Faces Of NPR is a weekly feature that showcases the people behind NPR, from the voices you hear every day on the radio to the ones who work outside of the recording studio. You'll find out about what they do and what they're inspired by on the daily. This week's post features NPR's Science reporter, Rae Ellen Bichell.
The Basics:
Name: Rae Ellen Bichell
Twitter Handle: @raelnb
Job Title: Science Reporter (temporary)
Where You're From: Nashville, TN
An Inside Look:
You're a Science reporter. What does that mean?
I get to be curious about science as a job. I do radio and web stories about news across a bunch of scientific fields. Every week, I read through embargoed articles coming out in major journals. When I was in DC, I covered things like the Zika virus outbreak and the occasional space walk. Since moving to Colorado (for my spouse's job) I've been doing more in-the-field stories, like one about a Mars simulation site and another about a couple racing to cure a disease before it kills one of them. So basically, I'm a regular science reporter but without job security. Sadly, my current contract ends soon. Such is life for temps. Last I heard, we make up something like 20% of NPR's workforce.
How did you get started here? What advice do you have for someone who wants a job like yours?
I first came to NPR in 2013 as a Kroc Fellow, which was like a 12-month crash course in how NPR works. I pitch stories all the time and work super hard. But it's tricky to give useful advice because a lot of the opportunities I've gotten have been the result of a years-long domino effect of luck and privilege. So, among the things you can control, I'd say: come up with story ideas all the time, introduce yourself to people you admire and, especially if you're young and/or a woman, be sure to claim credit for your contributions.
What's your favorite #nprlife moment?
You get to do so many surprising things. I think there are two moments that show the range of #nprlife. One was when Laurel Wamsley and I went to Savannah, Georgia to cover Hurricane Matthew. We weren't sure how bad the storm would be. By the time we arrived, all the stores were closed except Home Depot. So I just stocked up on peanuts, beef jerky, Snickers and batteries and then we crossed our fingers that it would be enough to last us a couple days if worse came to worse. (Everything turned out fine). On the opposite end of the spectrum, I ended up driving a couple of cops around Denver to pot dispensaries. And I once got to say "Space Station, this is Rae Ellen Bichell..." when I interviewed an astronaut while she was floating on the International Space Station. That was fun.
What are some interesting things you've worked on?
I got to work with our really talented Visuals team on a multimedia project to help listeners figure out if their water might be contaminated with lead. We got to take bad news — the Flint water crisis — and make something useful out of it. It was like smashing public health and public radio together. I'm also really excited to see an upcoming series about discrimination come to fruition. Since I pitched it a couple years ago, it's blossomed from a Science Desk project to an NPR-wide thing. So stay tuned!
What's on your desk?
A bunch of dead batteries, a mounted jackalope and some books I've been meaning to read about evolution, bacteria, and how stereotypes affect us.
Favorite podcast?
Outside of NPR podcasts, I really like Criminal (Radiotopia, non-fiction) and Homecoming (Gimlet, fictional psychological thriller). A few weeks ago I was listening to Criminal and realized the episode was about body farms, where scientists study how human bodies decompose. It's exactly what I had just filed a story about. Same brain wave.
Favorite Tiny Desk?
A Romanian brass band called Fanfare Ciocarlia. They managed to fit 12 dudes with horns and drums behind that desk. I kept wondering if it was physically possible for an instrument to explode from playing it too fast.
First thing you do when you get to the office?
Well, I work remotely from my apartment in Boulder and the public library when I don't have to record things. So basically, I roll out of bed, water the plants (hopefully) and start the work day at 7a.m.
What are you inspired by right now?
The #WeMakeNPR campaign has been really inspiring. Outside of work, I recently started climbing and canyoneering, and those activities are equal parts inspiring and humbling. It's like, "Now you're gonna lower yourself on a rope through this waterfall and hope you come out Ok on the other side" or "Now, you're gonna scale this cliff." I feel like a chicken ALL the time. But somehow things always work out and it feels like real exploring. Once I ended up sitting on a ledge in a canyon in Utah next to a nest of freshly hatched baby birds.
What do you love about public radio?
Public radio nerds are the best kind of nerd (case in point). Seriously, though, I think it's an essential part of a functioning society. The people who do it are in it for the right reasons. I loved working with amazing/smart/tough colleagues at member stations KPLU (now KNKX) in Seattle and WPLN in Nashville. And I've moved across the world (from Helsinki, Finland) twice so I could work at NPR headquarters.
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