Wyoming Public Media will receive funding from Report for America to support a full-time reporter based near the Wind River Reservation and covering the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapahoe populations.
Report for America is a national service program that places talented emerging journalists into local news organizations to report for one to two years on community critical issues. Report for America leverages a unique funding match model, paying half of a corps member's salary, and encouraging matching support from local news partners and foundations as well as dedicated donors.
Savannah Maher was awarded Report for America support to cover the Wind River area beginning June 2019. Savannah has been a producer for NPR's midday show Here & Now, where her work explored Native American issues. A proud citizen of the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe, Savannah got her start in journalism reporting for her hometown's local newspaper, The Mashpee Enterprise, and public radio station, WCAI. She has since contributed to New Hampshire Public Radio, High Country News, and NPR's Code Switch blog. She graduated from Dartmouth College.
Wyoming Public Media's General Manager Christina Kuzmych emphasized the value of Savanna Maher's reporting. "WPM produces strong stories and features from the Wind River Reservation, but not with a consistency and depth we would like. Report for America's reporter lets us focus on this part of Wyoming. It complements UW's American Indian Studies Program as well as the work our Wyoming media colleagues are doing in their coverage."
