For the second time in less than a year, Ambriehl Crutchfield is learning a new city.
Crutchfield, a Nashville native and 2018 Western Kentucky University graduate, joins the WVXU-FM news department Monday as a general assignment reporter. Last fall she interned at Chicago Public Radio's WBEZ-FM.
"Reporting in Chicago was refreshing and challenging because I was able to learn a new city through its systems and people. It’s important to me that I learn how I can serve the community in a way that interests listeners," she says.
She's looking forward to doing the same in the Queen City, which she has visited often "to celebrate holidays with my partner who is from here," she says. "I’m excited to learn about the communities from a new perspective."
Crutchfield fills the full-time reporting job vacant since Howard Wilkinson became a part-time contract reporter as the station's "senior political analyst" on Feb. 1. She will cover people, stories and breaking news in Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky.
Crutchfield became interested in journalism while participating in the Hillsboro High School Broadcasting Academy in Nashville. "I was/am intrigued that every bit of journalism is an art form because of the words we use, speech delivery and the voices we amplify," she says.
At Cincinnati Public Radio, her goal is "to amplify voices of underrepresented communities and bring fresh conversations to the air.”
Here's the WVXU release:
REPORTER AMBRIEHL CRUTCHFIELD JOINS THE WVXU NEWS TEAM
Cincinnati Public Radio welcomes Ambriehl Crutchfield to its award-winning 91.7 WVXU news department beginning Monday, April 15. She will serve as a general assignment reporter, covering the people, stories, and breaking news in Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky.
Crutchfield is a 2018 graduate of Western Kentucky University with a B.A. in Broadcast News who worked for both WKYU public radio and WKU News Channel 12 during her college career. She spent the second half of 2018 as a news intern for Chicago Public Radio's WBEZ and a Multimedia Contributor for Chicago's South Side Weekly, and currently is a freelance producer for the Southern Food Alliance's Gravy podcast which spotlights Chicago's south side BBQ style.
“We are so excited for Ambriehl to join our staff," said WVXU News Director Maryanne Zeleznik. "She impressed us during her interview with her enthusiasm for the work and eagerness to begin her professional career. Those who have worked with her in the past couldn’t recommend her more highly. Ambriehl will be a great addition to the already highly talented news professionals in the WVXU newsroom.”
“I am thrilled to learn more about Cincinnati’s ins and outs as a reporter for WVXU," said Crutchfield. "My goal is to amplify voices of underrepresented communities and bring fresh conversations to the air.”
WVXU is heard on-air at 91.7 WVXU and 88.5 WMUB; online at wvxu.org; via our free mobile app; and by asking your smart speaker to Play WVXU.
