My First "Real Job"
Through the Charles Snowden Program, I got the opportunity to intern at Columbia Gorge News a few weeks after I graduated, and in September 2024, they offered me a full-time position. In what many call a dying industry, I somehow found a budding, independently-owned weekly newspaper where I could pursue stories of interest and have my voice heard in a collaborative newsroom. I never imagined I would find a job so quickly after college — let alone one with such freedom in one of America's most stunning places. For that, I'm very grateful.
Columbia Gorge News covers Klickitat, Hood River and Wasco counties in rural Oregon and Washington. I'm responsible for reporting on White Salmon's government and other important local events, but much of my work is enterprise. Luckily, many of the issues I care about most intersect in the Gorge: renewable energy, Indigenous affairs, wildfire, agriculture, salmon, recreation, logging and more. In just a few months, I've quickly become our designated reporter on the environment.
I generally produce 2-3 stories per issue, copyedit the entire newspaper every Monday and have recently started assisting with design. As a small team, I also take pictures for all of my stories and photograph high school sports as needed. Some of the pieces I'm most proud of include a two-part series on the Northwest Forest Plan, going behind the scenes at a local fruit packing house and exploring radon risk in residential homes. You can check those out, and more, by visiting our website, or reading down below.