Q&A with Gale Melcher, TCB’s first City Beat reporter

Gale Melcher (she/they) is TCB’s newest hire and will be the paper’s first City Beat reporter. The position is a nonprofit-funded position that will report on every city council meeting in both Greensboro and Winston-Salem. Because the position is funding by nonprofit dollars, her work will be free to share by other media outlets. Learn more about that by emailing Brian at [email protected].

Gale comes to TCB from Wilmington and we’re excited to have her! Here’s a little about Gale and why she got into journalism.

To reach Gale, email her at [email protected]. She starts with TCB in January 2023!

1. How and why did you get involved in journalism?

The first journalists I ever met were my grandparents. They worked incredibly hard over the course of their careers, particularly my grandmother who served for several years as the editor of the newspaper they both worked for. She is one of the hardest working people I have ever known, often working long hours (even over holidays and vacations) to ensure that the stories in her community were told. Their passion for this work ignited my desire to write, and it also showed me the importance of local news. Big or small, every story is born at the local level. I wholeheartedly believe that local news ties a community together. 

2. What made you want to work at TCB?

When I decided to pursue journalism I knew that I wanted to work in local news, particularly in print journalism. I’ve always loved reading a physical copy of a newspaper, the cover catching your eye as you walk by, notifying you (without having to find the information through the internet) what exactly is going on locally. That’s so powerful, and I love the fact that the Triad City Beat is committed to making their critical reporting accessible in digital form as well as in print.

Picking up a newspaper is an opportunity to learn something new, and funnily enough that’s how I read about Triad City Beat for the first time; a few of my closest friends live in Greensboro and while I was visiting them back in July we stopped at a local bookstore that also distributed magazines and newspapers. On our way out I stopped to pick up a newspaper called the Triad City Beat. Several months later this position became available, I applied, and I’m so grateful to be part of this paper’s mission.

3. What is your favorite story you’ve written or reported on?

I had the pleasure of knowing a very gifted artist during my time in Raleigh and ended up writing a profile essay on her and her work over the summer right before she took her talents to Australia. I feel so grateful that I got to learn more about her and the meanings behind her paintings. At the end of the day, writing about people and having the privilege of hearing their stories is what I love the most. I also enjoy writing poetry and fiction; lately I’ve been piecing together a short story as a fun creative project.

4. What kinds of topics/subject matter are you most interested in when it comes to reporting?

Highlighting topics that challenge inequities will be one of my main goals in this role, and I’m especially looking forward to hearing about and writing on topics that may be discussed in future city council meetings such as policing, healthcare accessibility, and affordable housing. 

5. What are you hoping to get out of your position with TCB?

The opportunity to immerse myself and learn is probably what excites me most about this role. I’m looking forward to connecting with people as I learn more about these cities and their stories every day. I feel so honored to have received this responsibility and cannot wait to give it my all in the new year.