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Helena, MT · covers Montana, statewide · nonprofit newsroom · est. 2016 · American Journalism Project
Montana Free Press is an independent, 501(c)(3) nonprofit newsroom dedicated to producing in-depth public-service journalism that holds power accountable, illuminates critical issues, and empowers Montanans with information that drives positive change.
We work independently and in collaboration with other news outlets to produce meaningful news stories that have an impact on the lives and livelihoods of local communities.
Veteran award-winning investigative and political reporter John S. Adams founded Montana Free Press in 2016. John was formerly the Capital Bureau Chief of the Great Falls Tribune and a correspondent for USA TODAY. John is known as a dogged investigator whose unbiased reporting has changed the shape of Montana politics. John serves as an elected member of the Institute for Nonprofit News board and on the board of the Montana Newspaper Foundation. He lives in Helena.
Mara Silvers is the managing editor at Montana Free Press, where she has covered health policy, social services, politics and the judiciary since 2020. She was a 2023 data fellow with the USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism, where she reported on racial disparities in Montana foster care. Mara has also helped produce and report audio projects for MTFP, including The Session and Shared State. Prior to MTFP, Mara was a radio and podcast producer for Slate, WNYC and Montana Public Radio. Her work has been featured in ProPublica, The Guardian and NPR. She lives in Helena, where she was born and raised. Contact Mara at [email protected].
Projects Editor Brad Tyer manages newsroom collaborations, editorial initiatives and long-term reporting projects from Montana Free Press’ Helena office. Before joining MTFP in 2019, he reported and edited for the Missoula Independent, Texas Observer, and Houston Press. Brad was a 2010 Knight-Wallace Journalism Fellow at the University of Michigan, and his book “Opportunity, Montana: Big Copper, Bad Water, and the Burial of an American Landscape” was published by Beacon Press in 2013. Contact Brad at [email protected].
Nick Ehli manages the MTFP Local team at Montana Free Press. He is a graduate of the University of Montana School of Journalism and has worked for Montana newspapers for more than 35 years, including a 14-year stint as editor of the Bozeman Daily Chronicle. He was the founding editor-in-chief of Montana Quarterly magazine and currently teaches in the Honors College at Montana State University. His work has appeared in the Washington Post, the LA Times, the Seattle Times and NPR, among others. He lives in Bozeman. Contact Nick at [email protected].
Joseph T. O’Connor manages the Environmental Desk at Montana Free Press, and oversees Mountain Journal where he was previously Managing Editor. He has an extensive background in multimedia storytelling including writing, editing, video broadcast and investigative journalism. Joe served as Editor-in-Chief for Mountain Outlaw magazine and the Explore Big Skynewspaper in Big Sky, Montana. He has published work in several publications from the East Coast to California, including Newsweek, CNN, and Skiing magazine, among others.
Stephanie Farmer oversees web products and content for Montana Free Press as the digital editor. Previously, she worked a brief stint in the Office of Legislative and Public Affairs at the National Science Foundation in Washington, D.C. She lives in Kentucky with her family. Contact Stephanie at [email protected].
Chelsea Hogan is the social media manager at Montana Free Press. Before joining MTFP, she spent more than 15 years designing award-winning public programs and digital storytelling initiatives for museums and cultural institutions, including Museum of the Rockies and The Getty. Her work focuses on helping people engage with information in meaningful, accessible ways by connecting compelling storytelling with thoughtful audience strategy. Simply put, Chelsea is passionate about bringing “cool, true facts to a broad audience.” She lives in Bozeman.
Amanda Eggert has covered energy, environment and public lands issues for Montana Free Press since 2021. Her work has received multiple awards, including the Mark Henckel Outdoor Writing Award from the Montana Newspaper Association. Born and raised in Billings, she is a graduate of the University of Montana School of Journalism and has written for Outside magazine and Outlaw Partners. At Outlaw Partners, Amanda led coverage for the biweekly newspaper Explore Big Sky. She is based in Bozeman. Contact Amanda at [email protected].
