Driven by a sense of possibility, I follow my curiosity.
I’m a journalist, filmmaker and public media leader. I’ve worked as a teacher on the US-Mexico border in Texas’s Rio Grande Valley, a policy wonk in Washington, DC, and a land use planner in Wyoming.
Since 2019 I have served as executive director of 89.1 KHOL in Jackson Hole. where I’ve transformed Wyoming’s only community radio station into an award-winning newsroom with a reach across the Mountain West. I steer strategy, partnerships and growth and oversee the station’s full creative ecosystem, including music programming.
I also report and produce stories—from breaking news to longform features and international reporting in Ukraine and Mexico.
My documentary about the American folk song “Li’l Liza Jane” is in post-production. We’re aiming for an early 2027 release.
When not racing deadlines, you can find me playing the fiddle or playing in the snow.
Featured Work
Li’l Liza Jane: The Story of America through the History of a Song
A song first sung by enslaved people on southern plantations. 100 years later David Bowie made it his first single. This film explores the remarkable journey of one of the most recorded, most beloved songs in American history.
A road race relay where hope is the baton - The World, December 2025
Reported audio and digital features from Ukraine on a civilian-led convoy transporting donated ambulances from across Europe to the frontline, documenting how informal volunteer networks sustain the country’s wartime needs.
Wyoming resident cited for illegally possessing a live wolf |KHOL, March 2024
Broke a nationally covered wildlife enforcement story that prompted state and federal legislative scrutiny; Regional Edward R. Murrow Award for Breaking News. 🏆
Shacks on Racks preserves Jackson history — and homes for locals | KHOL, Wyoming Public Media, February 2024
Solutions-focused reporting on housing and demolition waste; Society of Professional Journalists “Top of the Rockies” Solutions Journalism Award 🏆
Recent Thought Leadership
The New Yorker – “What Happens to Public Media Now”
Quoted in feature on the ‘Republican-backed funding cuts and their impact on rural stations.’ Read »
WyoFile – “Public media is local journalism. Let’s get the facts straight about defunding it”
Authored op-ed on the impact of funding cuts. Read »
CPB/Poynter Executive Editorial Integrity & Leadership Fellowship
Selected for a year-long fellowship supporting ‘leadership, ethics and innovation in journalism.’ Read »
I also regularly moderate public conversations with journalists, authors and filmmakers. Select events include:
Moderated a conversation with filmmakers for a National Geographic national parks series
Produced and moderated a discussion with Pulitzer-nominated author Alexandra Fuller
Moderated a conversation with former Washington Post columnist and New Yorker contributor Ruth Marcus
Shows + Editorial PROJECTS
Created and launched KHOL’s flagship programming, developing the format, editorial vision and production pipeline. Scaled distribution for regional content collaboration with partner stations and podcast/streaming access. These programs were developed as part of KHOL’s expansion into a regional newsroom.
Daily newscast | 2021 to present
Established a consistent source of original reporting in a region with limited local news infrastructure. The weekday broadcast delivers concise coverage of local and regional issues and serves as a cornerstone of the station’s newsroom growth.
Radio show + podcast | 2021 to present
Creator (and occasional producer and contributor) of KHOL’s flagship news magazine, featuring reporting and interviews.
Five-episode long-form series| 2022
Creator, executive producer and lead reporter on two episodes. The series reflects KHOL’s expansion into more ambitious, long-form storytelling.
Regional Edward R. Murrow Award; LION Publishers Product of the Year; 2nd place, SPJ “Top of the Rockies”
Bi-weekly public affairs show | 2024 to present
Covering everything from local politics to life in the mountains, the program reflects KHOL’s evolution from a news source into a forum for dialogue and community engagement.
TESTIMONIALS
“How does a grassroots radio station that started in the basement of a downtown barber shop grow into a robust local news source? Two words: Emily Cohen.” - Jackson Hole News&Guide
“… a special animal. incredibly smart and savvy. Mysterious…Vicious and fierce when necessary. Fundamentally nonplussed.“ - Dan Gutstein, vocalist for punk band Joy on Fire and author of non/fiction, Bloodcoal & Honey, and Buildings Without Murders
“One seldom meets a person so brimming with vision, who possesses the energy and tenacity necessary to make these visions a reality, and a talent for motivating her collaborators, coupled with the ability to overcome the challenges that arise when one is building something worthwhile.” - John Grunwell, NASA