Illinois Public Media ramps up local congressional coverage

Illinois Public Media has contracted with veteran Washington, D.C.-based congressional reporter Linda Kenyon to join the IPM News team for the next election cycle. Kenyon will report on national issues out of the U.S. Capitol, connecting them to central Illinois.

“With the rise of social media and a steep decline in the number of Washington-based newspaper reporters, the role of local public media is more important than ever,” said Moss Bresnahan, executive director for Illinois Public Media. “Linda will cover the news out of Washington that impacts daily life here in Illinois, and this expanded and trusted news coverage will help the public to make informed decisions, hear diverse perspectives, and hold elected officials accountable when it comes to the next election cycle."

An anchor and reporter at CBS News Radio, Kenyon will cover stories for Illinois Public Media concerning downstate members of Congress. She also will report on issues that affect Illinois and will appear on the Friday edition of The 21st during the show’s week-in-review segment.

"From agriculture to infrastructure, what happens in Washington deeply affects central Illinoisans. Linda Kenyon is a veteran reporter who has covered many inaugurations, flown on Air Force One, and knows the powerbrokers on Capitol Hill. We look forward to her exclusive reports on Illinois' downstate delegation," said Reginald Hardwick, director of news & public affairs at Illinois Public Media. "Plus, her precise and unbiased wrap-up of the week in Washington will be a real treat for Friday listeners of The 21st show."

Kenyon won the 2020 Career Achievement Award for Distinguished Reporting on Congress from the Radio Television Correspondents’ Association. She has covered Congress and the White House and has also anchored the news for several radio networks before she came to CBS.

Prior to her work in Washington D.C., she worked at several radio stations in New England and Ohio. She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in journalism.