Gerard Albert will serve as Blue Ridge Public Radio’s Western North Carolina rural communities reporter.
Albert will join BPR beginning Monday, July 8. His coverage will be integral to furthering BPR’s commitment to reflect all the voices of the region and adapt its reporting across radio, digital and social media.
“I was attracted to [BPR] by the care the news team takes with their stories, from the way they are reported, written and shared,” Albert said. “I’m looking forward to meeting residents who haven’t had their voices heard in local media and learning what they care about, what issues they’re facing and telling their stories.”
I’m looking forward to meeting residents who haven’t had their voices heard in local media and learning what they care about, what issues they’re facing and telling their stories.
Albert previously worked as a journalist for WLRN in South Florida, where he reported on affordable housing policy, local government accountability and the first death penalty trial of a mass shooter in the country. He also covered the criminal justice system in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, where he earned two South Carolina Press Association awards. He earned his bachelor's degree from Florida International University, where he served as editor-in-chief of the student newspaper.
"We are thrilled to have Gerard as part of the team,” BPR News Director Laura Lee said. “His digital and audio experiences are valuable assets as we continue to build stronger coverage of the region.”
Albert is part of a national cohort of nearly 60 reporters and photojournalists in new positions at local newsrooms across the country through the Report for America program. He is also part of a new Report for America collaborative, led by The Assembly, designed to bring strong, new local news talent to North Carolina with reporters at four other outlets: The Assembly, IndyWeek, CityView Today and WHQR.
The partnership will allow for content collaboration and training opportunities with other Report for America newsrooms in the state.
As an anchor and an established collaborator of the Western North Carolina news ecosystem and the largest NPR affiliate in the region, BPR is investing in its audience-first, data-driven news culture and its mission in sustaining and expanding the impact and reach of public service journalism.
