Olivia Cohen

Email: OCohenReports@gmail.com

EXPERIENCE –

Reporter and Digital producer, KGET 17, April 2026 – present

Covers a variety of issues, including environment and energy issues, public health, nonprofits and crime in Central California.
Active contributor to KGET's political headquarters team, primarily focusing on campaign funding and spending and political finance watchdog.
Edits videos from newscast and converts them to online format.
Spearheads interactive graphics for KGET.com, creating graphics for reporter stories and special projects, like local voter guide pages.
Manages social media for KGET.com.
Contributor to KGET's daily online news show "The Story," discussing recent work and investigations.
Conducts interviews with professors, experts and community members.

Report for America, Cedar Rapids Gazette, July 2024 – March 2026

Cover energy and environment for daily newspaper, focusing on extreme weather, climate change, water quality and farm safety.
Balance daily stories with longer-term enterprise pieces, publishing three to six stories per week while meeting tight deadlines.
Developed strong sourcing through community outreach, networking and enterprise reporting.
Contributed to metro and election coverage consistently and stepped into cover spot news as needed.
Spearheaded environment and outdoors weekly newsletter with over 1,200 subscribers.
Led panels on environmental issues at Iowa conferences & regulatory engages with public speaking work on environmental issues.

Mississippi Ag & Water Desk, March 2025-present

Regularly contributed to the Desk’s environmental coverage throughout the Mississippi’s river basin
The Columbia Chronicle, Editor-in-Chief, December 2022 – June 2024
Led team of over 35 student journalists and oversaw the production of five 20-page print issues
Launched Spanish reporting section, revitalized the editorial board and started award-winning explainer series
Continued own reporting, typically two stories per week

Gateway Journalism Review intern, January 2023 – June 2024

Bloomberg Law, June 2023 – December 2023

Interned on both Legal and Business & Practice desks; freelance reported for investigative team
Reported on steps of the Supreme Court after major rulings
Wrote about issues within law firms, including wages and cybersecurity, and federal judges leaving the bench
One of eight summer interns selected from national pool to work at publication's D.C. Bureau

Freelance USA Today Network reporter, October 2020–April 2021

Reported extensively on Chicago and Wisconsin nursing homes with COVID-19 violations on nine-month long project.
Worked in a team of three reporters from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Chicago Sun-Times reporter, published January 2022

Freelance reported on Afghan refugees resettling in the Chicago area.

AWARDS & ORGANIZATIONS -

Sarah Brown Boyden Award, November 2023

Earned from the Chicago Journalists Association for outstanding reporting on the lack of professors of color in higher education.

Illinois College Press Association, February 2023 and February 2024

Society of Environmental Journalists, March 2025 – present

Investigative Reporters and Editors, June 2022 – present

Selected to attend two IRE conferences in 2022, the second on a fellowship. Attended in 2023 with Bloomberg colleagues.

Journalism and Women Symposium (JAWS), August 2023 – present

SPJ News Team, October 2022

Selected from a national pool of applicants for one of 10 spots for SPJ's student press team.

Online News Association Student Newsroom, August 2023

One of 20 student journalists selected nationally to report for the ONA’s student newsroom at its annual conference in Philadelphia.

Chronicle of Higher Education Fall Reporting Workshop, October 2023

SKILLS -

EDUCATION -

B.A. in Journalism earned May 2024 Columbia College Chicago, GPA: 3.8

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