Zack earned his bachelor's degree in media production from Bowling Green State University. Before joining Cincinnati Public Radio, he was a content editor and photojournalist at WTOL 11 News in Toledo. Zack enjoys long hikes, collecting vinyl records, and watching his hometown team the Cleveland Browns.
David asks, “What journalist inspired you or still inspires you today?”
I’ve been listening to public radio for as long as I can remember. NPR hosts like Robert Siegel and Korva Coleman were among my favorite newscasters growing up and I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to meet both in-person.
YouTube creators from the late 2000’s and early 2010’s also had a big influence on me. Channels like InternetsCelebrities made great amateur videos exploring cultural phenomena and inspired me to pick up a camera and microphone as a teenager.
These days I’m inspired by our wonderful reporters here at WVXU that hold me to the highest standard and reporters on all platforms across Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky that keep me up-to-date and motivate me to keeping improving.
Carl asks, “How does (WVXU) choose what topics and material to explore each day, and what is the time frame for this? For the most part we are very impressed, but occasionally, one wonders how a topic was given airtime. What kind of staff oversees this?
Our newsroom staff works as a team to determine what’s worth covering daily. Sometimes we have an idea for a story and can get it into a newscast later the same day. Other times, a story may take days or even weeks to complete. It all depends on the specific story and how we’d like to go about covering it. Our news director and editors oversee this process.
We always try to cover stories we think will be beneficial to our listeners and readers. While some stories may be stronger than others, we always considered our listeners when deciding which stories are worth sharing and which are not. Our staff is never afraid to turn down a story if it doesn’t meet our standards and we try to not air stories for the sake of filling time.
Rachel asks, “As a professional journalist, what do you think can be done - if anything – to counter or correct the lack of accountability that prevails on some digital platforms, where it seems that almost anyone can have a podcast and disperse unchecked, unsubstantiated content?
The internet is a weird place, isn’t it? I’m not sure if there will ever be a way to hold everyone accountable for what they say and share online. For right now, I think the best we can do as journalists is hold ourselves and our peers accountable. We must continue to produce quality journalism for the benefit of our listeners and readers. It’s not the easy route, but it’s the right way to do things.
Misinformation will always exist and there will always be an audience eager to take that misinformation and share it. It’s the easy thing to do.
As a supporter of quality journalism, you can do your part by continuing to follow news sources you trust. Keep yourself informed, then share good journalism with your friends & family and do it with the same enthusiasm that others have for spreading misinformation.
Debbie asks, “Are you from Cincinnati? iI not, what brought you to Cincinnati and what would you tell people about Cincinnati?”
I’m not from Cincinnati, I’m from Cleveland!
I was looking to change things up in 2022 after a couple of exhausting years during the pandemic. I wanted to start a new adventure in a new city and Cincinnati seemed like the perfect place! I have friends and family in Cincinnati and Dayton and all of them spoke very highly of the area and the people in it, so I did not hesitate when the opportunity came for me to move here.
Cincinnati has been so welcoming and I’ve yet to have boring day since I’ve arrived. When I talk to people about Cincinnati, I always to tell them about its natural beauty, stunning architecture, and of course the chili!
Laura asks, “Why do you think the questions you ask are important?”
I believe the questions I ask are important because I’m always looking for an authentic answer. It would be easy to ask basic questions and get generic responses, but that wouldn’t lead to the great content our listeners and readers deserve. Ultimately, if someone is taking time out of their day to answer my questions, it’s important for me to make those questions worthwhile, for them and for our audience.
