On Monday, May 18, WKAR welcomes a new host to All Things Considered.
Sophia Saliby, comes to us from Georgia Public Broadcasting in Atlanta where she’s spent the last couple of years as the producer of All Things Considered.
Due the coronavirus pandemic, Sophia is still living and working in Georgia.
WKAR's Karel Vega spoke with her about her background and how she's making the transition.
Interview Highlights
On Her First Job In Public Media: Working At Indiana University's NPR Member Station
Doing that really got me off campus and into my community which to me is one of the biggest draws of working in this industry, just getting to talk to people who have completely different backgrounds and life experiences than you.
On Transitioning To A New Job In Quarantine
Working remotely is completely new to me. When I was producing here Georgia, I was in the office every day. So it's not only been a transition to reporting and writing stories about a state I don't live in, but also getting used to working in my bedroom and my closet where I'm recording now. It's also been really interesting because Georgia and Michigan have some of the worst coronavirus numbers in the country, but each is handling the pandemic completely differently ... It's a transition in a lot of different ways. For now, I'm mostly just staying at home to stay safe and get ready for my move up to Michigan.
On What Stories She's Looking Forward To Covering In Michigan
This a huge election year. This is the second general election I’ve covered, and a lot has changed in 4 years. I’m excited to jump into working in a state that’s shaping up to be pivotal in November. The pandemic will continue to be a big story, so I’m interested to talk to Michiganders about how their lives are changing and what this new normal is like post-COVID-19.
On A Memorable Story She's Worked On
I did a feature a few months ago about this town in South Georgia with a wild chicken population. The chickens have become so part of the town’s identity, the mayor is building the world’s largest topiary in the shape of a giant chicken with an Ainbnb inside. The story was this great combination of all the things I love: great characters, facts you never would have known, and the sound of chickens!
