Public Service Journalism
That's what motivates me.
Journalism should be done for the people, not for money or clicks- but for the citizens of our country. Being informed is vital to civic engagement and our democracy.
When I got to the Missouri School of Journalism, I thought I was going to do strictly broadcast television journalism, but my hands-on experience reporting led me somewhere else. My sophomore year, I fell in love with in-depth storytelling through a variety of media. I began writing more, I started working at the local NPR affiliate and my convergence journalism class allowed me to create long-form video and audio stories. I was hooked.
After reporting in rural Missouri, I realized how valuable journalism is to civic engagement and public health. I love being a part of that process.
My love for public media continued to grow while I interned for the PBS station in St. Louis. My work as an anchor and producer at KBIA strengthened it even more. I believe in public media and I love it more than anything.
I knew I wanted to be a journalist at 13.
Here's an example of my high school work- Just for fun.
But don't worry, my work has gotten better since then. My purpose for doing journalism has changed. Yes, it's still fun, but it means more to me than that.
I went from reporting about school sponsored events in high school to reporting about public health crises in college. So much has changed, but my love of journalism and my motivation for pursuing it as a career has stayed the same.
It's what I love.
My passion for journalism has only grown.
I do journalism because it is what I love. Interviewing, getting out in the community, having real conversations- it all gives me joy.
Why do I do it?
I believe a free press is what makes our country great. It strengthens our democracy. I do journalism as a public service.