Student reporter Luke Zarzecki interviews Juan Conde.

Juan Conde, a “Dreamer” and student at the University of Vermont’s Larner College of Medicine, gets interviewed by student reporter Luke Zarzecki.

“I feel that there’s a huge sense of purpose that comes with being a reporter” says Junior English Major Caroline Slack, a summer intern with the Community News Service. “I enjoy digging into a story and discovering little-known information. I find it super satisfying to be able to inform folks about relevant issues that affect them and their communities.”

Caroline’s reporting led her to an interview with a local forester in a small Vermont county where she learned that the Emerald Ash Borer – an insect that is expected to devastate the state’s Ash trees -- had been sighted in another Vermont county. The story as first reported by Caroline circulated statewide in the online newspaper VT Digger.

Caroline is one of six students this summer in the Community News Service--a student powered team of reporters focused on the local and hyperlocal--providing stories, interactives and videos to newspapers across Vermont coordinated through the new Reporting and Documentary Storytelling Minor at UVM.

The program hired an editor, Lisa Scagliotti, to edit the students work and coordinate news stories with the community papers and other media outlets in Vermont. Lisa has more than 30 years of journalism experience at papers like the Burlington Free Press, the Anchorage Daily News and local papers like the Shelburne News and The Other Paper.

On Monday mornings Lisa and the summer reporters sit around the table, debating news ideas and refining their assignments. 

“Let’s see if we can find out about this tool theft in Shelburne” Scagliotti tells one of the students, Julia Bailey-Wells, taking her through how to check with the police reports, and other sources. Julia tracked down a lead from CraigsList Ad by speaking with the owner of the construction site from which the tools were stolen. Either the alleged thieves, or someone tasked with distributing the tools, listed the items on Craigslist in a very frantic, all-caps ad, Julia says. “By the time the troopers were notified of the ad, the poster had taken it down. But It’s been exciting to follow the story and see where it might lead next.” See her story in The Citizen newspaper.

Big stories start at the local level is the saying in the news business. Luke Zarzecki covered the story of a med student at UVM, who, despite a Ph.D and acceptance into medical school in the US, is at risk for deportation because of his immigration status. Luke’s story on the student and his courage in standing up publicly with Congressman Peter Welch, was covered statewide.

“We are not trying to be the trash police” Liam Creaser led a recent article on a program called “waste warriors” focused on reducing trash at outdoor concerts. But covering the local means covering the things that people care about, like the graduation of their children. Cullen Paradis covered a local 8th grade graduation ceremony, interviewing a grandfather who traveled from Florida to see the graduation.

The six students in this year's summer program will continue their writing and work in the fall, but the program will also be taking on another group of interns.

“Learning how to cover the hyperlocal provides excellent training in storytelling and journalism for students” coordinator Richard Watts said, “and given the decimation of Journalism and fake news attacks, it is also a way for the University to contribute to restoring trust in news.”