Impact Report | Politics, podcasts & original productions in 2024 - Anlık Haber

If the word of the year for 2023 was <a href=”https://www.cascadepbs.org/inside-crosscut/2023/12/impact-report-2023-was-year-experiments-change” target=”_blank”>experimentation</a>, the word of the year for 2024 is transition. This year we transitioned from our building at 401 Mercer to 316 Broadway, and Crosscut and KCTS 9 officially transitioned to a new era under the Cascade PBS moniker. Call it growing pains, a makeover or strictly business, but the year encompassed a myriad of movement for the city, the nation and Cascade PBS. Though some things have changed, our commitment to impactful journalism has not.

In 2024, the newsroom launched an ambitious Statewide Voter Guide covering all statewide, Congressional and legislative races across Washington. The investigative team continued its reporting on tenants’ rights in mobile home parks across the state with the documentary Priced Out and expanded on Washington Workplace Watch, which looks at working conditions, safety concerns and government oversight efforts.

The original productions team added two new franchise titles: The Nosh with Rachel Belle, host of the James Beard Award-finalist Your Last Meal podcast, and Art by Northwest with longtime Seattle arts editor Brangien Davis. Plus, broadcast viewers got more local news alongside trusted national programs like PBS NewsHour with an expanded on-air segment of The Newsfeed.

We furthered our commitment to free, accessible public media by fostering partnerships across the state with other local media outlets, such as NWPB in Pullman and KNKX in Seattle/Tacoma. Local video series like Mossback’s Northwest have aired on PBS stations across the Pacific Northwest. And our content continues to be free for other outlets to <a href=”https://www.cascadepbs.org/cascade-pbs-republishing-guidelines” target=”_blank”>republish</a>.

There’s more to come for Cascade PBS as we continue our transition period (do they ever truly end?), but, for now, here are some of the year’s most noteworthy projects and a peek at what’s to come.

What’s in a name?

After 17 years as Crosscut and almost 70 as KCTS 9, the two have a new shared name: <a href=”https://video.cascadepbs.org/CascadePBS” target=”_blank”>Cascade PBS</a>. But not much else — save a few design refreshes — has changed in our newsroom’s mission to inform and inspire our community to make the world a better place. Cascade PBS combines KCTS 9’s award-winning local television with Crosscut’s dogged journalism by joining under one of media’s most trusted names, PBS.

That means the same in-depth reporting and impactful journalism, from our coverage of Washington state government and watchdog investigative coverage to original productions like Mossback’s Northwest and the Northwest Reports podcast. Oh, and you can still find our broadcast programs on Channel 9 or stream them through the Cascade PBS app.

If a name change wasn’t enough, we also had a change of scenery. In January we moved from our longtime office at 401 Mercer at Seattle Center to 316 Broadway on First Hill. Cascade PBS, which had occupied the office for over 40 years, owned the building but not the land underneath, which was owned by the city of Seattle.

Cascade Public Media’s new home at 316 Broadway. (Genna Martin/Crosscut)

Editor-at-large and resident historian Knute Berger reflected on his decades-spanning experience working in the building in <a href=”https://www.cascadepbs.org/news/2024/01/crosscut-and-cascade-pbs-say-bye-seattle-center-hello-first-hill” target=”_blank”>a previously published article</a>: “I will always have a sentimental attachment to it as the place where I got my first TV experiences as a panelist on Week in Review back in the ’90s, and then with Mossback’s Northwest.”

Now situated in the heart of the city near Seattle University and Seattle’s historically Black Central District and a streetcar ride away from Capitol Hill or the Chinatown-International District, Cascade PBS is working to open its doors for community events and collaboration.

The location change and change to Cascade PBS reflect a new era for Seattle’s trusted broadcast station and digital media pioneer as we continue to expand, adapt and grow alongside the communities we serve.

