Faithful readers of the Juneau Empire may have noticed a change to the paper’s masthead in the last couple weeks with reporter Mari Kanagy’s addition to the publication’s ranks on Sept. 22. First working remotely from her home in Washington, Kanagy is now boots-on-the-ground and eager to join the Juneau community.
Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest on a small island in Puget Sound near Seattle, Kanagy earned her bachelor’s degree at the University of Washington, where she double majored in journalism and Law Societies and Justice.
“I think that government reporting and that major go really hand in hand, because the goal of the LSJ major was to look at law through a ‘person-first’ perspective,” she said.
She noted that in a classic political science degree, students look at the theories that shape the laws, whereas LSJ degree-seeking students focus on how people are impacted by laws and how their lived experiences inform what does and doesn’t work with the law.
“I think that journalism itself goes well with that, because it’s trying to take a slice of somebody’s life or perspective and have that reflect on a much bigger issue — whether that be municipal law or something going on in the state legislature,” she said.
Following her graduation, Kanagy said she was eager for a change. When she found the job posting for the reporter position at the Empire, she began researching Juneau and Southeast Alaska.
“It seemed like a place that I would fit in well,” she said. “I think the physical landscape was the biggest initial draw.”
Juneau’s political landscape also intrigued Kanagy, and her excitement only grew as she learned more about what, beyond politics, “the community itself cares about.”
“The state legislature was what drew me to the job originally, but the whole time I’ve been working virtually I’ve been eager to actually get my feet on the ground in Juneau and learn more about what people are passionate about,” she said.
For example, having recently attended a community forum, Kanagy witnessed Juneau residents’ passion on issues around affordable housing, particularly on Telephone Hill.
Kanagy’s previous news experience includes a college internship at Cascade PBS, a Seattle-based public media station serving the Pacific Northwest, where she also conducted state legislative reporting. Last summer she also completed a two-month internship in India, where she worked as a community reporter in Chennai and Bangalore, in the southern part of the country.
On the personal side, Kanagy said she brought her kayak with her to Juneau and is also looking forward to hiking and learning to cross-country ski.
Reach Kanagy at mari.kanagy@juneauempire.com.
