Ava Kian has again been awarded for her outstanding reporting.

MinnPost’s race and health equity reporter was honored on Aug. 5 in Birmingham, Alabama, by the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) during its 2023 Salute to Excellence Awards. Kian was awarded in the category of Newspaper – Newsroom Staff of 50 and Below: Specialty for her article “A Story of Hope: Primrose Ruwocha’s Story of Perseverance in the Face of Domestic Abuse.”

“We are thrilled that Ava is being recognized for her work in bringing underrepresented voices to MinnPost’s journalism,” MinnPost editor Elizabeth Dunbar said. “Ava has made extraordinary contributions to a new beat for MinnPost, and it’s great to see that work being highlighted nationally.”

Just this past month Kian was named the Minnesota Society of Professional Journalists Young Journalist of the Year and earned a second place award from the organization for feature reporting.

Kian joined MinnPost in March of last year as a reporting fellow supported by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota. She was also a Poynter-Koch Media and Journalism fellow.