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.
-
Three board members are currently serving on the Citizens' Police Oversight Board despite their two-year terms expiring in March. City officials will conduct interviews in the coming weeks to either re-appoint them or pick new members. -
Ward 8 Councilmember Bruce Bolden was appointed to the seat in 2024. A former school board member is running against him. -
Ward 1 Councilmember Sam DeShazior was appointed to council early last year. He's running against two people to keep his seat. -
Northeast Ohio breweries are already feeling impacts from tariffs on Canadian aluminum and steel and potential tariffs on barley. -
An Akron police officer punched a Firestone Community Learning Center student several times during an arrest in October. Police auditor Anthony Finnell found the incident to be objectively reasonable under the police department's current procedures but said the punches are concerning. -
What's new at Progressive Field? Cleveland Guardians prioritize 'social experience' with renovationsThe team says updates are a response to fan feedback asking for more spaces to socialize during the games. The team unveiled several new spaces ahead of the home opener Tuesday, April 8. -
The Akron History Center opens Saturday, April 5. The museum's president says it's the first museum of its kind in the city. -
Akron Mayor Shammas Malik requested $245,000 for a number of new expenses, including a part-time data analyst for the city's police oversight board. That request from the board was added back in after being scrapped from the original budget document. -
For Ideastream Public Media reporter Anna Huntsman, Major League Baseball Opening Day is one of the best days of the year. -
The Akron RubberDucks, the Double-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians, turned to social media to find their next public address announcer.
