About
Us
We’re The Beacon, an independent, nonprofit news network serving Kansas and Missouri through our two newsrooms in Kansas City and Wichita.
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About Us
Beacon Values:
Transparency: Information about what is happening in our community and government means a better society for all. If we demand transparency from others, we must model it ourselves — radical transparency in funding, journalistic practices and our policies are integral to earning trust.
Independence: Our unique impact as journalists lies in our ability to tell the full and complete story. We hold ourselves accountable only to the communities we serve.
Impact: We do everything we can to bring stories, people and stakes alive for readers so they can engage in informed action and debate.
Anti-racism: We acknowledge and condemn the ongoing legacy of racism in the U.S. and in the institution we are part of — the press.
Local first: We put down roots in the communities we cover and work with our readers as well as for them.
Impact Report
Journalists must work to earn the trust of the public.
The Beacon is transparent about its reporting and ethical practices. Journalists at The Beacon:
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Sign agreements to abide by the Society for Professional Journalists’ Code of Ethics.
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Agree not to take any merchandise or food from sources exceeding $5.
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Do not display yard signs or financially support political candidates.
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Disclose all potential conflicts of interest before hiring.
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Routinely write about their processes for finding information and how they analyzed data and records.
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Use social media to engage with readers.
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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.
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Community Engagement Bureau
The Beacon’s Community Engagement Bureau is a journalism lab reimagining local media. We do this by equipping people with skills and resources, engaging in critical public conversations and producing information that directly addresses people’s needs.
Our ultimate goal is to equip communities with the tools to eliminate
information inequity.
Board of Directors
The Beacon’s Board of Directors oversee governance and fiscal responsibility for the 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Beacon Media Inc., and have no influence over editorial content or day-to-day newsroom operations. The editorial independence of our editors and reporters is critical to our mission. Standards of editorial independence adopted by the Institute for Nonprofit News are our guide.
Brittany Barrientos
Laurie Ellinghausen Callan
Tami Bradley
Mark Horvit
Anurag Patel
Michael Ouimette
Shelly Prichard
David Oliver
Kerri Voyles
About Our Founder
Kelsey Ryan is a highly accomplished journalist and nonprofit manager who has made significant contributions to the field of journalism in Kansas and Missouri. She founded The Beacon, a nonprofit news network that serves the two states with newsrooms in Kansas City and Wichita. Under her leadership, The Beacon gained a reputation for high-quality, local journalism and reporting, and received numerous awards and accolades.
Prior to founding The Beacon, Ryan worked as a data and investigative journalist at The Kansas City Star, where she was part of an investigative team that was named a 2018 Pulitzer Prize finalist in Public Service for its series on government secrecy in Kansas. She also worked at The Joplin Globe and The Wichita Eagle, where she covered health care, city government, and conducted investigations.
In September 2022, Ryan joined the Association of Health Care Journalists as its executive director, where she is responsible for leading the organization's efforts to promote and support quality healthcare journalism.