MTFP Local Reporter – Missoula
Katie Fairbanks covers Missoula politics, policy and social issues for MTFP Local. She is the author of the Missoula This Week newsletter, a deep-dive into local events and happenings. Before joining Montana Free Press in 2024, Katie worked as a newspaper reporter in North Dakota, a producer for NBC Montana’s KECI station, and spent five years as a health and local government reporter in Longview, Washington. She grew up in Livingston and graduated from the University of Montana School of Journalism. Contact Katie at [email protected].
MTFP LOCAL REPORTER – GREAT FALLS
Matt Hudson has covered Great Falls for MTFP Local since 2024. He also writes Great Falls This Week, a recurring newsletter about local issues. He is a graduate of the University of Montana School of Journalism, and previously worked as a reporter for the Owatonna People’s Press, in Minnesota, the Daily Inter Lake in Kalispell and the Billings Gazette. He lives in Great Falls with his family. Reach Matt at [email protected].
Ellis Juhlin is the Montana climate reporter for Mountain Journal/Montana Free Press, Grist and Report for America. She previously worked as Montana Public Radio’s inaugural environmental reporter where she covered agriculture, energy, natural resources, wildlife and climate change. Her reporting has been regularly featured by NPR and member stations across the country. She has a background in wildlife conservation, and holds a master’s of science in ecology from Utah State University. Ellis lives outside Missoula, Montana, with four ducks, three dogs, and one husband.
Zeke Lloyd writes about labor, business and criminal justice for Montana Free Press. Prior to his current role, he worked as a wildfire reporting intern at MTFP in 2024 and spent a summer writing for the Colorado Springs Gazette. He is a graduate of Colorado College, where he worked at the student newspaper. He grew up in central Ohio and is now based in Helena. You can reach him at [email protected].
Tom Lutey has covered politics and investigations for Montana Free Press since 2024. He is also the author of Capitolized, MTFP’s political newsletter. Originally from southwest Montana, Tom has written about the West for 30 years, mostly from Montana and Washington. He has covered legislatures, Congress, courts, energy, agriculture and the occasional militia group. He is a collector of documents and a devotee of the long game. He’s happy to help with records requests. He can be reached at [email protected].
Indigenous affairs reporter
Nora Mabie covers Indigenous affairs at Montana Free Press. She previously covered Indigenous communities at the five Lee Montana newspapers: the Missoulian, Billings Gazette, Independent Record (Helena), Ravalli Republic and Montana Standard (Butte). Prior to that, she covered tribal affairs for the Great Falls Tribune. Nora’s reporting about the return of ancestral remains and disparities in Native life expectancy have received state and national journalism awards. She was a 2023 National Fellow at the USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism and a McGraw Center for Business Journalism Fellow from 2024 to 2025. She is a graduate of Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. She is based in Missoula. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on Facebook.
Lauren Miller joined Montana Free Press as a multimedia journalist and visual storyteller in 2025. She is 2025 Visual Fellow with Report For America/Catchlight. A graduate of Syracuse University, she previously worked at the Casper Star-Tribune and Bozeman Daily Chronicle. In 2023, she was a recipient of the Photographer of the Year/Dailies award from the Wyoming Press Association. Her storytelling spans photography, cinematography, portraiture, audio and archival research. Miller is driven by an interest in daily life’s quieter moments — both mundane and extraordinary — and adapts her approach to suit each subject. Based in Helena, Lauren can be reached at [email protected].
Environment Reporter — Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem
Nick is an award-winning journalist and author based in Livingston, MT. His work has appeared everywhere from your local airwaves to High Country News, NPR, The Atlantic, The Washington Post, and many, many more. He’s also produced nationally renowned podcasts, including The Wide Open, Richest Hill, Fireline and Threshold. His podcast productions have received some of the highest honors in audio, including two National Edward R. Murrow Awards and a Peabody. In addition, he co-wrote the book, “This Is Wildfire,” published in 2023.
Jacob Olness joined Montana Free Press as a data reporter and digital product producer in 2024. Among other topics, his reporting covers trends in industry, politics, transportation and health issues. His past experience ranges from work as an ASE-certified master mechanic to a software engineering role at a financial services company. He was born and raised in Billings, where he lives with his wife and two sons. You can reach Jacob at [email protected].
