow Award for reporting partnership ‘Dumped in Berger’
We have exciting news to share. “Dumped in Berger,” a six-month investigation by The Beacon’s Ceilidh Kern and KBIA’s Harshawn Ratanpal, has won a national Edward R. Murrow Award for Investigative Reporting. The Murrow Awards are among the most prestigious honors in journalism, and we couldn’t be prouder to see this reporting recognized nationally. If […]
Posted inBehind the Beacon
Why we’re trying something new
One of the things I love most about The Beacon is that we’re always trying to get better. We look at what other nonprofit news organizations are doing, we talk with colleagues across the country and we borrow good ideas when we think they’ll make The Beacon stronger for our readers. Over the next few […]
Posted inBehind the Beacon
Over 70½ years old? There’s a tax-smart way to support The Beacon
My friend Brent Schondelmeyer has a habit of introducing me to good ideas. He’s thoughtful, practical and always looking for ways to make a difference. One of those ideas is something called a qualified charitable distribution, or QCD. Until Brent mentioned it, I’d never heard of one. The more I learned, the more I thought, […]
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Meet The Beacon’s new COO
Hilary Becker, who’s been with The Beacon since 2021, will help guide The Beacon through its next phase of growth as its chief operating officer.
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The Beacon welcomes two new board members
Melissa Roberts Chapman and Matt Waggoner will join The Beacon as board members, supporting The Beacon’s upcoming growth initiatives.
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The Beacon earns regional Murrow Award for investigative series on hazardous waste in Berger, Missouri
“Dumped in Berger,” a three-part series collaboratively reported by The Beacon’s Ceilidh Kern and KBIA-FM’s Harshawn Ratanpal, has earned a regional Edward R. Murrow Award. Since 1971, the Radio Television Digital News Association has been honoring outstanding work in broadcast and digital journalism with the Murrow Awards, named for the legendary CBS broadcaster. The Beacon […]
Posted inBehind the Beacon
We’re opening the search for our next editor-in-chief
The Beacon is searching for a visionary editor-in-chief to lead our reporting team.