Title: investigative reporter and 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 First Amendment Committee
Social platforms: X/Twitter; LinkedIn
Archive of work: South Dakota News Watch
Bart Pfankuch
Total 307 Posts
Hometown of Laura Ingalls Wilder set for a growth spurt
Kingsbury County in east-central South Dakota, home to De Smet and Laura Ingalls Wilder fame, could see up to a $1 billion jump in its tax base if a large dairy farm and biofuels plant are both built.
Monument Health: Rapid City hospital ratings have risen
"It shows progress on our quality journey and using the same measurement with today’s data would result in higher ratings."
SD hospital hit with lowest quality rating: Inside the fight for improvement
Leaders at Monument Health in Rapid City said they provide quality care despite receiving a 1 out of 5 federal safety and quality rating.
South Dakota offering millions in tech grants to nursing homes
Up to $7 million in grants will soon be available to expand the use of telemedicine and innovative technology to improve health care for the elderly in South Dakota.
Solar surge: South Dakota sees new interest in solar power
Fossil fuels will still play a role: 'On a cold winter morning when it's cloudy and there’s no wind, we’ll still be keeping our members warm with natural gas and coal and diesel.'
South Dakota’s high health care costs causing many to skip treatments
Increasing health care costs are affecting almost everyone, but the unusually high costs in South Dakota are prompting some state residents to forgo necessary medical care, which in turn can drive up costs even further.
Global issues, local impacts: New SD group to push trade
A new South Dakota committee of 75 people from a variety of backgrounds is forming to discuss global events and seek new opportunities for overseas trade.