People You Should Know – Kirsten Stokes

This year’s Kelsey Beshears Racial Justice Award went to a group of five young journalists.  Kirsten Stokes who reports for the St. Joseph News-Press NOW was one of the journalists recognized for her coverage during Black History month.  

AV: Let’s start with you.  Tell me something about your path to journalism.

KS:  I grew up in Overland Park, KS and was always the type of kid drawn to performance.  I loved watching Fox 4 and many of their journalists were role models for me. I would practice being a journalist in front of the mirror.  I took journalism classes in my junior and senior years of high school.  In my senior year I was the anchor on our high school news station and was assigned to do a story a week. 

After high school I studied Mass Media and Broadcast Production at Northwest Missouri State and joined St. Joseph News-Press in August 2023 following graduation. A former colleague of mine was at the station and recommended me. Prior to joining the News-Press my reporting was all pre-recorded. So the live element was new with News-Press and I love it.  

I have always liked being connected with the community I am in, and in this job I am able to talk to lots of people about human interest stories and really do a deep dive into people’s lives. I love people, so being able to do stories about people is great. I have learned so much about the community here in St. Joseph.

AV: Tell us a bit more about your reporting and role in the community.

KS:  I do really enjoy my time here in St. Joseph.  When I accepted my offer I didn’t know I would love it as much as I do.  Every city has its moments. I like the historical aspects like museums, and architecture.  There are so many things in St. Joseph that give people a chance to really know their history. A lot of people don’t know how important St. Joe was in our country’s history and that we have European visitors who come because of that. I see it almost as my duty to know that history and share it. 

I anchor the 5, 6 and 9 pm shows Monday through Friday. Every week I get to develop 2 stories at my discretion. There is so much that is hard in the news that I like to keep these stories light-hearted, focused on how people are connected in the community. A recent set of stories was called “Sideline Spirit” and covered nine cheerleading teams. I was a cheerleader in school so I really enjoyed talking with them. As an anchor and storyteller I want to encourage others. 

I also love kids so I volunteer with United Way Adventure Readers, reading in elementary schools.  I hope to work with MidCity Excellence.  I went through some hard times as a kid including experiences with homelessness and foster care, and I want to show kids that you can  achieve goals and get through the hard times.

AV: Tell us about the story that led to the award and the impact you would you say it has?

KS: I specifically covered a high school junior at Lafayette named Nevaeha Leidy.  She created a website about Lloyd Warner  as her project for National History Day. And she covered not just Lloyd, but also the history of injustice in St. Joseph and in other areas. She shared this history with other highschoolers at Lafayette, with her family, and then through the program. She advanced to regionals. When she was a sophomore she did a project on Ida B. Wells.  

Lloyd was very close to her age and at a very different time. I think she wanted to shed light on his story and also that in our time she could share that story without threat. Covering her helped to extend that light. I think sharing history and stories like this encourages young people and I hope the coverage encourages her to keep going. 

AV: What’s next for you? 

KS: I often hear comments from people who have lived here a long time like “oh you are going to leave.”  I’m in no hurry to leave. I want to absorb and learn everything I can about this community. At some point I do want to move back to Kansas City and work at Fox 4 there. Even longer term I would love to work at CBS. But for now I am enjoying what I do. 

AV: What other thoughts would you like to share about your impact as a reporter?

KS: Black anchors are something that was not prevalent in the past. The News-Press has a number of young reporters of color now and this has several positive impacts.  It encourages other black children to pursue careers in journalism. Having reporters with diverse backgrounds allows connection with interviewees and also promotes community acceptance of diverse peoples and their talents. When people connect through the news with someone they might not otherwise meet, people are more prone to accept differences.  We all are more alike than we give ourselves credit for. Asking multiple questions helps us to discover that. My job every day is to learn something new about the person in front of me.  

You can follow Kirsten and view more stories at the St. Joseph News-Press website.