Mary Ellen Ritter

Mary Ellen Ritter is an experienced journalist and education reporter currently working at the Daytona Beach News-Journal, where coverage includes 76,000 students and nearly 100 K-12 schools in Florida's Volusia and Flagler counties. Since August 2023, Ritter has produced approximately 20 articles monthly, addressing issues such as chronic absenteeism and book banning, and notably elevated a local story about Bunnell Elementary to national attention. Previous roles include internships at the Star Tribune, Los Angeles Magazine, Minnesota Public Radio, and Milwaukee Magazine, along with a position as Visuals Editor at Minnesota Daily. In addition to journalism, Ritter has a background in marketing as the Vice President of Marketing for Alpha Gamma Delta and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Professional Journalism and Interdisciplinary Graphic Design from the University of Minnesota.