My Neighborhood News Group Hired Full-Time Reporter
The organization secured funding to transition a local fellow into a permanent staff position.
Updated on Sept. 29, 2026 in Civic Engagement
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My Neighborhood News Group has hired Angelica Relente as a full-time reporter to continue her coverage of housing and homelessness in Washington. This transition follows her two-year term as a state-funded Murrow News Fellow.
Why it matters
The hire ensures sustained local reporting on critical social issues like housing stability. It reflects a growing effort to support community-based journalism through public and private financial contributions.
The fundraising campaign successfully collected $70,000 in August, including a $30,000 contribution from Rick Steves and $5,000 from an anonymous donor. Washington State University currently aims to place a journalist in each of the state's 39 counties.
The players
Angelica Relente
She is a journalist who previously served as a Murrow News Fellow and is now a full-time reporter at My Neighborhood News Group.
My Neighborhood News Group
This is a local media organization that relies on fundraising campaigns to sustain its reporting staff.
Rick Steves
He is a prominent travel writer and television personality who provided financial backing for this local reporting initiative.
Washington State University
This public research university coordinates the Murrow News Fellow program and seeks to expand journalism coverage across Washington.
The details
Relente previously worked at the Tacoma News Tribune from 2021 to 2024. She holds a bachelor's degree in multimedia journalism from Washington State University, which she earned in 2021.
Timeline
Relente graduated from Washington State University in 2021.
Relente worked at the Tacoma News Tribune from 2021 to 2024.
The news organization raised $70,000 in August 2026.
The full-time hiring was announced on September 29, 2026.
Political Context
The hiring follows the structural model established by the Murrow News Fellow program. This transition highlights a movement toward stabilizing local newsrooms through state-supported fellowship pipelines.
Residents in the coverage area will see continued reporting on housing and homelessness as a result of this permanent hire. This stability provides the community with a consistent resource for tracking local legislative and social developments.
The takeaway
Supporting local journalism through crowdfunding is becoming a viable strategy for maintaining professional reporting standards. Readers can contribute to these campaigns to help ensure their local communities remain informed on important policy issues.
Further reading
Learn more about local efforts to support information access on the Civic Engagement page.
Source note: This article includes information reported by My Edmonds News.
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