With more than a decade of experience in radio and print reporting, ShulaNeuman returned to St. Louis Public Radio, only to be re-assigned shortly thereafter...to Executive Editor for the station.
Shula first joined our staff in 2013 as a reporter and evening newscaster, but left to work as a reporter for Cleveland’s Public Radio Station and then an editor for NPR in Washington, D.C.
We spoke with Shula about her journey back to the station, her new position, and the highlights of working in public radio.
STLPR: This is your second stint at St. Louis Public Radio; what brought you back to the station?
Shula: I came back to the station because the merger between STLPR and The Beacon was about to happen. I knew this would be a great opportunity for the station and a great opportunity for me, personally, to be part of this growth. Also, St. Louis is where I was born and raised, so it felt right to come back and live closer to my parents.
STLPR: How long have you been back?
Shula: It’s been 2 years and 8 months.
STLPR: What is your role as Executive Editor?
Shula: Mostly, I try to set the news agenda for the station – what we are covering on a daily basis as well as what issues we are going to delve into on a long-term basis. Additionally, I am always trying to find ways to “keep the trains running," making sure that the reporters and editors and social media people and digital people can easily communicate with each other, so that we can work as a team to get great reporting on the air and on the web easily and quickly.
There are a million other little things that come up every day, but those are the two big things.
STLPR: What role do you play in helping create the acclaimed “We Live Here” program?
Shula: Basically, I helped come up with the concept along with Tim Lloyd and Emanuele Berry. The three of us came up with the idea for a podcast and other collateral broadcast and event elements. We played around a lot with how the podcast should sound and what kinds of stories we should tell.
Once it was up and running, my role turned more into that of a traditional editor. I work with Tim and now Kameel Stanley on story concepts, on shaping the arc of the story and on making sure everything sounds good once the reporting and writing is finished. Tim and Kameel definitely do all the heavy lifting; I’m just there to make sure they sound great.
STLPR: What is your favorite part of working in Public Radio?”
Shula: The people, for sure. I admire the work that our journalists do, especially because we ask a lot of them. Not only do they have to produce radio stories, but we also expect them to write great web stories and take photos (when Carolina isn't available) and to be active on social media. Everyone really steps up to that. Also, I like that so many people in the newsroom are open to trying new things; they're doing traditional radio and web stories, but branching out every now and then and trying something they’ve never done before.
You can listen to “We Live Here” by clicking and subscribing here.
