2020 Team

Megan Burney, Producer/Host, is an audio reporter and producer. She’s produced work in both narrated and non-narrated forms, but prefers to work in the latter. At CUNY she concentrates on international reporting and reports on a variety of subjects from politics, to trauma and mental health. She’s a cool person who loves storytelling, interviewing and learning from her sources. After graduating, Megan hopes to report for public radio and eventually produce her own podcasts and audio documentaries.

Holly DeMuth, Producer/Host, is an audio and print journalist based in NYC. She writes stories about health, justice and random things she’s curious about. Her written work can be found on City Limits, and in the Guardian’s Lost on the Frontline investigation. Prior to journalism, she volunteered as an ER advocate for survivors of sexual assault, taught English in South Korea, and worked in restaurants. She thinks you should be exceedingly kind to your servers right now, and tip at least 30 percent.

Jackie Harris, Managing Editor, is an audio reporter and producer based in New York. She previously produced work with audio teams at WNYC, WNPR and Utah Public Radio. She makes audio stories on everything from oil economies to harm reduction for opioid use disorders. She enjoys gardening and judging bakers on the Great British Bake Off with zero qualifications to do so.

Valen Iricibar, Reporter, is a bilingual audio and print journalist from Buenos Aires, currently based in Queens. They specialize in policy, gender-based violence and LGBTQIA issues but have a big soft spot for quirky stories — it allows their overthinking to be somewhat productive.

Ali McPherson, Reporter, is a native New Yorker and multimedia journalist. She majored in Journalism & Design with a minor in photography at The New School. She typically covers arts, culture and entertainment but also reports about issues concerning homeless people in NYC. She’s written for publications such as Honeysuckle Magazine, HuffPost and Huffington Post UK. She is also the host and producer of Saucy but Sweet with Ali McPherson, a podcast available on Pandora, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.

Ashley Rodriguez, Producer/Host, is an audio and print journalist. She has written about the performing arts, film, health, and housing inequality. Her work has appeared in THE CITY and the New York City News Service. Prior to a career in journalism, Ashley worked as an actor, secretary, and in retail. She is very happy she made the career change. She is currently a graduate student at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY and enjoys reading, kayaking, and interviewing her cat. The cat continues to have no comment.

Erika Wheless, Reporter, is a business reporter and audio producer interested in how economics shape our lives. She has previously worked at WNYC, and written for Financial Planning. She needs at least one cup of coffee, but is good after that.