Anna Huntsman
Reporter/ProducerExpertise: Government, Akron politics, health care, audio editing, podcasting
Education: Kent State University - Bachelor of Science, journalism
Favorite spot in Northeast Ohio: Franklin Mills Riveredge Park in Downtown Kent
Experience:
Anna Huntsman covers Akron, Canton and surrounding communities for Ideastream Public Media. She reported on health news during the COVID-19 pandemic. Before that, Anna was a Carnegie-Knight News21 Fellow at Arizona State’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism, where she traveled the country reporting on natural disaster recovery. Her work has appeared nationally on NPR, and in the Washington Post, the New York Times and the Associated Press. She began her career in public radio as an intern at WKSU.
Highlights:
- 2023 Ohio Associated Press Media Editors, Best Reporter
- 2023 Cleveland Press Club, First Place In-Depth Coverage - “Is Akron following the rules in homeless encampment sweeps? Advocates raise concerns”
- Akron Press Club board member
- Kent State University adjunct professor
- Panelist and moderator for debates and forums, including 2023 Akron Mayoral Debate & Canton Mayoral Debate
Why trust Ideastream Public Media?
The mission of Ideastream Public Media is to be a trustworthy and dynamic multimedia source for illuminating the world around us. Our highest priority is providing news and information that is reliable and accurate, that is gathered with integrity and professional care and that is presented with precision and respect for the intelligence of our audiences. We are transparent about how we discover and verify the facts we present and strive to make our decision-making process clear to the public. We disclose relationships, such as with partners or funders, that might appear, but will never, influence our coverage.
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Auditor Anthony Finnell disagrees with an internal investigation that said the officer's "takedown" of a woman during an arrest was "objectively reasonable."
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City officials say the current building, the Harold K. Stubbs Justice Center, is in dire need of repairs. They are considering a mix of vacant plots and buildings for the department's new home.
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The family of Tavion Koonce-Williams, who was shot in the hand by Akron police officer Ryan Westlake on April 1, is calling for accountability from the Akron Police Department.
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Freedom BLOC, a Black-led community organizing group, has called for the police officer's termination.
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The new police auditor, Anthony Finnell, is getting started on the backlog of more than 170 use-of-force instances to review.
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The demand for lodging has been a boon for homeowners who live in the "path of totality" as they rent out their homes to travelers.
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Akron Mayor Shammas Malik had responded to a letter sent March 27 that called on him to pause the search in order to draw from a more diverse candidate pool.
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Police say the teen had been carrying a fake gun and was reportedly pointing it at houses in the city's Goodyear Heights neighborhood.
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Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to travel to Northeast Ohio for the eclipse — and residents are opening their homes to people looking for a place to stay.
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While some Akron City Council members initially criticized the budget for being too 'top-heavy,' council unanimously approved an amended version on March 25, 2024.