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Desiree Hagen on Muck Rack

Desiree Hagen

Verified
(She/Her)
Kotzebue, United States
As seen in: KOTZ AM (Kotzebue, AK), Bloomberg News, Yahoo, Anchorage Daily News, Alaska Public Media, KTOO Public Media (Juneau, AK), Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Alaska Beacon, Our Community Now, KYUK (Bethel, AK), KNBA-FM (Anchorage, AK) and
Covers:  Topics related to the Northwest Arctic region of Alaska
Based in Kotzebue, Alaska, KOTZ 720 AM is the regional NPR affiliate connecting the communities of the Northwest Arctic Borough. Send news tips to news@kotz.org

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Desiree Hagen’s Biography

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Desiree Hagen is KOTZ's News Director. She's worked in Alaska public radio for over a decade, previously as a reporter in Homer and Bethel.

Desiree Hagen’s Journalist Portfolio

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Repairs to severed fiber optic cable in Northern Alaska to begin soon, company says

Repairs to severed fiber optic cable in Northern Alaska to begin soon, company says

The damaged cable left some residents in northern and western Alaska without high speed internet for several …

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Kotzebue's utility rates are going up, starting in October

Kotzebue's utility rates are going up, starting in October

For most residents, utilities will increase by $8.50 a month in October and again in April. For elders, those…

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Alaska Native leaders call for major subsistence management reforms

Alaska Native leaders call for major subsistence management reforms

The Alaska Federation of Natives has passed a resolution that advocates for broad changes in state and federa…

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Lawmaker proposes Alaska Constitution amendment to resolve federal-state subsistence management

Lawmaker proposes Alaska Constitution amendment to resolve federal-state subsistence management

A lawmaker from Kotzebue is seeking to amend the Alaska Constitution to resolve a longstanding conflict betwe…

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Board of Game opposes caribou harvest reductions despite recommendations from subsistence advocat...

Board of Game opposes caribou harvest reductions despite recommendations from subsistence advocat...

Local and regional advisory councils, along with the Western Arctic Caribou Herd Working Group, submitted mul…

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Lucrative ICE detention centers bring money - and anger - to an Alaska Native community

Lucrative ICE detention centers bring money - and anger - to an Alaska Native community

NANA Regional Corp. is supposed to uphold Iñupiat values. Some shareholders say its role in Trump's deportati…

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Articles

Rare albino caribou calf photographed for possibly the first time in Alaska

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By Desiree Hagen Verified
| KTOO Public Media (Juneau, AK) Verified
An albino caribou calf photographed with its mother on Alaska’s North Slope in late June, 2026. (Jordan Pruszenski/Alaska Department of Fish and Game) In late June, Alaska Department of Fish and Game biologist Jordan Pruszenski was in a small plane north of Fairbanks, counting caribou calves to see how many had survived their first month, a seasonal routine for the department. Then the survey pilot spotted something and swerved toward it. “I’m just like, ‘What is happening?'” Pruszenski said.
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Rare albino caribou calf photographed for what might be the first time in Alaska

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By Desiree Hagen Verified
| Alaska Public Media Verified
In late June, Alaska Department of Fish and Game biologist Jordan Pruszenski was in a small plane north of Fairbanks, counting caribou calves to see how many had survived their first month, a seasonal routine for the department. Then the survey pilot spotted something and swerved toward it. "I'm just like, 'What is happening?'" Pruszenski said. Against the patchy brown tundra, a bright white speck was impossible to miss.
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Two Kotzebue homes test above federal limit for lead in drinking water

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By Desiree Hagen Verified
| Alaska Public Media Verified
Kotzebue is one of only two communities in Alaska whose drinking water is currently over the federal limit for lead, according to state officials. The city collected water samples from 10 homes during a routine check in August. Two came back above the Environmental Protection Agency's lead action level of 15 parts per billion, which triggers extra testing, public notice and a review of how the water is treated.
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Interview

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What was your first job as a journalist?

-

Have you ever used a typewriter?

Absolutely.

How is social media changing news?

Social media makes journalism and ethical reporting that much more important.