The Finder
The summer of 2022, I interned at The Finder newspaper in Accra, Ghana. This was my first time working for a daily newspaper, and my first experience in Africa — both big adjustments. The Finder reminded me of a typical small-town newspaper in the United States: short-staffed, haphazard and fighting to stay above water in an increasingly online media landscape. Every morning, with my tascam and notebook in tow, I navigated Accra's wonderfully confusing trotro system to the office, which was small and adjacent to Accra's largest slum. Nima was always a sobering reminder of my privilege.
Elvis Daarko, my booming, boisterous editor, never failed to greet me when I walked in. After a few minutes of banter and questions about any new foods I've tried since the evening before, Daarko would send my mentor, Selorm, and I out on assignment. I was published nine times in The Finder and wrote a variety of stories: everything from op-eds about my thoughts on Ghana's slave castles as a white outsider, to more traditional news stories about rising inflation. This internship consistently forced me out of my comfort zone, provided me with valuable reporting experience and gave me a first-hand look at how journalism operates abroad. Read a few of my stories below.