Esta Pratt-Kielley
Digital News Reporterepratt-kielley@mainepublic.org
Esta Pratt-Kielley is a digital news reporter at Maine Public, where she writes and produces multimedia stories, seeking to bring Maine Public’s storytelling to life across platforms.
Before moving to Maine, Esta lived and worked in New York City. She wrote and produced daily news for MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell Reports, covering national politics, the 2020 election, racial justice protests and the coronavirus pandemic. Before that, Esta reported national education stories for NBC News, where she produced short documentaries and educational video series, helped launch a Webby award-winning parenting website, wrote and produced episodes for a daily news show for kids, and traveled across the country to produce live-audience broadcasts in partnership with local NBC affiliate stations. In October 2019, Esta was the senior producer for a televised, live-audience event in Detroit, Michigan, that put a spotlight on the city’s education system, covering the most salient issues facing the community, including the impact of trauma in the classroom. Esta’s favorite part of journalism is talking to different people – and she has interviewed people ranging from a four-year-old entrepreneur to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.
Esta is originally from Madison, Wisconsin, where she attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison and graduated with a Journalism degree and a Fine Arts minor. Esta’s career in journalism began at her college radio station, where she reported daily newscasts and hosted a weekly talk show.
Esta lives with her wife, Sara, and their rescue dog, Maico. They spend most weekends outdoors, hiking or swimming.
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Several proposals aim to reverse gender identity protections in the Maine Human Rights Act that have existed for years, but have drawn repeated criticism from Republicans and President Donald Trump. -
On Friday, the judge ordered the State Department to issue passports to six of seven transgender and nonbinary plaintiffs while their lawsuit plays out in court. Maine state law still allows for a person to select X as their gender marker or change their sex designation on state IDs like drivers licenses. -
In Maine, individuals can still get IDs and birth certificates to reflect their gender identity, but many are confused about how they align with new federal requirements and whether it's safe for them to travel. -
As the May 7 Real ID deadline approaches, Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows says Bureau of Motor Vehicles branches across the state are seeing a huge influx of applicants. -
In this episode of Maine Explained, we dive into the history of Maine’s state flag and how Question 5 came to be on Maine's ballot in 2024. -
Once a fixture in nearly every community, the blacksmith shop is now mostly a relic of the past, but for a few hobbyists and shops scattered across the state. But the Maine Academy of Natural Sciences is trying to re-invigorate interest in the craft. -
For many LGBTQ couples, entering parenthood comes with financial, time-consuming, and sometimes discriminatory barriers to securing parenting rights. But now, Maine’s new confirmatory adoption law is easing those burdens. -
A total solar eclipse is one of the universe’s most spectacular natural events. So what happens during total solar eclipse? And does it really live up to all the hype? That’s what we dive into in this episode of Maine Explained. -
By most accounts, it’s a spectacular celestial event that you won’t want to miss. Here’s what you can expect when the solar eclipse traverses through the state. -
Did you know that there are over 2,000 different mushroom species within the state of Maine? As more species are being discovered, we are learning more about how these fungi play a role in our health and that of the ecosystems that support them.
