By: Elijah Pinckney 

On Feb. 13, 2024, Morehouse’s journalism and communications department students visited and toured Atlanta’s 11Alive Studios. The initiative was led by Journalism Department chair and Maroon Tiger Advisor Craig A. Brown. 

When the students arrived at 11Alive’s headquarters, they were met by Karys Belger, a reporter and journalist for 11Alive; Belger is also a 2016 graduate of Spelman College. After introducing herself to the group, Belger began the tour by educating her guests about each room in the facility and having students meet other staff in the office. 

During the tour, students visited the control, production, and weathercasting rooms, where they learned about the functions and relevance of each space. They were also featured briefly on ATL&Co, a lifestyle show highlighting talent in and around the metro Atlanta area. 

While touring the studio, Morehouse and Spelman’s students heard from reporters about the importance and authenticity of local news. 

Kristen Reed, the Director of Digital Content for 11Alive, expounds upon this point by saying that there is “a difference between talking to a community versus talking about a community” in the news. She believes that “the more we can hear from people and have them use their own words, and tell their own stories is much more impactful and is an easier story to put out into the public.” 

Reed added that “local news is the most trusted segment of news in the country because the people depend on it,” which is why this news sector must remain genuine. 

Students also spoke with Neima Abdulahi, the award-winning Chief Culture Journalist of the special projects division at 11Alive News. She backed Reed’s points and touched on diversity in the news by stating that “diversity in newsrooms is so important,” Abdulahi said.” If the community reflects your coverage area, there is often someone in your newsroom you can call on… to reach out when certain situations happen in our city.” 

Toward the end of the trip, the students ate pizza, conversed with staff members, and took one last look at each room in the headquarters. Before returning to campus, the students thanked the staff of 11Alive Studios for their time and willingness to welcome them into their workplace. 

Edited by: Kobe Scales, Sports Editor