MTFP LOCAL REPORTER – Helena
JoVonne Wagner has been the Helena reporter for MTFP Local since 2023, where she covers elections, politics and community affairs. She also writes the Helena This Week newsletter. She originally came to Montana Free Press as a Legislative Fellow covering the American Indian Caucus. She is a graduate of the University of Montana School of Journalism, and previously interned at Buffalo’s Fire and ICT, formerly known as Indian Country Today. She has also contributed work to the Montana Media Lab. JoVonne is from Heart Butte and a member of the Blackfeet Nation. Contact JoVonne at [email protected].
Kristin Cordingley leads the fundraising team at Montana Free Press to support the organization’s mission through donor engagement at all levels, grant writing, and forging partnerships with foundations and corporations. She brings a wealth of experience from her time as Program Director for a conservation organization and a decade in Washington, DC, working for Dropbox, Apple, and on Capitol Hill for U.S. Senator Max Baucus and the Senate Finance Committee. Contact Kristin at [email protected].
Kendra Byrom began her non-profit career in 2009 as an AmeriCorps VISTA with the Growing Community Project (now Helena Community Gardens). Over the next decade and a half, she gained extensive, well-rounded experience across all facets of non-profit operations while serving at multiple organizations, including Helena Food Share, the Montana Nonprofit Association, and most recently, CASA of Lewis & Clark and Broadwater Counties. Kendra can be reached at [email protected].
Sarah Penix is the Development Manager at Montana Free Press. Prior to joining MTFP, Sarah worked as a manager on the development team at the Poverello Center in Missoula and served as an Americorps VISTA at Montana Farm to School. She enjoys hiking, reading mystery novels and volunteering. Contact Sarah at [email protected].
Director of Revenue & Growth
Ginger Pils serves as Director of Revenue & Growth at Montana Free Press, where she builds strategic partnerships that support the organization’s mission and long-term sustainability. Before joining MTFP, Ginger spent her career leading business development, sponsorship, and media strategy initiatives across the software, marketing, and media industries. Ginger is passionate about creating collaborations that strengthen communities while ensuring all Montanans have access to trusted, public-service journalism. Contact Ginger at [email protected].
DIRECTOR OF AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT
Nate Schoenfelder is an accomplished marketing and communications specialist serving Montana Free Press as Director of Audience Engagement. Prior to joining MTFP, Nate served on the leadership team of software solutions company Pingman Tools as Marketing and Communications Manager. An Idaho native, Nate brings his decade of professional experience to Montana in support of growing MTFP’s readership, recognition, and reach. Contact Nate at [email protected].
Montana Free Press is pleased to partner with contributing reporters from around the state. Messages for any of the contributors here can be sent to MTFP Local Editor Nick Ehli at [email protected].
Justin Franz is a writer, photographer and editor based in the Flathead Valley. Originally from Maine, he is a graduate of the University of Montana School of Journalism and worked for the Flathead Beacon for nine years before becoming associate editor of Railfan & Railroad Magazine in 2020. His work has appeared in the Washington Post, Seattle Times and New York Times. Find him at justinfranz.com.
Isabel Hicks is a freelance writer based in Bozeman. She reported hundreds of stories for the Bozeman Daily Chronicle through the Report for America service program. Isabel grew up in Denver and studied journalism and environmental studies at Colorado College.
Matt Standal is a Montana-based multimedia journalist with a background in filmmaking and outdoor education. While he’s produced stories for local news broadcasters in Minnesota and Idaho, Matt’s favorite job is leading backcountry ski tours in Yellowstone National Park. He’s also a former PADI scuba instructor, emergency medical technician and devoted book nerd. You can find Matt teaching avalanche safety classes when he’s not working with film crews or digging into stories.
Phoebe is a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. She has worked at The Sheridan Press and The Billings Gazette, and her work has appeared in McClatchy Newspapers and the Chicago Sun-Times. She lives in her hometown of Billings with her husband and two kids.
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Skylar Browning, Board Chair— Skylar is an award-winning writer and editor, published author, and communications director for one of the nation’s leading multifamily real estate firms. His work has been honored by the Montana Newspaper Association and the Society of Professional Journalists, and he received an NEA fellowship from the Arts Journalism Institute at the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. “Montana Baseball History,” his first book, co-authored by Jeremy Watterson, was published in 2015.
