Panelists on WITF's Toward Racial Justice conversation on environmental justice were, top row left to right, moderator Charles Ellison, executive producer & host of “Reality Check” on WURD in Philadelphia, entrepreneur Darral Addison, and former Obama Administration official Brandi Colander; middle row left to right, state Rep. Chris Rabb (D-Philadelphia), activist Tommy Joshua, and Megan Ruoro, Yale University student; bottom row,
environmental science professor at Tennessee State Reginald Archer.
I’m WITF's special projects editor, and get up at "0-dark-30" to host both Morning Edition and The Morning Agenda podcast.
As a host, I get to connect with people every day and serve as their trusted guide through the news of the day.
When I'm wearing my editor hat, I work with our journalists on deep dives and help them craft audio stories that are intimate and unique. I also set aside time to work on my own pieces -- like documenting the evolution of the Flight 93 crash site over 20 years and telling an unknown story from the D-Day invasion.
My work has been honored nationally (six-time RTDNA National Edward R. Murrow Award recipient), regionally and statewide.
A life-long Pennsylvanian, I count Hopewell, Indiana (IUP), Lewistown, Gettysburg, Harrisburg, and Millersville as places I’ve lived.
New Cumberland has been my neighborhood since 2009, where I live with my wife, Amy, and our dog, Happy.
This is home.
It's a privilege to tell the story of the people across the region day after day.
Panelists on WITF's Toward Racial Justice conversation on environmental justice were, top row left to right, moderator Charles Ellison, executive producer & host of “Reality Check” on WURD in Philadelphia, entrepreneur Darral Addison, and former Obama Administration official Brandi Colander; middle row left to right, state Rep. Chris Rabb (D-Philadelphia), activist Tommy Joshua, and Megan Ruoro, Yale University student; bottom row,
environmental science professor at Tennessee State Reginald Archer.
Displaced Puerto Ricans make up a large part of the state’s Latino population. Hundreds of thousands of Puerto Ricans restarted their lives in the mainland United States after Hurricane Maria devastated the island in 2017, and more people came to Pennsylvania than any other state, except Florida. WITF spoke with some of these voters about their concerns and hopes.
As the election neared, WITF filed both English and Spanish versions of stories on how to spot misinformation/disinformation, efforts to encourage Latino voters to cast ballots by mail (again in English and Spanish), and how advocates work to recruit interpreters, multilingual poll workers.
Ramón Diaz and Vicenta Ortiz Rivera followed their son to Lancaster after Hurricane Maria, seeking stabler access to medical treatment. (Dani Fresh/WHYY)
After the death of George Floyd prompted protests against police brutality, it quickly became clear that the demonstrations reverberating across the country would not stay in major or even mid-sized cities. WITF reported on the longstanding racial divisions in Lebanon and the effort to organize an anti-racist protest in the small city. Protests became less frequent as summer wore on, but Lebanon activists continued to push for change in their community.
As the country continues to reckon with systemic racism and injustices, WITF’s Toward Racial Justice provides a safe place to explore how these issues affect the daily lives of Pennsylvania residents and work toward solutions. Launched in June 2020, the biweekly series has featured more than a dozen virtual community conversations tackling difficult topics such as Racial Trauma & Mental Health, Education Disparities, Policing & Safety and How to Be an Ally.
