Criminal justice in New Hanover County, NC

Aaleah McConnell

Aaleah McConnell covers the criminal justice system in New Hanover County, North Carolina, at WHQR Public Radio. Before joining Report for America, McConnell completed a fellowship with the national nonprofit organization States Newsroom, where she focused on enterprise stories centered on the affordable housing shortage, mental health care, and education. Before that, she interned at the Georgia Recorder reporting on laws proposed under the gold dome of Georgia’s state Capitol during the 2023 Georgia Legislative session. She also covered the 2022 Georgia Legislative Session for Gold Dome Debrief, a weekly podcast produced by Fresh Take Georgia. She graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Emerging Media from Kennesaw State University, with a minor in African and African American Diaspora Studies. When not serving underserved communities through journalism, she loves to roller-skate and go on long walks with her dog Kai.

WHQR Public Media

WHQR is a publicly funded nonprofit radio newsroom serving the Cape Fear Region of North Carolina. As WHQR's newsroom, we are dedicated to fair, in-depth, investigative journalism aimed at holding local government accountable. While our radio waves extend beyond the county we’re housed in, our coverage historically has not gone as far out into rural areas. We aim to change that, and bring our caliber of watchdog coverage to government agencies in surrounding counties.