Balancing empathy and journalism

News reporting has got to be one of the toughest markets for a visual journalist to crack. But the whirlwind of 24/7 news cycles and the pressures of telling human stories in rural news deserts have not deterred today's guest, Keren Carrión, a photojournalist and short form video producer currently working on the NPR visuals team.

Follow along as we chart Keren's evolution from stills to documentary video stories to vertical social media clips that can be absorbed in two minutes or less. We also learn about the many opportunities for feedback and career advancement she's explored, and the mix of internships and mentorship programs that have been central to her career success.

When asked about parting advice for current students she notes, "I think it's really important to have a visual voice. And the only way to find that is to keep shooting. Yeah. And I will also say meet with as many people as possible, be mentored, go to portfolio reviews figure out how to elevate that voice."

Guest: Keren Carrión

Episode Timeline:

• 2:28: Keren's early photo experiences, pairing pictures with stories for her high school paper.
• 5:05: Adding video to the mix in college and how this has influenced her storytelling.
• 10:40: Keren's advice to college students: Seek out networking and internship opportunities.
• 12:17: Momenta Workshops and other non-profit mentorship programs, and how these opportunities can shape creative vision and skills.
• 20:20: Working with Report for America in Texas, covering under-reported stories and rural news deserts.
• 26:22: The evolution of news media and Keren's work at NPR to create short form videos for distribution across social media platforms.
• 31:12: Keren's current gear, from iPhones to Sony mirrorless cameras, for shooting vertical videos
• 35:32: Non-traditional news reporting and how user-generated content is now shared by larger news organizations.
• 38:28: Keren's future aspirations to evolve with the industry and learn new skills as platforms and audiences change.
• 39:56: More advice for the next generation: Keep shooting to find and elevate your visual voice.

Guest Bio:

Keren Carrión is a photojournalist and a short-form video producer currently working on the NPR visuals team. Originally from Puerto Rico, Keren graduated from George Washington University in 2019 with a BFA in Photojournalism. Prior to her current role, she spent two years as a photojournalist for KERA News, NPR's affiliate station in Dallas through Report for America. She has also worked with CNN as a video editor in Atlanta, and interned with Univision, USA Today, The Hill, and the New York Times Student Journalism Institute. Additionally, Keren is an alumna of the Eddie Adams Workshop and Momenta Photo Workshop's Project Puerto Rico. When Keren isn't working, she's probably sitting in the window seat of an airplane, heading to a new destination. If not, you can always find her with a camera in hand — or petting the nearest dog.

Stay Connected:

• Keren Carrión Website: https://www.kerencarrion.com
• Keren Carrión Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kerencarrionphoto
• Keren Carrión on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keren-carrion
• Keren Carrión at Report for America: https://www.reportforamerica.org/members/keren-carrion/
• Keren Carrión at NPR: https://www.npr.org/people/1213266959/keren-carrion

Credits:

• Host: Derek Fahsbender
• Senior Creative Producer: Jill Waterman
• Senior Technical Producer: Mike Weinstein
• Executive Producer: Richard Stevens