Local Journalists Discuss the Ins and Outs of Reporting News

Students at Saint Louis University had the opportunity to interview KMOV investigative reporter Lauren Trager and KWMU radio reporter Sarah Fentem to gain a better understanding about what it is really like to be a journalist on February 13th, 2020.

Trager’s journey to success in news reporting was a slow one. Trager said she had been interested in journalism but didn’t fully invest in it until the end of her undergraduate career. She began by taking small jobs, like writing articles for local newspapers and working for a radio station. She gained exposure. Trager noted, “You start small, get what you can, and get your hands dirty.” Her small jobs and determination eventually led her to receiving a job at Channel 4. Journalism requires responsibility, especially when thinking about the live’s of the people they report about. Trager noted that “it’s always important to be right than to be first.”

St. Louis native, Sarah Fentem, graduated from SLU in 2011. She said, “It’s important to know I failed a lot before I got here.” After getting kicked out of graduate school and terminated from a job in one year, Fentem said her life soon turned around when she was accepted to Indiana University’s Journalism School where she would attempt her last shot at receiving her master’s degree. Fentem said hard work, the guidance of IU professors, and determination led her to eventually receiving a job offer from STL Public Radio.

Potential future journalists had the opportunity to hear from two local reporters and ask them about what it is really like to be a journalist today. Trager’s reporting can be found at kmov.com and Fentem’s reporting can be found at stlpublicradio.org.