Title: Content Director
Contact: 605-937-9398 / bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org
Language spoken: English
Demographic expertise: South Dakota, including the Rapid City area, the Black Hills, rural towns and reservations
Topic expertise: agriculture, state government, education, rural issues, Indigenous people, poverty
Potential conflict of interest: Pfankuch serves on the board of the Oyate Prevention Coalition in Rapid City, which works to prevent substance abuse among Native American youth. He will recuse himself from reporting on the organization.
Biography: Pfankuch (pronounced FAN-cook) is Wisconsin native and former editor of the Rapid City Journal. He has worked for more than 30 years as a reporter and editor at newspapers in Wisconsin, Florida and South Dakota, including as reporter or editor at the Eau Claire Leader-Telegram and Capital Times in Wisconsin, and at the Florida Times-Union and Sarasota Herald-Tribune in Florida. He also is a syndicated writing coach who has presented at newspaper conferences across the country. Pfankuch has won more than four dozen state, regional and national journalism awards, including, while at News Watch, agricultural writer of the year from the North American Agricultural Journalists association in 2020, 2021 and 2023 as well as first-place reporting awards in the Great Plains Journalism Awards sponsored by the Tulsa Press Club and South Dakota NewsMedia Association. Pfankuch lives in Black Hawk.
Professional memberships: Investigative Reporters and Editors, North American Agricultural Journalists, South Dakota NewsMedia Association First Amendment Committee
Archive of work: South Dakota News Watch
Bart Pfankuch
Total 376 Posts
Reserves of critical minerals driving mining interest in SD
New efforts are underway in the state to pull several rare earth elements used in a variety of modern machines and technologies.
As student violence rises, state wants districts to have options
A 2024 survey found that aggressive behavior was the second-most common job complaint among educators behind low wages.
Hot topics aplenty on 2026 SD legislative session agenda
Session will feature a robust debate on how to spend limited state funds. "We have a long list of ideas people want to discuss," said top budgeting lawmaker Mike Derby.
Moving mountains: Blasting and clawing toward a safer US 385
Huge boulders are being moved and rocky hillsides blasted and scraped away as part of a $72 million widening project on U.S. 385, the only major highway through the central Black Hills.
Small local farms growing stronger roots in South Dakota
Consumer demand for organic and locally grown foods continues to rise, but running a small farm isn't always an easy task for producers.
The one issue South Dakota towns agree is holding them back
A coordinated statewide effort is underway to generate and share innovative ideas for new housing across the state.
Improving open records law in SD an uphill battle for advocates
South Dakota remains "on an island" when it comes to open records laws, which allow police agencies to keep videos they record away from public access and scrutiny.