Statewide election coverage

Forty-nine legislative districts (with over 100 races). Ten Congressional seats. Nine statewide races. Three Washington state Supreme Court seats, four statewide ballot initiatives and one Seattle City Council special election.

Launching a voter guide that offers statewide coverage of Washington state elections was once a pipe dream for the Cascade PBS news and audience team. This year, it became a reality when we launched a <a href=”https://www.cascadepbs.org/voter-guide/washington-statewide-voter-guide-2024?_gl=1*1stxg5l*_gcl_au*MjkxNTkwODAuMTczMTYxNTAyNQ..*_ga*NjA1ODEzNjYzLjE3MjM2NTk2NDU.*_ga_70LNVYDG8V*MTczNDYzNDQ5OC4zNDIuMS4xNzM0NjM4OTk2LjUzLjAuMA..” target=”_blank”>comprehensive Statewide Voter Guide</a> covering elections in all corners of the state.

The 2024 election cycle included some big races both nationally and in Washington state, including an open governor’s race after current Gov. Jay Inslee announced he would not be seeking reelection after 12 years in office. Congressional races, such as the <a href=”https://www.cascadepbs.org/news/2024/11/incumbent-marie-gluesenkamp-perez-leads-was-3rd-district” target=”_blank”>3rd District in southwestern Washington</a>, could determine the U.S. House majority, while a <a href=”https://www.cascadepbs.org/news/2024/12/newsfeed-seattles-newest-councilmember-eager-get-work” target=”_blank”>special election for Seattle City Council</a> offered a chance to reshape city politics. Not to mention, a chaotic and hotly contested presidential election between former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden — and later Vice President Kamala Harris.

To do this coverage, it takes a lot of planning that starts way before the first ballots are mailed in July. And, we decided, that coverage could be made better through collaboration.

The 2024 Statewide Voter Guide, helmed by associate news editor Venice Buhain and digital content manager Madeline Happold, included collaborative partnerships with other Washington newsrooms that know their communities best. The Columbian helped cover races in the state’s southwest corner and RANGE Media assisted with Eastside races, while Salish Current and Cascadia Daily News covered the northwestern parts of the state near Bellingham.

It was also an all-hands-on-deck undertaking for the Cascade PBS newsroom: Investigative reporters pitched in to write candidate bios and race descriptions; multiple editors reviewed copy; and, the original productions team assisted with interviews, including with <a href=”https://www.cascadepbs.org/video/crosscut-now/gov-inslee-future-wa-last-year-office” target=”_blank”>outgoing Gov. Inslee</a> and <a href=”https://cascadepbs.org/politics/2024/02/wa-secretary-state-steve-hobbs-talks-misinformation-primaries” target=”_blank”>Secretary of State Steve Hobbs</a>. The audience team also included some of the first interactive maps of Washington’s new legislative district boundaries, finalized in March, for readers to have access to up-to-date voting information. By the end of November, the guide was utilized by over 30,000 readers and viewed almost 100,000 times. To build on our statewide election coverage, we included live primary and general election results for all races.

News editor Donna Gordon Blankinship spearheaded two <a href=”https://www.cascadepbs.org/cascade-pbselway-poll” target=”_blank”>Cascade PBS/Elway polls</a> covering national and statewide races with Stuart Elway while publishing a weekly Politics newsletter to keep readers informed. Cascade PBS reporters also participated in <a href=”https://www.cascadepbs.org/debates-2024″ target=”_blank”>three candidate debates</a> with the Washington State Debate Coalition. According to Cascade PBS records, our election coverage was republished at least 25 times by news outlets across the state to better reach affected communities.

