Holly Edgell Will Lead Midwest Newsroom Collaboration as Managing Editor

KCUR is pleased to announce that longtime journalist and editor Holly Edgell will become the first managing editor of the Midwest Newsroom – a public radio collaboration among stations in Missouri, Kansas, Iowa and Nebraska. Edgell will help define the editorial vision for this four-state collaboration that’s focused on investigative reporting, and will develop a strategy for executing it, according to Sarah Morris, general manager of KCUR in Kansas City, Mo.

KCUR is the lead station for the collaboration, which includes managing partners Nebraska Public Media, Iowa Public Radio, St. Louis Public Radio and NPR.

Prior to joining the Midwest Newsroom, Holly was project manager and assistant editor for Side Effects Public Media and WFYI in Indianapolis. She managed health and education community engagement efforts, acted as supervising producer of the popular podcast, "Sick" and participated in editing, recruiting and hiring. She also served as editor for the Sharing America project, a collaboration that covered the intersection of race, identity and culture. Edgell has extensive experience in digital media, editing, and producing for both broadcast and digital news outlets, as well as training journalists and teaching journalism at the college level.

She will join the Midwest Newsroom team on July 6, 2021.

The Midwest Newsroom is the fourth regional news "hub" created by NPR and Member stations, joining counterparts in Texas, California and the Gulf States of Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana.

With its focus on in-depth reporting, the new Midwest team will include a three-person investigative unit and two editors. The team will bring public service reporting to a region dominated by rural news deserts as local publications have fewer resources for extensive projects.

To support Edgell, KCUR and its collaboration partners will play a major role in bringing the regional newsroom to life, ensuring the region will be well-served by the investigative reporting produced through this new collaboration.

About NPR

NPR’s rigorous reporting and unsurpassed storytelling connect with millions of Americans every day — on the air, online, and in person. NPR strives to create a more informed public — one challenged and invigorated by a deeper understanding and appreciation of events, ideas, and cultures. With a nationwide network of award-winning journalists and 17 international bureaus, NPR and its Member Stations are never far from where a story is unfolding. Listeners can find NPR by tuning in to their local Member stations (npr.org/stations), and now it’s easy to listen to our stories on smart speaker devices. Ask your smart speaker to, "Play NPR" and you’ll be tuned into your local Member station’s live stream. Your speaker can also access NPR podcasts, NPR One, NPR News Now, and the Visual Newscast is available for screened speakers. Get more information at npr.org/about and by following NPR Extra on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.