Leslie Klosterman
VerifiedGet in touch with Leslie
Contact Leslie, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck RackActions
Leslie Klosterman’s Biography
Read Full Bio →I'm a jack-of-all trades storyteller with eight years of experience. I started my career as a journalist and covered a variety of beats, including government, health, agriculture, business, investigations and feature stories. I've won numerous first-place Ohio AP Media Editors awards. I transitioned to the corporate world in 2024, writing SEO-driven community guides and scripts for a leading real estate SaaS platform.
Leslie Klosterman’s Journalist Portfolio
See all 17 portfolio items →
Interview
See all 8 answers →What was your first job as a journalist?
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Why did you become a journalist?
Awards
See all 11 awards →Best Investigative Reporting, First Place
2023 - Investigative Journalism
Ohio AP Media Editors, Division II (Newspapers with a daily circulation of 8,000 to 11,999). For my series of stories following a couple charged in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection. The judge's commentary said: "Shows a dedication to follow the story wherever it leads, and is a textbook example of using documents to tell a story."
Best Investigative Reporting, First Place
2021 - Investigative Journalism
Ohio AP Media Editors, Division II (Newspapers with a daily circulation of 8,000 to 11,999). For my coverage of a local school district that went against norms to quietly pull books from classrooms and library shelves without public input. The judge's commentary said: "The writer followed all the threads to this story, and revealed findings in a clear and easy to consume way. Excellent work gathering information and telling a nationally important story on a community level. I was particularly floored by the now-mayor who lead the charge against two books -- and didn't have a kid in the class reading the most recent."
Best Business Writer, First Place
2021 - Business Writing
Ohio AP Media Editors, Division II (Newspapers with a daily circulation of 8,000 to 11,999). For a collection of business stories written over the course of the year. The judge's commentary said: "Excellent balance of news, community feature, specialness of local business in each story."
Best Spot News Coverage, First Place
2021 - Breaking News
Ohio AP Media Editors, Division II (Newspapers with a daily circulation of 8,000 to 11,999). For my coverage of a tragic farm accident that killed three brothers. I worked diligently behind the scenes to confirm the name of the victims with only an hour until print. The judge's commentary said: "Excellent job overcoming obstacles on a tight deadline to gather essential facts of a horrific tragedy."
Best Enterprise Reporting, First Place
2021 - Enterprise Reporting
Daily Standard Staff. Ohio AP Media Editors, Division II (Newspapers with a daily circulation of 8,000 to 11,999). For a series of stories covering infrastructure, including my kick-off piece on roads, bridges and other physical infrastructure. The judge's commentary said: "A true standout in terms of sheer effort. Project showed a lot of initiative."
Best Enterprise Reporting, Second Place
2023 - Enterprise Reporting
Ohio AP Media Editors, Division II (Newspapers with a daily circulation of 8,000 to 11,999). For my series of stories covering reports of child abuse at a local daycare and the community fallout.
Best Feature Writer, Second Place
2020 - Feature Writing
Ohio AP Media Editors, Division II (Newspapers with a daily circulation of 8,000 to 11,999).
Best Business Writer, Second Place
2022 - Business Writing
Ohio AP Media Editors, Division II (Newspapers with a daily circulation of 8,000 to 11,999).
Best Investigative Reporting, Third Place
2021 - Investigative Journalism
Ohio AP Media Editors, Division II (Newspapers with a daily circulation of 8,000 to 11,999). For my coverage of a local food bank that gave opened and expired food to consumers. The judge's commentary said: "Good example of why it's important to give space to marginalized communities."
Best Feature Writer, Third Place
2021 - Feature Writing
Ohio AP Media Editors, Division II (Newspapers with a daily circulation of 8,000 to 11,999).
Best Feature Writer, Third Place Place
2022 - Feature Writing
Ohio AP Media Editors, Division II (Newspapers with a daily circulation of 8,000 to 11,999).