Contact me: kjk (at) kristakapralos (dot) com, 425-212-7631
Journalism Experience
Oct. 2009 – Present: Freelance Journalist, covering religion, faith-based aid, American Indian tribes, federal budget and policy and more.
March 2010 – Present: Senior Mentor, United Press International, training young journalists from around the world. Includes editing, mentoring, teaching sessions, blogging and other utilizing other social media, story promotion and cross-cultural education.
Nov. 2009: World Affairs fellow at International Center for Journalists, reporting from West Africa, covering US taxpayer-funded programs including faith-based aid agencies.
Sept. – Nov. 2007: International Reporting Project fellow reporting from Venezuela, covering indigenous groups and Venezuelan government policy.
Aug. 2005 – Oct. 2009: Reporter covering religion, American Indian tribes, minorities, government and breaking news at The Herald, Everett, WA, including federal policy, tax fraud, smuggling and more.
Jan. 2003 – Sept. 2005: Reporter covering government, refugees and immigrants and breaking news at The Observer-Dispatch in Utica, NY, reporting from Bosnia in Oct. 2003.
Freelance
Published in Global Post, Religion News Service, The Washington Post, The San Francisco Chronicle, High Country News, Religion Dispatches and others.
Appearances, Mentoring, Skills
Proficient in Audacity, Soundslides, iMovie, Final Cut Pro, Access, social media and all standard Microsoft and Apple programs, blogs and online formats.
Speaker on covering Islam, Edward R. Murrow program at Syracuse University; guest on Seattle radio talk show to discuss American Indian tribal sovereignty.
Writer’s group coordinator and leader; trained reporters in multimedia journalism; mentored new reporters in source and story development at The Herald newspaper.
Education
June 2003: M.A., Syracuse University, Magazine, Newspaper and Online Journalism. (Including internship at the Observer-Dispatch in Utica, NY, where I published an award-winning investigation into the use of interpreters in local hospitals.)
June 2001: B.Re, Davis College, Teaching English, Biblical theology. (Including internship teaching English in India.)
Awards
• 2008 Blethen Award – shared for breaking news coverage. • 2008 SPJ, 1st Place Comprehensive Coverage “The War at Home,” 2nd Place, Investigative, “Stormmy Paul” • 2007 SPJ, 1st Place, Minority Reporting “Copyrighting Cultures.” • 2006 Flood Coverage: Blethen Award (I was part of the breaking news team).• From Faraway Lands Series: New York Publisher’s Association 1st place for Feature Writing for “Ifeta’s Quest;” New York State Associated Press 3rd place for Feature Writing for “Ifeta’s Quest,” 1st place for Continuing Coverage, 1st place for Online Content, honors for project enterprise; New York Publisher’s Association award for community service; Gannett Well Done for project enterprise.• Poverty series: New York Publisher’s Association 1st place for Community Service; Gannett Well Done honors.• Beat Reporting: Washington State Society of Professional Journalists award for “Tourist Traps;” Gannett Well Done honors for coverage of the Oneida Indian Nation.