New franchises, familiar faces

Cascade PBS also expanded its local video series with some familiar faces. The broadcast news segment Crosscut Now rebranded to become <a href=”https://video.cascadepbs.org/show/the-newsfeed/episodes” target=”_blank”>The Newsfeed</a> — still hosted by beloved anchor Paris Jackson. The new show dives deeper into Cascade PBS stories, including new original segments with editor-at-large Brangien Davis. Jackson also does even more of her own reporting, like her story <a href=”https://www.cascadepbs.org/video/newsfeed/meet-women-transforming-seattles-waterfront” target=”_blank”>highlighting the team of women spearheading Seattle’s $800M waterfront revitalization project</a>. A few episode highlights from this year include a two-part interview with <a href=”https://crosscut.com/video/newsfeed/mayor-bruce-harrell-shares-thoughts-spd-downtown?_gl=1*emfzt7*_gcl_au*MTgwMzMwNzcyMi4xNzMyMDQ1Nzc5*_ga*ODM2Njc3MDQ4LjE3MjM2Njg1MTI.*_ga_70LNVYDG8V*MTczNDM3NzQyOC4xNDQuMS4xNzM0Mzc3OTkzLjU4LjAuMA..” target=”_blank”>Seattle’s Mayor Bruce Harrell</a>; a look at <a href=”https://www.cascadepbs.org/news/2024/10/newsfeed-wa-gen-z-voters-excited-turnout-still-toss” target=”_blank”>Generation Z’s attitude toward the 2024 elections</a>; and, a discussion about <a href=”https://crosscut.com/video/newsfeed/wa-spearheads-national-guaranteed-income-movement?_gl=1*y8h06n*_gcl_au*MTgwMzMwNzcyMi4xNzMyMDQ1Nzc5*_ga*ODM2Njc3MDQ4LjE3MjM2Njg1MTI.*_ga_70LNVYDG8V*MTczNDM3NzQyOC4xNDQuMS4xNzM0Mzc3OTI2LjMuMC4w” target=”_blank”>guaranteed income programs in Washington.</a> The Newsfeed also got a lengthier (and regular) time slot between PBS News Hour and BBC News on Fridays at 5:55 p.m., expanding to four minutes from its previous one minute.

Cascade PBS developed a show this year about everyone’s favorite topic: food! Host of the award-winning podcast <a href=”https://www.cascadepbs.org/podcast/yourlastmeal” target=”_blank”>Your Last Meal</a> Rachel Belle ventured onto TV with her new show, <a href=”https://video.cascadepbs.org/show/the-nosh-with-rachel-belle/episodes” target=”_blank”>The Nosh with Rachel Belle</a>. Instead of a typical restaurant review or cooking show, Belle dives into culinary trends, niches and communities throughout the Pacific Northwest. She delights in <a href=”https://www.cascadepbs.org/video/nosh-rachel-belle/watch-out-nyc-seattles-bringing-bagel-boom” target=”_blank”>Seattle bagels that compete with their New York predecessors</a>, and <a href=”https://www.cascadepbs.org/video/nosh-rachel-belle/meet-dogs-trained-sniff-out-washington-truffles” target=”_blank”>hikes through the forest with truffle-foraging dogs</a>. The new show wasn’t Belle’s only adventure this year — she also released her first cookbook, <a href=”https://www.hellorachelbelle.com/cookbook-open-sesame” target=”_blank”>Open Sesame</a>, about all the different ways tahini and sesame can be incorporated into foods. She also hosted the sold-out Cascade PBS “Food Fight” event in November to celebrate the book’s release. (If you can’t get enough of Belle or her food coverage, keep a lookout for The Nosh newsletter we’ll be launching in 2025).

Arts editor-at-large Brangien Davis premiered <a href=”https://video.cascadepbs.org/show/art-by-northwest/episodes” target=”_blank”>Art by Northwest</a>, a series exploring how regional artists interact with their environments and their approach to the artistic process. She <a href=”https://www.cascadepbs.org/culture/2024/08/art-nw-tininha-silvas-sculptures-look-they-washed-ashore” target=”_blank”>walked on a Port Townsend beach</a> with an ocean lover who collects items from the coast for her works and watched as an artist <a href=”https://www.cascadepbs.org/culture/2024/08/art-nw-todd-hortons-drawing-devices-reveal-dreams-trees” target=”_blank”>suspended drawing devices from trees</a> in a Skagit Valley forest to catch natural movement on a canvas.

