Two new reporters are becoming a member of the Tucson Sentinel this summer season, a part of paid summer season fellowship packages for post-graduate college students through which our native newsroom companions with nationally acknowledged journalism colleges — together with Columbia College and Metropolis College of New York.
Natalie Robbins is finishing a grasp’s diploma from the Craig Newmark Graduate Faculty of Journalism at CUNY, and Daniel Shailer simply graduated with a grasp’s from the Columbia Faculty of Journalism.
Robbins is a Tucson native who graduated from the College of Arizona inventive writing program, then labored as a meals service skilled for a number of years earlier than taking over journalism.
“I’m thrilled to be again in my hometown honing my craft on the Sentinel this summer season,” she stated.
Robbins has reported extensively about meals, eating places and labor in service industries. Her journalism pursuits additionally embrace digital tradition, housing points and the humanities and tradition of the Southwest.
Shailer, who’s British, was born in Hong Kong and lived in Southeast Asia for a little bit greater than a decade earlier than his household moved again to London. Earlier than journalism he studied English Literature at Cambridge College (the third-oldest working college on the planet), then obtained his first reporting gig as an opera critic.
Each reporters will probably be digging into quite a lot of tales about Tucson and Southern Arizona this summer season, from cultural snapshots to watchdog reporting about authorities and environmental points.
“We’re actually excited to have these two wonderful early-career reporters working with us, studying from our workforce, and doubtless educating us all a factor or two this summer season,” stated Maria Coxon-Smith, co-publisher of the Sentinel.
“I am a Tucson native, by and thru, and the daughter of an immigrant from the UK,” she stated. “It will be attention-grabbing to see these kinds of views are mirrored within the work of journalists who’re taking recent appears to be like at our neighborhood.”
Each Robbins and Shailer have been impressed by the Sentinel’s mission to have fun the explanations all of us like to dwell on this place, in addition to watchdog the challenges that would make our neighborhood even higher.
Earlier than graduating with honors in Could, Shailer made his beat the waterways of New York Metropolis, from sewage leaks to unlawful industrial waste dumps.
In addition to writing about water, he enjoys marathon swimming. In 2020 he swam throughout the English Channel and simply two weeks in the past accomplished a one-lap swim across the whole island of Manhattan in underneath 8.5 hours.
“I am excited to dive into the Rillito for the summer season, the place the water, not less than, is hotter — if not fairly so considerable,” he joked.
Shailer’s summer season fellowship on the Sentinel is supported partly by the Institute for Nonprofit Information, which companions with Columbia College to position high-achieving grasp’s graduates in nonprofit native newsrooms like ours.
Amongst different tales, Shailer stated he is “eager” to wade into the local weather and environmental points going through Southern Arizona, from wildfires to water shortage.
“Tucson is not like wherever I’ve lived earlier than — from its local weather to the distinctive mixture of cultures and individuals who name it dwelling. To study from and hopefully serve these communities with my writing is an immense privilege,” he stated.
Shailer has beforehand written for Insider, the LA Evaluate of Books, New York Focus, the Leicester (UK) Citizen, Musical Opinion and different retailers, and was a press officer for the UK Nationwide Belief.
Robbins involves reporting about Tucson with a figuring out eye.
Earlier than changing into a supervisor at prime eating places in New York, she labored at native eateries corresponding to Penca, Brooklyn Pizza, and MiAn in Downtown Tucson.
“Pizza-making, waitressing, whiskey distilling… it’s made me love meals and beverage but in addition change into fascinated with the politics of labor on this nation,” stated the Tucson Excessive graduate.
“I hope to do some nice reporting on Tucson’s incredible arts and tradition scene and no matter else might come my manner,” she stated.
Robbins is a member of CUNY Newmark’s J-Corps, which connects prime grad college students and native nonprofit information retailers with a paid summer season journalism fellowship. Her reporting has been revealed by New York Metropolis Information Service, and she or he’s volunteered with PEN America as a writing mentor. She was the maitre d’ of New York’s bustling Nice Jones Distilling Co., and earlier labored on the Sonora Evaluate and Worlds of Phrases on the College of Arizona.
“There was a extremely aggressive course of to find out which of the handfuls of candidates would fill these fellowship positions this 12 months,” stated Sentinel Editor and Writer Dylan Smith. “We interviewed some actually wonderful journalists, and we’re so pleased our prime selections are spending their summers with our workforce.”
“These well-rounded of us had their choose of newsrooms to work in, and determined that the Tucson Sentinel was the place to sharpen their abilities and whet their appetites for compelling tales,” he stated. “Please welcome them, and ship your scorching ideas and burning tales concepts their manner — and assist their work and all of the unbiased native reporting we do on the Sentinel.”
Robbins — the daughter of longtime NPR correspondent Ted Robbins, a well-recognized voice from his years on the air in Tucson — carries her hometown together with her: she has a “Tucson” tattoo on her ribcage.
“As soon as I obtained struck by lightning within the On line casino Del Sol car parking zone,” she stated.
“I believe Tucson’s the type of place that leaves a mark on you ceaselessly regardless of how a lot time you spend right here,” she stated. “It is a neighborhood that deserves a strong, accountable native media. That is what the Sentinel gives, and I am very happy to be a part of it.”
Shailer agreed that the Tucson Sentinel’s established fame as a nationwide chief in rebuilding native information prompted him to come back to Tucson this 12 months.
“The Sentinel is on the forefront of a very inspiring motion of native, nonprofit newsrooms which is simply beginning to percolate again within the UK,” he stated. “I am thrilled to get the chance to study from the Sentinel’s veteran workforce and the fervour they’ve for informing the local people.”
After reporting in Tucson for the summer season, Robbins will return to New York to finish her graduate diploma. Within the fall, Shailer will put his Spanish abilities even tougher to work as he takes on an internship with the Related Press in Mexico Metropolis.
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