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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Ideastream Public Media's Anna Huntsman reflects on her social media series about hidden, lesser-known history in Northeast Ohio. -
Summit County Executive Ilene Shapiro calls for collaboration, outreach amid federal funding threatsSeveral of the programs that helped the county expand its services over the past year are at risk of losing funding. County Executive Ilene Shapiro addressed her concerns during her annual State of the County address on Oct. 1, 2025. -
A Canton grandmother nearly lost everything in a house fire last year. A local nonprofit helped the family get back on their feet. -
Akron City Council approved a plan that puts a 60-day moratorium on demolition. If a new use for the building is not found during that time, the city will proceed with demolition. -
The Crime Gun Intelligence Center will give law enforcement agencies access to better tools and intelligence techniques to track weapons and solve crimes, officials announced Thursday. -
Akron's police auditor is conducting an audit of property damages caused by Akron police officers while responding to calls over the past three years. He's reviewed several reports where officers damaged homeowner property like fences while pursuing suspects. -
Akron officials voted to add health care workers to the city's existing menacing ordinance, which mandates jail time for people who assault public employees and utility workers. -
Several Akron council members and residents spoke out against plans to demolish the former headquarters of the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company in a public hearing Thursday. -
If approved by city council, Akron sewer customers can expect an increase in their sewer bills starting in 2026. This would be the first rate increase in a decade. -
The city appealed a historic preservation commission's decision rejecting the demolition request in August. City council will hold a public hearing on Sept. 11, 2025.
