Josie Heimsoth graduated from the University of Missouri in May 2024 with degrees in journalism and environmental science. During her senior year, she worked with WWG fellow Sarah Smarsh and wrote for media outlets such as the Columbia Missourian, Vox Magazine, MU Bond Life Sciences Center’s Decoding Science and the Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk.
Heimsoth is now a reporter at Lawrence Journal-World. She said, “Since joining the Watchdog Writers Group, I have learned about the importance of asking the right questions, when to ask them and how to approach investigations. The stories I am most proud of began because readers of the Lawrence Journal-World have reached out to me personally and trusted me to pursue. From covering how a community in northeastern Kansas fought to keep a cryptocurrency mine out of their town to tracking the flight paths of two wren statues important to Lawrence’s history, I am thankful to the Watchdog Writers Group and Sarah Smarsh for giving me the tools to build that skill set.”
