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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While much of the history of the Ohio & Erie Canal is well-documented, the stories behind those who built it have been forgotten over time. Reporter/Producer Anna Huntsman dug into their history for our social media series, "Hidden History." -
In 2000, then-Akron Beacon Journal columnist David Giffels made predictions for what the city would be like in 2025. What did he get right? -
The leader of the new Downtown Akron Development Corporation has big goals for the transformation of Downtown in 2026. -
For many years, the tradition of decorating Christmas trees was believed to have been started by a German immigrant in Wooster. Reporter/Producer Anna Huntsman investigated this local legend for our social media series, "Hidden History." -
An Akron council member proposed tightening certain public comment restrictions but withdrew the proposal Monday. He said he plans to revisit the proposal next year. -
If approved, there would be exclusions to who could speak at city council - and commenters could only address certain topics. -
After nearly two years of consideration, Mayor Shammas Malik decided to renovate the current police headquarters in Downtown Akron rather than build new. -
Bernabei is being remembered for serving as mayor for eight years and supporting various organizations across the county. -
The RubberDucks, the Class AA affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians, were acquired by Prospector Baseball Group, LLC. Ken Babby, the previous owner since 2012, recently became CEO of the Tampa Bay Rays. -
Akron’s bicentennial festivities are almost over, but residents are still eager to celebrate historyAkron will mark its official 200th birthday Dec. 6, 2025. Though the year-long celebration is coming to a close, some programming will continue next year thanks to residents' feedback.
