Meet Abbie Shull, The News Tribune’s military reporter. She requests your story ideas
Dear TNT Readers,
I am delighted to begin work here at The News Tribune as a corps member of Report for America. Throughout the next year I’ll be spending my time telling stories about the military and veterans of Pierce County and Washington state.
While national security coverage is important, my reporting will focus on local military and veterans communities and the issues that affect their everyday lives.
Before COVID-19, I was finishing up my master’s degree at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism in New York City. I had a virtual graduation ceremony, like many others from the class of 2020, held on the same day I moved to Tacoma.
I’m also a graduate of Louisiana State University, where I earned my bachelor’s degree from the Manship School of Mass Communication. Louisiana is where I started pursuing journalism. I worked as a reporter for The Daily Reveille, where I covered everything from local theater to the hazing death of an LSU freshman to student government. I went on to cover breaking news as an associate producer for WBRZ, spent a summer writing about local restaurants as a contributing writer for 225 Magazine and covered the Louisiana Legislature for the Manship Statehouse Bureau.
I applied for Report for America because, to me, journalism is a service. I am deeply passionate about the important relationship between local news organizations, like The News Tribune, and the communities they serve.
I was specifically interested in The News Tribune because, although I didn’t grow up in Pierce County, my family has lived in the Tacoma area for generations. My dad was born on Roosevelt Hill and spent his teenage years in Gig Harbor. I’ve spent my whole life learning little bits about the Puget Sound area, but I’m thrilled to get to know it on my own.
I know as a civilian I have a lot to learn about our military and their important role in life in Pierce County and beyond. My dad served in the U.S. Coast Guard and my brothers are Navy veterans. Like so many of you, I come from a family of veterans and have a great deal of respect for military members and their families.
I’ve only been in Pierce County a few weeks, but I can tell this community cares deeply about service members, veterans and those who support them. As a reporter, I hope to emulate that passion by bringing to light issues that matter to our military members and veterans. I look forward to learning from this community.
I want to hear from you!
Here are some topics I plan to cover:
▪ COVID-19: How has the pandemic affected life for military members? How has the pandemic and related closures of businesses affected veterans transitioning to civilian life?
▪ Transition: The transition from military to civilian life can be difficult. What local resources make this step easier for veterans? What resources are they lacking that would make the transition smoother?
▪ Veterans: What challenges are Pierce County veterans facing in job training and medical care?
▪ JBLM: Joint Base Lewis-McChord is the region’s largest employer and the largest military installation on the West Coast. How does JBLM impact this region’s economy and culture?
Those are my initial ideas. I’m sure you have more. I’d like to invite you to share your thoughts in this questionnaire.
Thanks, and I look forward to the coming year.
