My Summer as a Climate Reporting Intern at WFAE
Working at WFAE was an education in arts, community building, and of course, public radio. I had the unique opportunity to work one on one with their climate reporter and learned to master all the buttons, cords and seemingly random sounds that came from my equipment. From there, WFAE essentially dumped me head first into the great big world (the city of Charlotte). I reported from the government center, the mountains of western North Carolina and an encampment of unhoused people living beside I-77. Mic and chunky headphones in hand, I chased stories all around the region, learning more about North Carolinians from all walks of life with every interview.
Internally, working inside of a newsroom was also a very enlightening experience. I’ve been involved with the Davidsonian since my freshman year but this was my first professional journalism experience. Participating in daily pitch meetings, sitting through edits and even just listening to chatter within the newsroom gave me a significantly deeper understanding of journalism and at the same time, it showed me how much room I have to grow. An unexpected educational experience: While I was in that newsroom, WFAE confronted the rescission of federal funding for the corporation for public broadcasting. It was a window into the challenge of sustaining local journalism and the resilience of those determined to do the work.
Sustainability Scholars made my experience possible. It is a program run by the Sustainability Office, connecting a cohort of 10 students to environmentally-minded internships. As I begin my senior year at Davidson and look forward to a career in reporting, I’ll carry with me all that I learned this summer.