Davis also spoke with <a href=”https://www.cascadepbs.org/culture/2024/08/art-nw-tribute-reid-ozakis-nature-inspired-ceramics%22%20%EF%B7%9FHYPERLINK%20%22https://www.cascadepbs.org/culture/2024/08/art-nw-tribute-reid-ozakis-nature-inspired-ceramics” target=”_blank”>ceramicist Reid Ozaki</a> in one of his last interviews before his death in July. “He was a student of my father, F. Carlton Ball,” one viewer commented on Facebook. “I remember those days in the 1970s, when he would come to our house, with other grad students, to discuss pottery. I am very sorry to learn of his passing. He will be missed.”

“I’m so happy you were able to view the profile of Reid,” replied Davis. “I also wrote an accompanying article, in which I reported the important role your father played in Reid’s ceramic education. He said there was a popular motto the students abided by: ‘Throw ’em big, throw ’em tall, throw ’em just like FC Ball!’”

In 2025 The Nosh and Art by Northwest will be back with expanded eight-episode seasons. Interested in watching? All Cascade PBS original series are available to stream on YouTube, Roku, Apple TV or through the Cascade PBS app.

Short documentaries with long-lasting impact

Alongside our new and existing video series, Cascade PBS produced two standalone 30-minute documentaries: <a href=”https://www.cascadepbs.org/video/cascade-pbs-documentaries-asahel-curtis-collection/asahel-curtis-collection” target=”_blank”>ASAHEL: The Curtis Collection</a> and <a href=”https://www.cascadepbs.org/investigations/2024/11/priced-out-fear-and-resistance-wa-mobile-home-parks” target=”_blank”>Priced Out: Fear and Resistance in Mobile Parks</a>.

ASAHEL: The Curtis Collection follows the Washington State Historical Society as they work to <a href=”https://www.cascadepbs.org/mossback/2023/11/mossbacks-northwest-asahel-curtis-photography-gets-new-life” target=”_blank”>digitize an archive of 60,000 largely unseen photo negatives</a> documenting life in the Pacific Northwest in the late 19th and early 20th century. The documentary offered a first look through these intimate windows into our region’s past. Cascade PBS hosted a packed premiere at the Historical Society in July, where members of the public engaged in a lively dialogue with Cascade PBS’s resident historian, Knute “Mossback” Berger, who narrated the film, and Washington State Historical Society director Jennifer Saunders. ASAHEL: The Curtis Collection, alongside 30-minute specials <a href=”https://video.cascadepbs.org/show/mossbacks-northwest/special/the-very-best-of-mossbacks-northwest-2024-fi2xjx” target=”_blank”>The Very Best of Mossback’s Northwest, 2024</a> and <a href=”https://video.cascadepbs.org/show/out-back-alison-mariella-desir/special/breaking-down-barriers-faffbl” target=”_blank”>Out & Back: Breaking Down Barriers</a> became available for in-flight viewing on Alaska Airlines this year.

Priced Out was the culmination of more than a year of reporting by the Cascade PBS Investigations team. The documentary delves into the <a href=”https://www.cascadepbs.org/investigations/2023/08/wa-mobile-home-communities-organize-against-economic-eviction” target=”_blank”>struggles faced by residents of mobile home parks</a> owned by Hurst and Sons LLC, which has rapidly expanded its holdings in recent years and now owns the land under one in 40 Washington mobile homes. Cascade PBS reporters traveled to parks around the state to speak with residents, who shared stories of steep and repeated rent hikes, burdensome fines and deteriorating park conditions under Hurst ownership. And they’re far from alone.

