Rachel Ripp
KMBC 9 News ReporterRachel Ripp is an award-winning reporter who joined KMBC 9 News team in 2025. She was named South Carolina’s Reporter of the Year in 2023, receiving the prestigious STAR Award from the South Carolina Broadcasters Association.
Rachel is native to the Kansas City area. She was born and raised in Olathe, Kansas, before heading west to attend Pepperdine University in California. In fact, her career has come full circle — she previously interned at KMBC 9 News in 2017.
Rachel graduated from Pepperdine University with a Bachelor of Arts in Broadcast Journalism. While there, she served as the sports editor for The Graphic, the university’s student newspaper, and worked as a reporter and producer for NewsWaves 32, Pepperdine’s student-run TV station. She also produced and filmed coverage for university sporting events.
Before transitioning to news, Rachel built experience in the sports media industry, interning for Wasserman, the Big West Conference, the Colorado Springs Gazette and spending two summers with ESPN’s national program, Around the Horn.
Rachel began her professional career as a multimedia journalist (MMJ) for NewsWest 9 (KWES) in Midland/Odessa, Texas, where she covered major regional stories including the Midland-Odessa mobile mass shooting anniversary, a Chevron well leak on a cattle ranch, a Midland ISD bond recount, and pop-up migrant camps in early 2021.
Her next stop was Columbia, South Carolina, where she served as an MMJ and Weekend Evening Anchor for News 19 (WLTX). During her time there, Rachel reported daily from the six-week Alex Murdaugh trial, one of the most high-profile court cases in recent U.S. history. She also covered a fatal Lake Murray boat crash trial, which resulted in a 10-year prison sentence, and followed the University of South Carolina Women’s Basketball team through its 2022 NCAA Championship title run and the 2023 Elite Eight tournament.
Rachel’s work demonstrates her passion for accurate, empathetic and community-driven journalism, showcasing KMBC’s commitment to credible local storytelling.
Outside the newsroom, Rachel is involved in her church, likes listening to thriller audiobooks and crime podcasts, and is a mentor with Big Brothers Big Sisters Kansas City. She also loves playing golf, discovering new restaurants and travelling, especially to the beach.
