Molly Wetsch
Title: investigative reporter and Report for America corps member
Contact: 605-531-7382 / molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org
Languages spoken: English, some Spanish
Topic expertise: Indigenous people, rural communities, business, education
Biography: Molly Wetsch was born and raised in South Dakota. Wetsch previously served as an editorial intern for Forbes in New York City, working on the contributor network and specializing in consumer technology. At Forbes, she also wrote breaking news and contributed to the Forbes "50 Over 50 list." Wetsch began her career in journalism at Lincoln High School in Sioux Falls, where she wrote a monthly column and covered local business news as an intern and contributing writer for SiouxFalls.Business. She is a recent graduate of Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, where she received a degree in global business. There, she served as deputy editor of the University Times, the university’s newspaper, and deputy editor of the Trinity Business Review. Report for America is a national service program that responds to challenges faced by local news by placing journalists in newsrooms across the country. As a Report for America corps member, Wetsch will travel the state covering rural and indigenous communities. Her family comes from rural South Dakota and the Cheyenne River Reservation, so she understands the issues that are unique to both communities.
Archive of work: Muck Rack; SiouxFalls.Business; Forbes

Molly Wetsch
Total 13 Posts
Pheasant season begins Saturday with big numbers expected
Amid a rocky tourism year, pheasant season is giving hunters and small towns confidence for the fall and winter: "Pheasant ties everything together."
Questions still unanswered after man killed during raid; officer-involved shooting data
Internal investigation still ongoing almost a year after a man was shot and killed by U.S. Marshals Service officers in Yankton Reservation.
Lack of film incentives a roadblock, but South Dakota film industry still growing
A new movie supposedly set in the state shows desert vistas and Southwestern-style buildings because it was shot in New Mexico. Another, titled 'South Dakota,' was filmed in Iowa.
Iconic movies shot in South Dakota
From 'Dances With Wolves' to 'National Treasure,' these notable movies were filmed in South Dakota.
Boys and Girls Clubs innovating after budget shortfalls
The reservation programs are finding solutions in a budget flux: "Yes, the funding has been cut, but so what? These kids are getting it done anyway, and the Boys and Girls Club isn't going anywhere."
Lakota Music Project to take program on tour this fall
"There's been a lot of tears in rehearsals, not out of frustration but out of joy:" South Dakota Symphony Orchestra effort started as 'conviction' of conductor.
What to know about the Black Hills Corp. and NorthWestern Energy merger
By the end of 2026, South Dakota residents from the far corners of the Black Hills to the southeastern tip of the state could be sharing an energy provider.