Reporters on the Job: From Toronto to Nairobi

Toronto – Sara Miller LlanaOne of the best parts of being a reporter is getting to access places, people, and events you’d never experience in ordinary life. But sometimes it works in reverse – your life offers the perfect anecdote for a story. That’s what happened with an August piece on the rise of women’s basketball. A friend in Toronto had invited me to see the Toronto Tempo play. A few days later, I was sitting in on a features meeting when I heard staff writer Kendra Nordin Beato pitch a story about the WNBA, including the culture-war debates swirling around the Indiana Fever. “Wait,” I said. “I’m going to see the Tempo play the Fever!” And that’s how a night out with a new friend turned into a reporting assignment, and eventually the lede of Kendra’s story.Chelmsford, Massachusetts – Cameron PughReporters rarely work alone. At the Monitor, every word I write gets backstopped by whip-smart editors and a diligent copydesk. I regularly run ideas by my fellow reporters, too. But beyond my colleagues, I often rely most on the people I interview to help me understand the stories I’m trying to tell. A recent story on immigration court had me wading into a complicated, poorly understood government system. Reporting in a disorderly courtroom, I felt as if I was barely treading water. But I was accompanied by Michele Cantara, a dedicated volunteer who has spent more than a year watching immigration proceedings. Her astute explanations, along with conversations with former immigration judges and other experts, helped turn a convoluted topic into a clear story. Ceuta, Spain – Colette DavidsonReporting in a foreign country carries uncertainty: Will I be able to communicate? Will I find enough sources? How lost will I get? Rarely do I worry about whether I’ll make it to my destination in one piece. But as I sat strapped in next to 14 strangers in my first-ever helicopter ride to Ceuta – an autonomous Spanish city on the northern coast of Africa, bordering Morocco – part of me wondered. As my fellow passengers chatted nonchalantly about the weather, I closed my eyes and gripped my purse while we chugged over the Strait of Gibraltar. Once we touched down and I got to work reporting on the migration crisis here, I felt ready to handle anything.Nairobi, Kenya – Sophie NeimanRows of dusty wooden boxes line the walls of Steve Collins’ butterfly archive. There are about 1 million butterflies on these shelves, and another 3 million pinned in storage in the back. I rush to note as many specimens as possible, pen bleeding through the paper of my reporter’s journal. It is too big to comprehend. But this, I think, is the perfect metaphor for the job of a journalist: to make sense of the overwhelming. I begin by asking Mr. Collins what each butterfly means to him. That personal connection is a way to understand his vast collection. We retire to his veranda, where he begins to tell his life story. Deepen your worldviewwith Monitor Highlights.Politics with respectGet political stories with respectful analysis.There‘s a world of new ideas in everyBooks newsletter.There‘s more to life, enrich yours withCulture & Learning weekly.Follow humanity‘s discoveries withScience & Nature stories in your inbox.Gain a spiritual perspectivefrom the stories in your inbox.Want to understand the deeper impact of critical events? Learn the Monitor‘s insight.Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads. ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER? LoginReal news can be honest, hopeful, credible, constructive.The Christian Science Monitor was founded in 1908 to lift the standard of journalism and uplift humanity. We aim to “speak the truth in love.” Our goal is not to tell you what to think, but to give you the essential knowledge and understanding to come to your own intelligent conclusions. Join us in this mission by subscribing.