Greetings! My name is Emyle (pronounced Emily) and I'm an investigative journalist focused on covering the disability community. As a disabled and neurodivergent journalist, I'm proud to lead WBFO's Disabilities Desk, which focuses on covering disability rights and access issues. We cover disability without pity, and swap out the "inspirational" for the investigative journalism this community so greatly deserves. Our coverage looks at a variety of topics, including history, independent living, housing, education, employment, transportation, and language.
I believe that journalism is an incredible tool for making the world a better place and that we have a responsibility as journalists to enterprise stories that seek justice and change for individuals and our community.
Some highlights of my career include:
✅ Working with Investigative Reporter Steve Brown on uncovering the final resting place of around 900 people who had been moved during a 1950's exhumation that left little records, or headstones. This resulted in a monument being placed, as well as a headstone for the family at the center of our story.
✅ Researching, reporting, and co-producing "NewBorn: Maternal Resources in New York State," a documentary about the barriers women in New York State face to receiving maternal resources. The 30-minute documentary won a Telly Award for Social Issues in 2020.
✅ Revamping/Redesigning the print and web products for my college newspaper, which included making both accessible to readers with visual disabilities.
✅ Being part of a four-person team that covered the “There are Black people in the future” artist residency for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in 2019. Our coverage won a Golden Quill Award for Excellence in Written Journalism, Daily, Arts/Entertainment.
✅ Completing internships and fellowships in TV, radio, and newspapers while in college. I maintained a 3.67 GPA, was an editor for the college newspaper and worked for local news while in school as well.
In all my work, I hold a commitment to truth, integrity, and compassion. I believe in the importance of being present and vulnerable, with and for others, and hope to be an integral member of any team I am a part of.
I have bachelor's degrees in multimedia journalism and digital media arts, which helped me become a versatile storyteller who can tell stories through writing, audio, video, photo, and design.
In my free time, I love traveling, exercise, cooking, reading long-form journalism, creating art, and watching sitcoms.
