Ryan Heinsius
News Director & Managing EditorRyan Heinsius joined the KNAU newsroom as executive producer in 2013 and was named news director and managing editor in 2024. As a reporter, he has covered a broad range of stories from local, state and tribal politics to education, economy, energy and public lands issues, and frequently interviews internationally known and regional musicians. Ryan is an Edward R. Murrow Award winner and a Public Media Journalists Association Award winner, and a frequent contributor to NPR's Morning Edition, All Things Considered and national newscast. He's been featured on WBUR's Here & Now among other programs.
Before making the leap to public radio, Ryan spent more than a decade in print media as the editor of an alternative weekly paper. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Northern Arizona University in political science and journalism and has also returned to teach at his alma mater.
Ryan is a Flagstaff-based musician and has performed and recorded with many bands in the Southwest. He spends as much time as possible hiking, running and cycling the amazing terrain of northern Arizona and beyond.
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Hundreds of students in Flagstaff walked out of their classes Wednesday afternoon in protest of the Trump administration's growing immigration crackdowns. -
Many Navajo Nation citizens are anxious following the recent detainment of a tribal member near Peoria by ICE agents. KNAU spoke to Navajo Speaker Crystalyne Curley about how the escalation of federal immigration enforcement is impacting tribal members. -
Renowned Navajo community leader, matriarch and educator Louva Dahozy has died. She was called the Mother of the Navajo Nation. -
Navajo Nation leaders have condemned the arrest and detention of a Navajo citizen by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents last week. -
Last summer’s Dragon Bravo Fire devastated the economies of many northern Arizona communities near the Grand Canyon. KNAU spoke with Rep. Eli Crane about his efforts to speed up rebuilding the North Rim. -
Twin bills introduced in the U.S. House and Senate would finalize a long-running Yavapai-Apache Nation water rights settlement and secure additional water sources in the Verde Valley. -
Several elected leaders from northern Arizona are calling on Attorney General Kris Mayes to determine if the Trump administration’s cuts to wildfire mitigation efforts are illegal. -
A new report from Housing Solutions of Northern Arizona shows rental costs in Flagstaff have stabilized over the last year but remain stubbornly high. -
As her first piece of legislation, Rep. Adelita Grijalva has introduced a bill that aims to protect Oak Flat and halt what would be one of the nation’s largest copper mines. -
The cost of wildfire recovery on public lands mostly falls to agencies like the National Park Service and U.S. Forest Service. Several western U.S. senators have requested more federal help after a devastating fire year.
