The first step in growing our newsroom was adding a reporter dedicated to the Southern Oregon Coast. In July, we welcomed Theo Greenly to that role. Theo brings extensive experience covering coastal communities across the West. Most recently, he reported from the remote Aleutian and Pribilof Islands in Alaska, covering fisheries, environmental issues and Indigenous communities.
Theo interned at NPR, where he worked on long-form podcasts including Invisibilia and Louder Than A Riot. As an independent journalist, he reported on homelessness and racial inequality for the Santa Monica Daily Press and produced stories for NPR member stations around the country. In Alaska, he pursued stories by boat, helicopter and, on one occasion, jet ski.
During his first month at JPR, Theo has already reported on Port Orford’s effort to become a South Coast seafood hub, the Port of Coos Bay’s plan to end its role operating Oregon’s state dredging vessels, and the impact of tariffs on South Coast seafood processors. We’re excited to have his experience and perspective in the JPR newsroom.
The next phase of our expansion will add two journalists based in Ashland this fall, each filling an important need as we broaden our coverage.
The first will be a reporter dedicated to environmental coverage. This position will deepen JPR’s reporting on the environmental and scientific issues affecting communities across Southern Oregon and Northern California—from wildfire and water to forests, public lands and climate resilience. The reporter will help listeners understand the complex environmental challenges facing our region and how communities and civic leaders are responding to them.
The second will be an Assistant News Director/Editor. As our newsroom grows, additional editorial leadership will be needed to support a larger and more ambitious local news operation. Working alongside JPR News Director Maria Carter, a new Assistant News Director/Editor will help coordinate daily coverage, edit stories, identify opportunities for follow-up reporting and improve how we plan, present and sustain our journalism, particularly across digital platforms. The position will strengthen our newsroom capacity while maintaining high editorial standards and making the most of every story we produce.
Early next year, as funding is secured, we plan to add three more regional reporters to the newsroom, based in communities within JPR’s service area:
Klamath Basin Reporter — This reporter would provide consistent, in-depth coverage of Klamath and Lake counties, a large rural region of Southern Oregon where many important issues receive limited sustained attention. Coverage would focus on health care, education, water, agriculture, public lands and local government.
Northern California Coast & Tribal Affairs Reporter — This reporter would deepen JPR’s coverage of Humboldt and Del Norte counties while providing sustained attention to tribal affairs and community issues on the North Coast. Coverage would include tribal governance, local government, higher education, public lands, fisheries, health care and local economies.
North State California Reporter — This reporter would expand JPR’s ability to provide sustained accountability reporting in inland Northern California, with a focus on county government, elections, wildfire, housing, education and public safety. The position would strengthen JPR’s presence in a large and diverse part of our service area where reliable local reporting is especially important.
Together, these additions represent an important investment in local journalism for the communities JPR serves. Our goal isn’t simply to produce more stories, but to provide deeper, more relevant and useful journalism—reporting that holds local governments and institutions accountable, helps citizens make informed decisions and keeps people connected and engaged with their communities.
We’re grateful to the JPR donors who have stepped up to help us take on this important work, particularly in the mostly rural communities we serve, where local journalism has declined sharply over the past decade. We also know that sustaining this effort will require continued support from all of us who believe that strong local journalism is essential to a healthy democracy.
