millennial, student debtor, chronic overachiever. relentlessly curious, embracing the chaos.
I didn’t always want to be a journalist. As a child, I cycled through several potential professions: paleontologist, writer, person who stands in front of the weather map green screen and points. Journalism didn’t crop up until I was almost 30, working an office job that paid the bills but wasn’t going anywhere.
Since then, I’ve earned a master’s in journalism from Michigan State and worked in the largest nonprofit newsroom in Michigan. I cover the environment, climate change, energy, health and LGBTQ issues, as well as the margins where these beats intersect.
Investigations and complex topics are my jam. I like finding new ways to tell stories and convey information. I begrudgingly use social media. My work has appeared on NPR News, Michigan Public radio, Concentrate, and the Great Lakes Echo.
In my spare time, I play roller derby, knit, and work on my 1950s fixer-upper house.
My values
The news is overwhelming. We are bombarded with more information than our brains are meant to process. It is paralyzing and exhausting. And sometimes, it feels like keeping up with the news is another job – on top of the one that pays the bills, the one where you take care of at least one other human being, and the one where you take care of yourself.
So I want to do that work for you. I believe storytelling is the second greatest gift I can give my fellow humans (the first is homemade muffins). I was the one doing all the work on group projects in school, so I’m looking for more opportunities to do the same.
I strive to be professionally curious. And I believe trust is earned, not given. Most importantly, I believe context is important to establishing truth. That’s why I call this “kitchen sink journalism.” I tend to throw everything into my story, and then pluck things out one by one until I know I’ve included what’s important and discarded what’s not.
My community
I live and work in southeast Michigan. The Great Lakes Region holds a special place in my heart. There’s something special about living so close to these ancient, angry inland seas.
I grew up here and love the small city I’m in — even though it’s a news desert. We need local news now more than ever, and I want to be part of its resurgence.
elinor epperson | kitchen sink journalism 