Within a month, the documentary had accumulated over <a href=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmG8aBR_q8Q” target=”_blank”>100,000 views and 500 comments on YouTube</a>, many of them from people around the region and in other parts of the country dealing with similar situations in their mobile parks: “ … glad I watched this. Responding from Parkland south of Tacoma. We are all frustrated with the lack of support from management and new fees,” wrote one viewer. “I’m worried about that happening at my mobile home park in Battle Ground WA. They keep raising [rent] by $70 or more every year! … Our owner used to be an old couple locally who only raised the rent gradually. When the new owners came in they raised our rent $200 the first year!” wrote another.

To accompany the documentary, Cascade PBS assembled <a href=”https://www.cascadepbs.org/investigations/2024/11/guide-was-mobile-home-tenant-protections-and-dispute-program” target=”_blank”>a resource guide</a> to help people in these situations learn about their rights and navigate Washington’s mobile home tenant protections and dispute program, which was shared by Princeton University’s Eviction Lab.

Award-winning coverage

Our newsroom was recognized this year for outstanding reporting, including for video series, podcasts and furthering public transparency.

Cascade PBS <a href=”https://www.cascadepbs.org/briefs/2024/06/cascade-pbs-wins-two-regional-emmys-mossback-human-elements” target=”_blank”>won two Northwest Regional Emmy Awards</a> this year. The episode “<a href=”https://www.cascadepbs.org/video/human-elements/range-rider” target=”_blank”>The Range Rider</a>” from season 3 of Human Elements, following a wolf- and cow-protecting cowboy, won the award for Environment/Science – Short Form Content. The win was the first Emmy for the environmental series. If eight minutes felt too short — stay tuned — the Cascade PBS original productions team has more in store for 2025 to tell the cowboy’s full story.

Mossback’s Northwest also took home its second Emmy for the season 8 episode “The day Germany bombed Seattle” in the Historical/Cultural – Short Form Content category. Host Knute Berger details when German saboteurs blew up a ship in Elliott Bay to keep the United States out of World War II. Last year, Mossback’s Northwest won in the same category for the season 6 episode “<a href=”https://www.cascadepbs.org/mossback/2022/10/mossbacks-northwest-was-seattle-too-tough-wyatt-earp” target=”_blank”>Wyatt Earp in Seattle</a>.”

The Cascade PBS newsroom was honored with seven awards from the <a href=”https://www.spjwash.org/announcing-spjs-2023-nw-excellence-in-journalism-contest-winners/” target=”_blank”>Society of Professional Journalists’ Northwest Excellence in Journalism competition</a>, which looks at work from newsrooms in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Alaska.

The Cascade PBS newsroom was awarded first place in the General Excellence in Writing for an Extra-Large newsroom for a selection of 10 stories. Reporters who worked on the pieces include Brandon Block, Josh Cohen, Jordan Gass-Pooré, Lizz Giordano, Mai Hoang, Luna Reyna, James Stout and Joseph O’Sullivan.

In individual categories, reporters Farah Eltohamy and Mai Hoang and photo editor Genna Martin won first place in the Investigative Reporting category for their coverage of <a href=”https://www.cascadepbs.org/investigations/2023/08/wa-mobile-home-communities-organize-against-economic-eviction?_gl=1*1ajkr57*_gcl_au*MjkxNTkwODAuMTczMTYxNTAyNQ..*_ga*NjA1ODEzNjYzLjE3MjM2NTk2NDU.*_ga_70LNVYDG8V*MTczNDk5MzE4MC4zNTEuMS4xNzM0OTk1NzI5LjU4LjAuMA..” target=”_blank”>Washington mobile home tenants organizing against “economic eviction,”</a> plus first place for <a href=”https://www.cascadepbs.org/podcast/crosscut-reports/1/35/podcast-after-takeover-mobile-home-tenants-are-fighting-back?_gl=1*1ajkr57*_gcl_au*MjkxNTkwODAuMTczMTYxNTAyNQ..*_ga*NjA1ODEzNjYzLjE3MjM2NTk2NDU.*_ga_70LNVYDG8V*MTczNDk5MzE4MC4zNTEuMS4xNzM0OTk1NzI5LjU4LjAuMA..” target=”_blank”>the piece’s companion podcast episode</a>, produced by Northwest Reports host Sara Bernard.

