About Alex
Born in Bismarck, North Dakota, Alex Sakariassen grew up frequenting the still waters of central Minnesota and the hardscrabble foothills of Montana's Rocky Mountain Front. He chased the trout and snow west to Missoula in 2004. After earning a bachelor's degree in journalism and history from the University of Montana, he landed a reporting gig at the alt-weekly Missoula Independent. Alex penned short news pieces and feature stories on Montana policy, politics, the environment and craft beer there for nearly a decade, earning numerous industry awards and traveling across the Rocky Mountain West and to Washington, D.C., Las Vegas and the remote mountains of central Haiti in pursuit of stories with a regional hook. In the wake of the Indy's shuttering on Sept. 11, 2018, Alex established himself as a freelance journalist, columnist, copywriter and copy editor. He joined the staff of the news nonprofit Montana Free Press full-time in January 2021, covering education, voting rights and the 67th Montana Legislature.
Alex Sakariassen
Journalist, writer & copy editor
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Home base:
Missoula, Mont.
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Email:
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Photo courtesy John Cribb
CLIPS
Latest clips:
Mountain Outlaw
Winter 2021
Mountain Outlaw
Huffington Post
U.S. News & World Report
PolitiFact
Montana Free Press
Pacific Northwest Inlander
High Country News
Los Angeles Times
Missoula Independent
"Aerie instructor Trenton Harper shows his stuff on Discovery's 'Naked and Afraid'" (Link courtesy trentonharper.com)
Brewery History Journal
HONORS
National
Regional
Association of Alternative Newsweeklies: honorable mention, best feature story (2011)
Society of Professional Journalists: first place, sports reporting (2011)
second place, political reporting (2010)
State
Montana Newspaper Association: first place, best breaking news (2022)
first place, feature writing (2010, 2014)
first place, best news story (2014, 2021)
first place, educational reporting (2007)
second place, Mark Henckel Outdoor Writing Award (2018)
second place, best lifestyle coverage (2018)
second place, environmental/natural resource issues (2011, 2006)
third place, best education reporting (2022)
third place, best continuing news coverage (2018)
third place, enterprise journalism (2016)
third place, sports feature (2011)
EXPERIENCE
2021-present
Education reporter, Montana Free Press
*Pitched and composed articles about Montana's K-12 and higher education systems, including high-level policy decisions, regulatory changes and impacts to individual districts/schools.
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*Pitched and composed articles about the 67th Montana Legislature (2021), and about various state agencies and issues including: the Montana Secretary of State's office, the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, the Montana Attorney General's office, election law changes and voting rights, public health, firearms laws, and the COVID-19 pandemic.
2018-2021
Freelance Writer
Various clients
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*Pitched and composed a variety of news stories and features to clients including Mountain Outlaw Magazine, Montana Free Press and the Pacific Northwest Inlander. Topics ranged from western politics and wildlife conservation to scientific research and the ski industry.
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*Composed a seasonal ski-themed column for the Pacific Northwest Inlander.
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*Retitled stock footage clips for High Plains Films for sale on third party website.
2009-2018
Staff Writer
Missoula Independent
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*Pitched and composed at least two articles a week on a range of topics including state and federal politics, tribal issues, public health and conservation. Balanced this work with reporting and writing on at least ten long-term feature projects per year.
*Supervised editorial intern during summer 2012, advising on pitches and editing stories.
*Took charge of editing and content production of annual Garden City BrewFest special section for six years.
2010-2014
Freelance Contributor
Montana Headwall
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*Wrote quarterly briefs and articles on outdoor news and recreation in Northern Rockies.
Summer 2006;Summer 2007
Editorial Intern
Choteau Acantha
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*Pitched and wrote multiple news and feature articles per week.
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*Edited stories, obituaries and community press releases.
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*Worked as photographer and occasionally as page designer.