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1/20 A year ago today I started working at KPCC — here are some reflections from my first year in journalism:
2/20 Nothing has shaped me more than @TobinLow and @CathyTu (the hosts of @Nancypodcast) speaking at the station during my first month there. They talked about how their team looks for stories *they* find interesting, not what stories they think fit a mold or are expected of them
3/20 That became the number one guiding principle for me as I started reporting. Nearly every piece I made was connected to something I had been thinking about for a long time. With that in mind, here& #39;s a bit about my three favorite stories I& #39;ve done and why I wanted to tell them
4/20 (“Exploring LA’s Zine Scene”) Four years ago, I started illustrating professionally (mostly by cold-emailing magazines! and it worked! lol!) That led me to table at zinefests around SoCal. I discovered they were a lovely safe space for sooo many folx https://soundcloud.com/arisaperstein/zines">https://soundcloud.com/arisapers...
5/20 (“A Show That Demands ‘Close’ Listening") Three years ago, I saw @itsjoshfeldman and @shoshannah7& #39;s web series at Outfest. Such a joy to be the first person to interview them for radio and chat about deafness in a way that wasn’t contrived or gimmicky https://soundcloud.com/arisaperstein/a-show-that-demands-close-listening">https://soundcloud.com/arisapers...
6/20 (“Kayaking In Hollywood”) Two years ago, I got a plot in the Elysian Valley Community Garden next to the LA River. I’d see kayakers paddling through it and I spent a year thinking “I want to do that” - but didn& #39;t until an editor encouraged me to do it https://soundcloud.com/arisaperstein/kayak">https://soundcloud.com/arisapers...
7/20 As cheesy as this may sound, I& #39;m totally sincere when I say that more than the stories I& #39;ve reported or bylines I’ve been able to accrue, the thing I& #39;ve been most positively impacted by is the people I’ve worked with, how they’ve treated me and how they treat one another
8/20
My first week:
- @sritoper invited me to join her lunch club (on my first day!)
- @AnnieGilbertson took me out to lunch
- @PriskaNeely gave me a guide for navigating KPCC
My first week:
- @sritoper invited me to join her lunch club (on my first day!)
- @AnnieGilbertson took me out to lunch
- @PriskaNeely gave me a guide for navigating KPCC
9/20
Also my first week:
- @natchudnovsky and @the5tooljourno taught me how to write a script and @JGhorn was OK letting me produce his segment and reading the first script I’d ever written for radio (I don’t know I would’ve made the same choice if I were in your shoes, John!
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Also my first week:
- @natchudnovsky and @the5tooljourno taught me how to write a script and @JGhorn was OK letting me produce his segment and reading the first script I’d ever written for radio (I don’t know I would’ve made the same choice if I were in your shoes, John!
10/20 My first month, @megs_larson gave me the green light to make my first reported piece — a piece was pretty ambitious in scope and that she would’ve been *absolutely* in the right to pass on… and the fact that she said "yes" when she could’ve said "no" still means so much
11/20 My second month, @write_this_way came *to me* with a project (which was so flattering and validating), commissioning illustrations for @MicheReports investigation on elder abuse. It was easily the most positive editorial art experience I& #39;ve ever had https://laist.com/2019/06/19/elder_financial_abuse_seniors_scams_illness_abuse.php">https://laist.com/2019/06/1...
12/20 My first six months:
- @CarpOnWheels and Darby Maloney, two very busy people, took the time to sit with me in the booth as I tracked, giving me feedback on my reads
- @Lisa_Brenner and @MelissaLeu were so communicative and collaborative in editing my pieces for @LAist
- @CarpOnWheels and Darby Maloney, two very busy people, took the time to sit with me in the booth as I tracked, giving me feedback on my reads
- @Lisa_Brenner and @MelissaLeu were so communicative and collaborative in editing my pieces for @LAist
13/20
- Truly a mensch, @AshleyAlvarado connected me with people to reach out to for more work, grants and other journalistic support
- Top leadership @KrisMul and @herbscannell took time out of their busy schedules to do hour-long lunch hangs with myself and other newbies
- Truly a mensch, @AshleyAlvarado connected me with people to reach out to for more work, grants and other journalistic support
- Top leadership @KrisMul and @herbscannell took time out of their busy schedules to do hour-long lunch hangs with myself and other newbies
14/20 My first year, I became an on-call assistant producer, with the help of the whole Take Two team — through @LeoHasACat’s patience, @austincross’s kindness, @LoriGalarreta’s positivity @_tamika_adams’s encouragement and @udacha1234’s rockstar engineering support
15/20 and, of course, @AMartinezLA’s always being a good sport with letting me produce him, even if I (inevitably) goof up something. Most of all, I& #39;ve only gotten to a point in the last 12 months where I can now say I& #39;m a radio producer because of @megs_larson& #39;s help.
16/20 Outside of KPCC & LAist, I...
- got a grant to attend @ThirdCoastFest (which was easily the highlight of my year)
- presented at @IPPkcrw& #39;s pitch panel
- made a radio story for @whyy’s @thepulse
- wrote pieces for @thecut, @bellocollective @thecounter & @instyle
- got a grant to attend @ThirdCoastFest (which was easily the highlight of my year)
- presented at @IPPkcrw& #39;s pitch panel
- made a radio story for @whyy’s @thepulse
- wrote pieces for @thecut, @bellocollective @thecounter & @instyle
17/20 As with KPCC, in every one of those instances, too, all the editors I worked with and journalists I met have been across the board lovely. My main takeaway about the industry from the past 12 months is that there are many good people in journalism, especially audio.
18/20 Namely @KristenLepore @lmisitzis @alexkapelman @meganleetan @muktamohan @pbalonon_rosen @audioeliza @pod_ppl @slamgranderson @molaborde @heyavishay and @bob_mondello — some of the many people who& #39;ve gone out of their way to help me or connect me with jobs or just be lovely
19/20 When I started a year ago, my goals were:
- to tell stories I thought were important
- learn a shit ton about producing
- hustle for any freelance things I could get when I wasn’t scheduled to work
- and bring different kinds of voices to radio that aren’t often heard
- to tell stories I thought were important
- learn a shit ton about producing
- hustle for any freelance things I could get when I wasn’t scheduled to work
- and bring different kinds of voices to radio that aren’t often heard
20/20 and for the most part, I did that! Some days/weeks/months more successfully than others, but when I look back at the past year I feel pretty dang good about how things have shaped out. Hopefully, in this next year there& #39;s a tiny bit less hustling and more fun new projects.
