If Karina Elwood’s name seems familiar, that’s because she was until recently a local education reporter at the Washington Post.
Now she’s back, editing a new project featuring firsthand coverage and student voices.
Called Firsthand, it’s a national spinoff of The Bell and its NYC-focused efforts.
“My take on the state of education journalism right now is that we need to have more student voices,” says Elwood in this new interview.
“Education journalism is always better when it is elevated by student voices — whether that’s in your own reporting or helping other students do the work. The more students [are] represented, the better the work usually is.”
While excited about new voices and new platforms, Elwood is still a traditional journalist at heart.
“I’m open to non-traditional journalism in the way that we package our journalism, but I do I I do believe in first understanding the basics of traditional journalism,” she says. “You have to understand the ethics of journalism and all of the standards — all of the basics of fact-checking and neutrality that journalism is built on.”
Like many other journalists, she’s dipping her toe into social video. “I’m trying. I’m trying. It is it is difficult to do,” she says. “I’m just a journalist who wants to get work in front of people, and I’m open to trying new things.”
So far, Firsthand has received dozens of submissions from across the country, according to Elwood. They continue to accept pitches on a rolling basis and are re aiming to publish 20-25 stories toward the end of the year.
Watch the interview or read the transcript above (or on YouTube). Listen to the conversation on Spotify or Apple. You can follow Elwood on TikTok & Instagram.
Previously from The Grade
Remote reporting doesn’t work, either
How to report from inside a school — without access to the school
Student voices missing in coverage of NYC specialized schools debate
‘Better stories’: student-centered schools coverage in Las Vegas
