Local government beat

Alex Watts

Alexandra was a 2017 Next Generation Radio Fellow with NPR in 2017. While at Arizona State University, she became the first ever audio and podcast editor for The State Press, and she worked on podcasts/audio with the news division of Arizona PBS. Watts has a BA & MMC from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. She had internships with KJZZ and worked in community engagement with the PIN Bureau, where she was part of the team who won the Associated Press Media Editors’ Innovator of the Year Award for College Students.

WFAE/Charlotte Mecklenburg Public Library

WFAE is the NPR station serving a 32-county area in the Charlotte region. For 32 years, people across the Carolinas have relied on WFAE to offer comprehensive and in-depth reporting. We air acclaimed NPR programs and produce an award-winning weekday show, Charlotte Talks. The Charlotte Mecklenburg Library is one of America’s leading urban public libraries, serving a community of more than one million citizens in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. Through 20 locations, 450 staff members, targeted outreach, and a robust online presence, the Library delivers exceptional services and programs with a mission to improve lives and build a stronger community. The Library’s priority outcomes include strengthening public engagement and increasing community connections by capturing and providing easy access to voices, perspectives, and reports reflecting the diversity of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County. The Digital Public Library of America amplifies the value of libraries and cultural organizations as Americans’ most trusted sources of shared knowledge. We do this by collaborating with partners to accelerate innovative tools and ideas that empower and equip libraries to make information more accessible.