Walker Smith is a visual journalist for Mainstreet Daily News in Gainesville, Florida. Before joining Report for America, Walker’s work was shaped by a diverse job history, from selling cotton candy at a dirt track in high school to working on industrial fishing boats in Alaska during the COVID-19 pandemic. He draws on his blue-collar background and experience in the supply chain to examine labor and rural industry.
He holds an M.A. in Visual Communication from Ohio University and completed a photojournalism internship at The Post and Courier in Charleston, South Carolina. When he’s not photographing, he plays saxophone, works on commercial fishing boats, and spends time sailing.
Beat: Photojournalist
Gainesville serves as the county seat of Alachua and is the proud home of the University of Florida and Santa Fe College — nationally top-ranked institutions that help fuel an active community featuring year-round sports, festivals, outdoor activities and more. The area also boasts strong economic activity ranging from shopping to agriculture and cutting-edge technology companies. Our staff photographer would document this vibrant community through visual storytelling in a mix of assigned and self-directed work.