Q&A with NPR correspondent Ari Shapiro

_Ari Shapiro is a correspondent for National Public Radio who reports on the White House.

Shapiro was the first NPR reporter to become a correspondent before the age of 30. He will give a lecture today titled “Stories You Won’t Hear on the Radio,” in which he will talk about what to expect from President Barack Obama’s second term.

He spoke with staff writer Zach Freshwater about his experiences at NPR and his advice for young journalists._

Daily Tar Heel: When did you start working for NPR?

Ari Shapiro: I started as an intern in January of 2001. I graduated from college in 2000 and interned for Nina Totenberg, who covers the Supreme Court and legal affairs. After that I went to work at Morning Edition, the morning news program, and then ultimately started doing some freelance stories, and then became a reporter full time a few years later.

DTH: You’re featured on TV pretty frequently — do you think you would ever want to transition into television?

AS: I really love NPR. There is so much editorial freedom. There is such a devoted audience that really cares about the country and the world that we live in. It’s such a good work environment with people that I respect so much. I enjoy doing television, but I’m not looking to leave NPR.

DTH: You were the first person under 30 to be promoted to the correspondent position at NPR. What was that like?

AS: You know, my whole career, I’ve just been grateful to have opportunities that are just almost beyond my grasp, so that I’ve really had to stretch and strive and work hard to be able to do what I’ve been assigned. And the challenge is part of what I love about it — that it just never gets boring.

DTH: You studied English in college — did you always want to be a journalist, or is that something you fell into?

AS: I didn’t really know what I wanted to be when I finished college. I applied for a lot of different things, and the NPR internship was one of the few things that came through. But what I love about journalism is that I get to learn something new every day.

DTH: Have there been any specific turning points in your career?

AS: I wouldn’t point to a single turning point. I think it has just been an incremental process year by year ­— of learning, and getting new challenges, and trying different things and sort of just going step by step.

DTH: With that in mind, what advice do you have for aspiring journalists?

AS: Be curious about the world around you. Engage with people and seek out their stories. There are great stories everywhere. The challenge is finding them and telling them. And so you just have to keep your eyes and ears open, and seek out things that are curious and interesting and surprising, so that you can tell the world about them.

DTH: What will you be speaking about today?

AS: I’m going to look a little bit back at the election, but mostly as a device to look forward at what we can expect from President (Barack) Obama in his second term.

DTH: What do you want students to take away from the talk?

AS: I hope to give them some insight into the way Washington works and the way the country works that goes a little deeper than a daily newscast. It’s helpful for me, covering the news everyday, to be able to give a talk like this that takes a step back and looks at events in an overarching way rather than incremental day-by-day status report.

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