Chelsea Kurnick is a California-based journalist, photographer and editor whose work has appeared internationally.
Experiencing the sudden death of a loved one as a child acclimated Chelsea to loss, which enabled her to be at ease around others experiencing grief and trauma. This skill benefits her as an investigative journalist when building trust with sources. Chelsea’s approach to journalism is solutions-oriented and driven by compassion and nuance.
After a career spanning communications and nonprofit management, Chelsea’s news reporting began in Sonoma County, California, during a period marked by several major fires and floods, overlapping with Covid-19 pandemic and Black Lives Matter protests. Much of her reporting is rooted in and informed by living through compounding climate catastrophes.
Chelsea has covered LGBTQIA+ issues, public safety and law enforcement accountability, sex workers rights, and the impacts of climate change for multiple Bay Area newspapers.
Her work has won numerous California Journalism Awards and Journalism Association of Community College awards. For her poetry, she was named a Discovered: Emerging Artist of Sonoma County in 2019 by Creative Sonoma.
Selected Clips
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Body of Work
Blood is magic for drag performer Hollow Eve.
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America's Most Banned
Author Maia Kobabe won’t be silenced.
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Bad Blood
Vandalism sparks divergent investigations.
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Oaklash is Back
The Bay Area’s drag and queer performance goes online and outside in its fourth year.
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Rotten Core
Former employees say farm-to-table restaurateur is toxic and abusive
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Ethnic Studies with a Cop
A pilot program lauched by Santa Rosa Police Department sparks backlash.