“Deeply researched and reported, this investigative report exposes weaknesses in oversight and regulation that puts the vulnerable elderly population at risk,” the judge commented of the written piece. “Important work.”

Former Cascade PBS reporter Margo Vansynghel also took home first place for Arts & Culture Reporting for a feature on <a href=”https://www.cascadepbs.org/culture/2023/03/seattle-artist-and-auction-frenzy-sparked-fbi-tip?_gl=1*8f04ka*_gcl_au*MjkxNTkwODAuMTczMTYxNTAyNQ..*_ga*NjA1ODEzNjYzLjE3MjM2NTk2NDU.*_ga_70LNVYDG8V*MTczNDk5MzE4MC4zNTEuMS4xNzM0OTk2MzMyLjYwLjAuMA..” target=”_blank”>Seattle artist Alden Mason and a subsequent counterfeit</a>.

Cascade PBS’s former state government reporter Joseph O’Sullivan and current state government reporter Shauna Sowersby were honored with the <a href=”https://www.washcog.org/” target=”_blank”>Washington Coalition for Open Government’s Bunting Award</a> for their watchdog reporting. The award recognizes journalists or media outlets that have utilized open-government laws to improve public transparency. O’Sullivan and Sowersby shared the award for their collaborative coverage  of <a href=”https://www.cascadepbs.org/politics/2024/12/wa-lawmakers-fight-keep-public-records-hidden-your-dime” target=”_blank”>state lawmakers’ efforts to use “legislative privilege”</a> to hide information from the public (Sowersby worked for McClatchy at the time). This was Cascade PBS’s second year in a row receiving the prestigious Bunting Award — in 2022, the Cascade PBS investigative team, under the Crosscut name, won for the <a href=”https://www.cascadepbs.org/washington-recovery-watch” target=”_blank”>Washington Recovery Watch</a>, a project that covers federal pandemic relief spending.

Coverage from the Pacific to the Palouse

Amid a historic election year that included a presidential race and a host of major statewide contests, Cascade PBS kept it local, continuing to provide boots-on-the-ground coverage of Seattle City Hall and the most vital issues in our state’s largest city, from <a href=”https://www.cascadepbs.org/news/2024/08/seattle-opened-1750-subsidized-affordable-apartments-2023″ target=”_blank”>housing</a> and <a href=”https://www.cascadepbs.org/news/2024/09/seattle-enacts-controversial-drug-prostitution-stay-out-zones” target=”_blank”>public safety</a> to the <a href=”https://www.cascadepbs.org/politics/2024/09/seattle-mayor-staves-deep-cuts-83b-2025-budget-proposal” target=”_blank”>budget</a> and <a href=”https://www.cascadepbs.org/politics/2024/10/case-and-against-seattles-largest-ever-transportation-levy” target=”_blank”>taxes</a>. Cohen’s <a href=”https://www.cascadepbs.org/news/2024/04/king-county-wants-its-own-corrections-officer-training-program” target=”_blank”>reporting on understaffing and corrections officer training in King County jails</a> spawned <a href=”https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/editorials/jail-understaffing-is-dire-let-counties-do-their-own-training/” target=”_blank”>an editorial in The Seattle Times,</a> and in response to his <a href=”https://www.cascadepbs.org/news/2024/10/seattle-council-candidates-make-their-case-citywide-office” target=”_blank”>coverage of the Seattle City Council Position 8 debate,</a> one reader wrote, “You are doing some of the best reporting on politics in the city right now.”

