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Our Newsrooms
The Beacon serves Kansas and Missouri through our two newsrooms in Wichita and Kansas City, along with statehouse reporters in Topeka and Jefferson City.
We serve revelatory, data and solutions-driven stories to the Kansas City-metro centered around issues in health care, education, labor, housing, and state and local government.
Wichitans deserve a trusted source for unbiased, independent local news. We’re here to provide it — and partnering with the community to make it happen.







Our
Team
The Beacon’s staff handle editorial content, audience development and day-to-day newsroom operations. The editorial independence of our editors and reporters is critical to the mission of The Beacon.
The Beacon serves Kansas and Missouri through our two newsrooms in Wichita and Kansas City, along with statehouse reporters in Topeka and Jefferson City.
Beacon Reporters
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Maria Benevento
The Kansas City Beacon’s education reporter✉️ maria@thebeacon.media
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Meg Cunningham
The Kansas City Beacon’s Missouri Statehouse reporter
✉️ meg@thebeacon.media

Sawyer Belair
The Wichita Beacon’s data and public health reporter
✉️ sawyer@thebeacon.media
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Mili Mansaray
The Kansas City Beacon's housing and labor reporter
✉️ mili@thebeacon.media
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Trace Salzbernner
The Wichita Beacon reporter
✉️ trace@thebeacon.media
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Josh Merchant
The Kansas City Beacon’s local government reporter
✉️ josh@thebeacon.media
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Miranda Moore
The Beacon's state house reporter
✉️ miranda@thebeacon.media

Polly Basore Wenzl
The Wichita Beacon editor
✉️ polly@thebeacon.media
Beacon Staff
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Gary Enrique Bradley-Lopez

Kristen Nicole Powell
The Kansas City Beacon’s Community Engagement Bureau manager✉️ gary@thebeacon.media
The Wichita Beacon’s Community Engagement Bureau manager
✉️ kristen@thebeacon.media
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