Fund for aspiring journalists created in honor of KCUR reporter killed in Kansas City
A memorial fund that will support aspiring journalists has been created in honor of KCUR reporter Aviva Okeson-Haberman, who was fatally shot in her Kansas City apartment.
KCUR and and KBIA at the Missouri School of Journalism, where Okeson-Haberman started reporting in college, are working to set up the legacy fund to support journalists “who, like Aviva, show potential to change the world through journalism.”
The fund will honor Okeson-Haberman’s “tremendous commitment to curiosity, compassion and the truth,” according to the donation page on KCUR’s website.
The 24-year-old reporter died after she was found wounded Friday in her first-floor apartment in the 2900 block of Lockridge Avenue in Kansas City. Detectives are investigating her death as a homicide.
Colleagues remembered Okeson-Haberman as one of the most conscientious reporters they knew. She covered Missouri government and politics for the public radio station, but she assisted with a range of stories from City Hall coverage and the COVID-19 pandemic.
After the shooting, KCUR was inundated with calls and messages from across the U.S. with people asking if there was a way to honor Okeson-Haberman’s memory, KCUR’s general manager, Sarah Morris, said in an email.
The station coordinated with KBIA because leadership knew they wanted to do something to support future journalists, especially those who will follow the same career path Okeson-Haberman had.
Condolences for Okeson-Haberman’s loved ones and her colleagues also poured in.
In remembering her, the Society of Professional Journalists called her a “rising star” in the industry. On Twitter, the group shared a feature in its magazine, in which Okeson-Haberman talked about uncovering problems with Missouri’s elder abuse hotline — a story that led to a state investigation and reforms.
“What I’m most proud of is the fact that changes were made because of the reporting,” Okeson-Haberman recently told Quill. “That’s why I got into reporting, and that’s what I love about my job.”
Gun violence will be the subject of a new, statewide journalism project The Star is undertaking in Missouri this year in partnership with the national service program Report for America and sponsored in part by Missouri Foundation for Health. As part of this project, The Star will seek the community’s help.
To contribute, visit Report for America online at reportforamerica.org.
This story was originally published April 28, 2021 at 2:35 PM.