We also zoomed out and looked at the big picture. Central Washington reporter Mai Hoang doggedly covered redistricting in the Yakima Valley, where a federal judge found in August 2023 that <a href=”https://www.cascadepbs.org/politics/2024/01/five-new-maps-proposed-central-washington-redistricting” target=”_blank”>the boundaries of a Latino-majority district violated the Voting Rights Act</a> by effectively diluting the Latino vote. Hoang covered <a href=”https://www.cascadepbs.org/politics/2024/08/2014-yakima-case-sparked-push-wa-voting-rights-reform” target=”_blank”>the inception of the push for voting rights reform</a> in the region, as well as <a href=”https://www.cascadepbs.org/politics/2024/05/new-central-wa-districts-spark-drama-2024-election-revs” target=”_blank”>the new opportunities — and new challenges — sparked by the redrawn district map</a>. This article was also translated <a href=”https://www.cascadepbs.org/politics/2024/05/nuevos-distritos-legislativos-en-el-centro-de-washington-causan-controversia?_gl=1*du2b5t*_gcl_au*MTY5MDg5MTc2OC4xNzMxOTY3Mzgx*_ga*MTUwMjQxNTM5MS4xNzIzNjY4Mzkz*_ga_70LNVYDG8V*MTczNTI0MDU2OS4zODQuMS4xNzM1MjQyMjYxLjYwLjAuMA..” target=”_blank”>into Spanish</a> to better reach those impacted by the decision. A member of Cascade PBS’s independent <a href=”https://www.cascadepublicmedia.org/leadership/communityadvisoryboard” target=”_blank”>community advisory board</a> specifically referenced Hoang’s work, expressing appreciation for her deep knowledge of redistricting.

Cascade PBS ramped up its coverage of gun violence this year, coming at this complex issue from a multitude of angles: <a href=”https://www.cascadepbs.org/news/2024/10/how-are-washington-kids-still-getting-guns-despite-strict-laws” target=”_blank”>kids’ access to firearms</a>, <a href=”https://www.cascadepbs.org/news/2024/09/my-elderly-father-had-dementia-anger-issues-and-many-guns” target=”_blank”>the growing problem of gun owners with dementia</a>, <a href=”https://www.cascadepbs.org/politics/2024/12/gun-violence-declining-king-county-still-has-work-do” target=”_blank”>what leaders in King County are doing to address gun violence in the wake of the pandemic</a>, <a href=”https://www.cascadepbs.org/news/2024/11/removing-guns-key-suicide-prevention-strategy-wa” target=”_blank”>removing firearms as a crucial suicide prevention strategy</a> and <a href=”https://www.cascadepbs.org/news/2024/10/gun-violence-increases-pnw-so-does-its-toll-doctors” target=”_blank”>the toll this crisis takes on medical professionals.</a>

All coverage was overseen by Cascade PBS news editor Donna Gordon Blankinship. Blankinship, who has worked for Cascade PBS for more than five years, is retiring at the end of the year. Her tenure at Cascade PBS has reshaped the news and politics beats, including spearheading the Voter Guide, fostering relationships with local universities to mentor young journalists and expanding Cascade PBS coverage to communities statewide.

Alongside its coverage of mobile home parks, the Investigations team continued to impact policy and draw Congressional attention. Coverage of the Seattle Animal Shelter exposed <a href=”https://www.cascadepbs.org/investigations/2024/05/seattle-animal-shelter-accused-safety-issues-retaliation” target=”_blank”>concerns about safety practices and retaliation</a>, with <a href=”https://www.cascadepbs.org/investigations/2024/09/seattle-animal-shelter-director-resigns-alleging-city-inaction” target=”_blank”>the executive director resigning a few months later</a>, citing internal fallout from our reporting. While combing through legal settlement data, reporter Brandon Block found a <a href=”https://www.cascadepbs.org/investigations/2024/04/whatcom-county-paid-225k-settle-sexual-harassment-complaints” target=”_blank”>$225,000 payout over sexual harassment allegations</a> against a former Public Works director in Whatcom County that sparked local outrage and a County Council investigation. Working off a whistleblower tip, reporter Lauren Gallup and Northwest Public Broadcasting and Cascade PBS reporter Lizz Giordano outlined <a href=”https://www.cascadepbs.org/investigations/2024/06/seattle-veterans-clinic-faces-complaints-over-leaks-ventilation” target=”_blank”>deteriorating conditions at a Veterans Affairs medical clinic in Seattle</a>. About a month after our story published, U.S. Sen. Patty Murray and Rep. Adam Smith sent the VA a letter citing the hazards outlined in our reporting, and <a href=”https://www.cascadepbs.org/investigations/2024/07/seattle-veterans-clinic-closes-after-mold-ceiling-leak-reports” target=”_blank”>the VA closed the clinic</a>. Find out more about this team’s work that led to other real-world results in the <a href=”https://www.cascadepbs.org/investigations/2024/12/impact-2024-year-investigating-labor-safety-housing-insecurity” target=”_blank”>2024 investigations impact report</a>.

