August 14, 2025; Washington, D.C. — NPR announced today that it is joining the Mountain West News Bureau to create a regional newsroom that brings together public media organizations across seven Western states. This collaboration, nearly a year in the making, is the seventh within the NPR network and advances its mission of delivering journalism that helps people make well-informed decisions for their families and their communities.
"NPR is committed to working more closely with these Mountain West stations to serve the public's need for trusted reporting from this vast section of the country," said Edith Chapin, NPR Senior Vice President, Editor in Chief and acting Chief Content Officer. "We're eager to examine the use of public lands, the demands on water and energy resources and other vital issues for people in this area."
The new regional newsroom expands the successful Mountain West News Bureau, founded in 2018 with support from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and continues the growth of NPR's regional newsroom model, which enables neighboring stations to share reporting and editing, plan coverage together, and uncover important stories in partnership with NPR. The Mountain West News Bureau joins regional newsrooms in Texas, California, the Gulf States, the Midwest, New England, and Appalachia and the Mid-South.
The Mountain West News Bureau has six managing partner stations – Boise State Public Radio, KANW in New Mexico, KUNC in Colorado, KUNR Public Radio in Nevada, Nevada Public Radio, and Wyoming Public Media – along with nearly a dozen other affiliated stations and NPR. Colorado Public Radio in Denver and KJZZ in Phoenix have also joined the regional newsroom as associate partners.
The Mountain West regional newsroom is supported by contributions from its partner organizations and by a grant from Eric and Wendy Schmidt through the Schmidt Family Foundation. The grant enables the newsroom to add a full-time digital editor as well as a journalist focused on Indigenous affairs to report on issues impacting Native communities.
"The Mountain West News Bureau is eager to expand," said Tom Michael, general manager of Boise State Public Radio, the regional newsroom's lead station. "In addition to daily news and enterprise reporting, we are working with partners Koahnic Broadcast Corporation and Native Public Media on covering Indigenous affairs. Our newest partners will help us deepen our journalism and elevate our work."
Michael de Yoanna is the managing editor of the Mountain West News Bureau, coordinating with news leaders at partner stations and serving as a key liaison with NPR. "By working together in this way," he said, "these public media organizations can do more local reporting and add context and perspective that helps people understand the complexities of this region. The bureau will be a hub for collaboration and help expand meaningful, in-depth and investigative reporting across our region."
About NPR
NPR's rigorous reporting and unsurpassed storytelling connects with millions of Americans every day — on the air, online, and in person. NPR strives to create a more informed public — one challenged and invigorated by a deeper understanding and appreciation of events, ideas, and cultures. With a nationwide network of award-winning journalists and 16 international bureaus, NPR and its Member organizations are never far from where a story is unfolding. Listeners can find NPR by tuning in to their local Member stations (npr.org/stations), downloading the NPR App or asking Alexa to "Play NPR." The NPR mobile app brings together the best of the NPR Network from around the world and right in your community — live radio, podcasts, the latest local and national news and more — available wherever you are and whenever you want. Get more information at npr.org/about and by following NPR Extra on Facebook, LinkedIn, Threads, and Instagram.
About Boise State Public Radio
Boise State Public Radio, part of the NPR Network, has provided non-commercial, independent public media in Idaho for almost 50 years. It is part of Boise State University and serves two-thirds of the population of Idaho through 27 transmitters and translators, as well as digital platforms. As lead station of the Mountain West News Bureau, it collaborates with similar organizations across the intermountain West.
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