Sarah Mizes-Tan is joining the Washington statehouse press corps as Olympia correspondent for Seattle-area NPR affiliates KUOW and KNKX. She starts on February 2, 2026. She will lead and inform coverage of the Washington Legislature, governor’s office, state agencies, and other state entities — and will look beyond the capitol dome to focus on the people affected by officials’ decisions.
Mizes-Tan has a decade of radio and print reporting experience in newsrooms across the U.S., including nearly four years in California’s state capitol, where she was race and equity reporter for Capital Public Radio in Sacramento. She was an education reporter for the Times-Picayune in New Orleans, a general assignment reporter for WCAI on Cape Cod, and a contributor to Bay Area NPR affiliate KQED and American Public Media’s Marketplace. She has a bachelor's degree from Johns Hopkins University and a master's degree from Columbia University School of Journalism.
“I’m very much looking forward to immersing myself in the ins and outs of the state legislature,” says Mizes-Tan. “I feel so honored to be taking up the mantle of this position here in Olympia.”
This position represents a deepening of the financial and editorial partnership between KUOW and KNKX and will improve our joint coverage of the state legislature. "In a time of constrained resources, it is more important than ever to work together," said KNKX News Director Jennifer Wing.
"The listeners and readers of KUOW and KNKX, and every station in the Northwest News Network will benefit," said KUOW News Director Jason Pagano.
The stations encompass two of the most highly regarded newsrooms in the Pacific Northwest, routinely awarded for outstanding journalism and programming. In addition to KNKX and KUOW, Mizes-Tan's coverage will be shared across Washington, Idaho, and Oregon via the Northwest News Network, a collaboration of public media organizations in the region.
ABOUT KUOW AND KNKX
KNKX, with studios in Seattle and Tacoma, is an independent nonprofit public media organization dedicated to bringing jazz, blues, and regional news to the Northwest and beyond. With the largest public radio broadcast footprint in Washington state, KNKX reaches listeners across 13 counties, providing trusted local journalism, and inspiring music. The station's news team was recognized with an Edward R. Murrow Award for Overall Excellence in 2024.
KUOW Puget Sound Public Radio is Seattle’s NPR news station. We are an independent, nonprofit news organization that produces award-winning journalism, innovative podcasts, engaging community events, and more. We work every day in service of our mission to create and serve a more informed public, because we believe an informed public is essential to a thriving community, a vibrant democracy, and a better future.