The Crosscut Reports podcast underwent a rebrand this year to become <a href=”https://www.cascadepbs.org/podcast/northwest-reports” target=”_blank”>Northwest Reports</a>. The podcast also shifted from a weekly to a quarterly publishing schedule, with a new focus on producing deeply reported limited series. “<a href=”https://www.cascadepbs.org/podcast/northwest-reports/1/76/first-response-new-limited-podcast-series-gun-violence” target=”_blank”>First Response</a>,” the first of these, dovetailed with Cascade PBS’s other gun violence coverage and delved into the intersection of health care workers and the gun violence crisis. “<a href=”https://www.cascadepbs.org/podcast/northwest-reports/1/82/elephant-room-episode-3″ target=”_blank”>The Elephant in the Room</a>,” which debuted shortly after the election, dug into the present and future of Washington’s GOP, interrogating what it means to be a Republican today in a deeply blue state and how President-elect Donald Trump fits into it all.

In 2024, Cascade PBS also looked to the future. Our newsroom was selected to host a state-funded <a href=”https://www.cascadepbs.org/author/nate-sanford” target=”_blank”>Murrow news fellow</a>, in partnership with KNKX, to cover our new “Generation Next” beat, an exploration of the issues facing young adults in Washington today with an emphasis on politics and policy. In 2025, look forward to more coverage by fellow Nate Sanford, whose work already includes pieces on <a href=”https://www.cascadepbs.org/politics/2024/11/wa-voter-turnout-dropped-all-ages-especially-young-people” target=”_blank”>youth voters</a>, the <a href=”https://www.cascadepbs.org/politics/2024/10/young-washington-voters-say-cost-living-their-top-concern” target=”_blank”>cost of living</a> and <a href=”https://www.cascadepbs.org/politics/2024/12/young-wa-councilmembers-provide-generational-voice-politics” target=”_blank”>the next wave of young politicians</a> in Washington.

A lot happened in 2024 — including a third season of Black Arts Legacies and a sold-out Cascade PBS Ideas Festival — but looking forward to 2025, there’s more to come. Original productions will continue to explore short-form documentaries, while the newsroom will continue its focus on statewide news and politics.

Thank you to our readers who have continued to support our independent, nonprofit newsroom. If you’re new or want to offer additional support for independent public media, consider a one-time donation or <a href=”https://secure.cascadepublicmedia.org/page/134265/donate/1?_gl=1*c4t5kb*_gcl_au*MjkxNTkwODAuMTczMTYxNTAyNQ..*_ga*NjA1ODEzNjYzLjE3MjM2NTk2NDU.*_ga_70LNVYDG8V*MTczNTIzODk2MS4zNTMuMS4xNzM1MjM5ODIzLjUyLjAuMA..&__cf_chl_tk=y2UzhN3_orts8_XqJzArBiDywOJYZ5BebCyCWqt26k8-1735239823-1.0.1.1-OFxroDwSb.s7QxueFzMDlV5IHnGa8aAEiFlT1yYdz9c” target=”_blank”>becoming a member</a>.

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