Anne Avis, Board Vice Chair — Anne is an experienced board leader in independent nonprofit journalism. She co-chairs the boards of Internews, a global media development organization, and KQED, public media in the Bay Area. She also serves on the board of Tinworks Art in Bozeman. Since 1994, Anne and her husband, Greg, have split their time between the Bay Area and Clyde Park, MT.
Susan Fox, Board Treasurer — Susan grew up in Billings and recently retired from the Montana Legislative Services Division. She retired after 16 years as executive director. Prior to that, she worked 14 years as a research analyst and spent the 1989 and 1991 sessions working for the Senate and House, respectively. She also worked for the Department of Institutions and Board of Crime Control from 1987-1991. A University of Montana graduate with a master’s degree in sociology, Fox lives in Helena and enjoys time with her family on the Stillwater River.
Alexis Bonogofsky, Board Secretary — Alexis is a rancher, organizer and freelance writer and photographer who lives and works along the Yellowstone River in southeastern Montana on her family’s ranch. For eleven years, she managed the Tribal Lands Partnership Program, where she worked with Montana tribes and inter-tribal organizations on energy efficiency and renewable energy projects, bison restoration to tribal lands, protection of sacred and historical sites and wildlife conservation. In 2014 Alexis was awarded a Cultural Freedom Fellowship from the Lannan Foundation.
Heather Dietrick, Board Member — Heather is an experienced media executive, currently serving as Outside, Inc.’s chief media officer, previously as the CEO of the Daily Beast, and before that, president and general counsel of Gawker Media. She started her career practicing First Amendment law, defending digital, print, and TV news journalists for their stories. She also clerked in the Eastern District of New York and holds a JD and an MBA from the University of Michigan, and a BA from Georgetown University. Heather, who deeply believes in the power of true and impactful journalism, lives in Whitefish and is an avid skier and dog lover.
Jason Begay, Board Member — Begay joined the faculty of the University of Montana School of Journalism in 2010 after spending six years as a full-time reporter for The Navajo Times in Window Rock, Ariz. He teaches courses in reporting and diversity and co-teaches the school’s award-winning Native News Project, which produces an annual publication and website that covers issues facing Montana tribal communities. He has served on the board of directors for the Native American Journalists Association as its vice president, treasurer and president. Jason is a 2002 graduate of the School of Journalism. He won a prestigious New York Times internship, and worked as a reporter for Portland’s Oregonian before returning to his home, the Navajo reservation on the Arizona-New Mexico border, to work for The Navajo Times. Jason grew up in Gallup, N.M., and interned for the Times at age 19. As a journalism student at UM, he interned at newspapers in Duluth, Minn., and Oakland, Calif. He earned a Masters in Business Administration in 2015.
Mike Dennison, Board Member — Dennison has been a reporter, primarily in Montana, for the past four decades, including 30 years as a full-time political and state-government reporter. He retired from full-time reporting in 2022 as chief political reporter for the Montana Television Network, moving to television in 2015 after spending 23 years as a political reporter for Lee Newspapers and the Great Falls Tribune. Since retiring, Mike has worked part-time as a TV political analyst and reporter for various publications. He also serves as treasurer and board member for the Montana Freedom of Information Hotline. During his reporting career, he has specialized in coverage of health care, energy, tax policy, campaigns, elections and the Legislature. Mike is a 1981 graduate of the University of Montana, with degrees in English and journalism.
Editorial Independence Policy
We subscribe to standards of editorial independence adopted by the Institute for Nonprofit News:
MTFP is supported by individuals and organizations who value in-depth, investigative news coverage and analysis. We are an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit news organization that retains 100% authority over our editorial content to protect the journalistic and business interests of our organization. We maintain a firewall between news coverage decisions and sources of all revenue. Acceptance of financial support does not constitute implied or actual endorsement of donors or their products, services, or opinions.
MTFP accepts gifts, grants, and sponsorships from individuals and organizations for the general support of our activities, but our news judgments are made independently and not on the basis of donor support.
MTFP may consider donations to support the coverage of particular topics, but our organization maintains
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