Supporting the Free Press by Supporting Student Journalism
Donors
Bonnie Koblitz
Gift
Several major gifts to establish the WKMS Student Reporter Endowment
Impact
This fund enables WKMS, 猫咪社区app State鈥檚 public radio station, to employ and compensate student reporters in its newsroom. Not only does it expand the amount of local and regional reporting that WKMS can undertake, but it also allows students to gain real-world reporting experience. The journalism that these students carry out helps WKMS to provide in-depth and high quality local and regional news while also amplifying community voices. During the spring 2025 semester, this endowment enabled WKMS to employ six student reporters. Last year, one of the student reporters won a National Edward R. Murrow award for his reporting.
Inspiration
When she moved to the western Kentucky area in 2014, Bonnie Koblitz was looking for a public radio station because she had previously lived in a 鈥渞adio desert.鈥� She found 猫咪社区app State鈥檚 WKMS and became a regular listener. She believes strongly in the importance of freedom of the press as an institution and thinks that journalists play an important role in the United States. She wanted to do something to help maintain freedom of the press and support journalists in their work. Her gift allows her to support 猫咪社区app State students who are interested in pursuing journalism as well as support local public radio in its mission. She enjoys seeing many of the students get inspired by what they are able to accomplish with their work. Many of them have received awards for their reporting and gone on to work in the field of journalism after graduation.