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Luke Runyon
Co-Director, The Water Desk
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Professional Bio
Luke Runyon is a journalist covering water and climate change in the Western U.S. He serves as Co-Director of The Water Desk, a journalism initiative at the University of Colorado’s Center for Environmental Journalism that focuses on Western water issues and the Colorado River Basin. In 2017 he launched the Colorado River Reporting Project at KUNC, the NPR station for Northern Colorado, where he hosted and reported the podcast, “Thirst Gap: Learning To Live With Less On The Colorado River,” which earned a national Edward R. Murrow award in 2024. From 2022 to 2024 he served as president of the Society of Environmental Journalists, and is a former Ted Scripps fellow at the University of Colorado.
Luke has also reported for KUNC, Harvest Public Media, Aspen Public Radio and Illinois Public Radio. He’s a contributor to NPR’s Morning Edition, All Things Considered, Weekend Edition and APM's Marketplace. He has a master’s degree in Public Affairs Reporting from the University of Illinois Springfield. His work has been recognized by the Society of Environmental Journalists, the Society of Professional Journalists, the Radio Television Digital News Association, the Colorado Broadcasters Association and the Public Media Journalists Association.
Luke has also reported for KUNC, Harvest Public Media, Aspen Public Radio and Illinois Public Radio. He’s a contributor to NPR’s Morning Edition, All Things Considered, Weekend Edition and APM's Marketplace. He has a master’s degree in Public Affairs Reporting from the University of Illinois Springfield. His work has been recognized by the Society of Environmental Journalists, the Society of Professional Journalists, the Radio Television Digital News Association, the Colorado Broadcasters Association and the Public Media Journalists Association.