Sacramento Bee hires new reporter to tackle busy transportation beat
A reporter known for breaking big stories in the North Bay is headed to The Sacramento Bee to cover one of the news organization’s busiest beats: transportation and commuting.
Madison Smalstig began her reporting journey at age 14, writing features on neighborhood kids for a magazine in Yorktown, Indiana. Since then, she’s covered Black Lives Matter protests in Portland for The Oregonian, written about blossoming Black-owned businesses for The Indianapolis Recorder, and reported on queer people creating community in metropolitan and rural Indiana communities for IndyStar, also known as The Indianapolis Star.
Smalstig joins The Bee from The Press Democrat, where she covered breaking news in Sonoma and Napa counties. Over three-plus years in that role, she developed an eye for building larger, enterprise stories off breaking news, including a deep dive into the lives of three teenagers who died of fentanyl poisoning over the course of three days. Amid her numerous public safety articles, she also found some uplifting stories, including one about a lost stuffed bunny’s journey home.
At The Bee, Smalstig covers the traveling public’s adventures at Sacramento’s international airport, as well as on its roads and light-rail system. News about getting around — and news that gets inside the powerful government agencies that oversee transportation policy — is essential for Bee readers, as is reporting on pedestrian, bike and commuter safety.
“I am so proud to join this talented newsroom at a newspaper with such a deep history,” she said. “I cannot wait to learn from my colleagues and community alike. … My goal is to produce understandable stories that help readers better navigate the city and surrounding areas.”
Smalstig replaces Ariane Lange, who will move to The Bee’s investigative desk but will continue to produce in-depth stories on traffic safety and fatalities. Lange’s work last year helped spark Sacramento leaders to approve a $4.6 million “quick-build” program to speed the pace of new safety projects.
Smalstig graduated from Indiana University in 2022 with bachelor’s degrees in journalism and Spanish and a minor in gender studies. Her first day at The Bee was Feb. 23. She reports to Local Accountability Team & Breaking News Editor Daniel Hunt.
This story was originally published February 5, 2026 at 10:28 AM.
