In my two years as a KNOM volunteer, I’ve found myself in a wide assortment of situations through “following the story.”
Whether it’s across town in a first grade classroom or on a winter beachfront on St. Lawrence Island, a story can be found any time, any place, and in any season.
As our focus is on audio reporting, not every moment gets captured in an image. One of the challenging, and exciting, aspects of radio journalism is producing a narrative and soundscape that effectively convey that moment in time and its significance to the listener – wherever and whoever they are.
I feel lucky that Dearest Alaska, a sound-rich human-interest series, was my first introduction to audio production. Immediately seeking experiences and stories that could be conveyed by sound helped adapt my powers of perception from the visual to the audible.
And producing Dearest Alaska has given me the chance to visit Pilgrim Produce at the Pilgrim Hot Springs site, join birders as they travel to see the bristle-thighed curlew on the Kougarok Road, board the Crystal Serenity, and explore the countryside of Nome via dogsled.
While I have my own memories, photos, and audio of these moments, sometimes it’s easy to forget that I was there, too. Which makes me very grateful for kind colleagues that take the time to photograph us reporters in the field!
As a way of showcasing the breadth of scenarios one finds themselves in as a KNOM volunteer, here are a few snapshots of me “out of the office.”
Image at top: An impromptu, non-KNOM-affiliated helicopter ride. Photo: Sue Steinacher.
