Beyond the concrete work experience I have gained in the past two months as the “Sound of Ideas” intern at Ideastream Public Media, I have had an epiphany of sorts.
Walk into any journalism course at a university these days, and you will hear professors gently telling their students that, frankly, the news industry as we know it is falling apart. And we students should be prepared for the hardships that come with seeking a job in the journalism field.
There may be some truth to that. The news industry is changing. Many national newsrooms have experienced mass layoffs, and local papers have seen a decline in quality, readership and staffing. Much of that has to do with the rise of social media, political attacks on the media and overall public disinterest.
When local news organizations commit to serve their community, to engage with them and listen to them, disinterest dissolves. I’ve learned that by working on the “Sound of Ideas.” Never have I seen the community so engaged with its local journalists and their work. Never have I seen so many people actually care about niche, local topics like our “Sound of Ideas” listeners do.
I recently produced a show where “Sound of Ideas” host Jenny Hamel and our guests discussed the development of luxury and affordable housing in Northeast Ohio and how to meet the housing needs of all. To say I was overwhelmed with excitement over the amount of calls, tweets and emails we received is an understatement. It felt so good to serve our community with a deeper look at a topic they truly care about and that impacts them personally.
I don’t mean to say national news isn’t important. It definitely is. But when the news is local, when the topic is personal, we serve our community and provide them a platform where they can receive important information and react to it A great example is the high engagement on a show we produced about the increased value of Cuyahoga County properties, and how that impacts taxes. People might be going to any number of national outlets for information on our country’s political direction. But local news is unique to the local community.
The amazing “Sound of Ideas” team — which includes Jenny Hamel, Supervising Producer Rachel Rood, Coordinating Producer Drew Maziasz, and Coordinating Producer Leigh Barr — have helped me gain back the hope I once had for this profession and my career. I am passionate about journalism, the news and the value of keeping a community informed, educated and engaged. I see now that my passion can grow — local news is still appreciated. The “Sound of Ideas” producers are constantly thinking of new ways to involve the community and adapt to the evolving news landscape, and that’s inspiring to me.
Ideastream recently treated interns to a Guardians game. Rachel Rood and I sat together and spent a lot of time discussing my career aspirations and what I hope to do after I graduate from Ohio State University in 2026. I told Rachel that I want to work in national news and become a political reporter. What she said next made me reconsider that choice.
She told me that she, as someone who has worked in national and local markets, has learned that the issues that directly impact people’s lives and well-being are discussed in local news. National news is not more important nor pressing than local news. They are both vital in their own right.
That’s when I had my epiphany. I felt like I had been suppressing my love for local topics because I thought the more “important” or “prestigious” jobs only existed at national outlets. Truly, the happiest and most proud I have felt about my work is when it involved people from my direct community.
Now, I hold local and national outlets in the same regard. I still don’t know where I will end up in my career, but my incredibly enriching experience at Ideastream will have a lasting effect on me. Every employee I have met has been welcoming, and the news coverage here feels truly relevant, not sensational. They care.
I am sad to say goodbye to my “Sound of Ideas” team and the greater Ideastream Public Media family in a week, but I am leaving more energized about journalism and its everlasting place in society.
And who knows? Maybe I’ll be back at Ideastream someday, helping to report and produce news that’s important to you.
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